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Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick shared his feelings following the demise of Dr. Jerry M. Petty, an esteemed neurosurgeon known to have treated hundreds of NASCAR drivers for more than half a century. One of the founding members of the Carolina NeuroSurgery and Spine Associates (CNSA), Petty, was 90 at the time of his death.
To everyone else, Petty was the smiling doctor who was always cracking jokes, always keeping spirits high, but to Rick Hendrick, Petty was a friend. So when Hendrick heard the unfortunate news, he was shattered.
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During a recent interview (via Speedway Digest), Hendrick remembered Petty as he mourned his loss. The NASCAR Hall of Famer said,
“I'm heartbroken by the loss of my dear friend, Dr. Jerry Petty. For so many of us in racing and beyond, Jerry was more than a doctor - he was the person you called, day or night, whenever you needed help.”
What made Petty special beyond his abilities as a doctor was his heart, Hendrick acknowledged. It didn't matter if it was a superstar driver or someone from the crew. Petty treated everyone with the same care, compassion, and respect.
“He never sought the spotlight, but there's a reason NASCAR honored him with the Bill France Award of Excellence. That says everything about how deeply he was valued and how rare his contributions were,” he added.
This coming weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets will race with a memorial decal to honor the life and career of Dr. Petty. Set for Sunday, April 27, the 188-lap race named Jack Link's 500 will be televised on FOX from 3 pm ET onwards with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
“He loves his racing”- John Force praises Rick Hendrick ahead of the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals
16-time NHRA champion John Force thinks the world of Mr. Rick Hendrick. After all, HendrickCars.com, owned by the automotive tycoon, will be the primary sponsor for Force’s NHRA squad at the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, which is scheduled for April 25 to 27.
“Excited to have HendrickCars.com back on board as a major sponsor in Charlotte,” John Force said of the alliance (via NHRA). “Rick Hendrick is a good man, and he loves his racing.”
The benefactors include Force's daughter and Top Fueler Brittany Force, as well as 2012 Funny Car world champion Jack Beckman. Besides them, HendrickCars.com will also serve as a major associate sponsor for reigning Funny Car world champion Austin Prock.
“Just like last year, Brittany will be in the HendrickCars.com Top Fuel car, but this time, we’ll have two cars flying the Hendrick name, and I’m excited that Jack Beckman will be in a HendrickCars.com Funny Car,” Force added.
The nitro qualifying sessions for Funny Car and Top Fuel will be held at 5:15 pm and 7:45 pm. The finals have been set for Saturday, April 26, at 3 pm for Top Fuel and 3:20 pm for Funny Car. Eliminations will begin the next day (Sunday), 12 pm onwards.
