"We didn't have any plans of our own": When Linda Hendrick shared insights on Rick Hendrick's unexpected NASCAR journey

With a NASCAR-record 312 Cup Series victories and 14 championships, it's hard to argue against Rick Hendrick being one of the greatest owners the sport has ever seen. Through it all, the owner of Hendrick Motorsports has been backed by the support of his wife, Linda.

The winningest NASCAR owner's legacy was cemented in 2017 when he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Ahead of his induction, Linda wrote a heartfelt article via the team's website that shared some insight into the couple's relationship and racing journey.

Linda started off by saying it had been an incredible journey the two had been on since Hendrick ventured into the NASCAR world, but one they weren't expecting. She added:

"It’s been an unexpected journey, but an amazing, lifelong journey. It could be compared to a rollercoaster ride – we’ve had our highs, our lows, the good, the bad, the ugly, and all the chapters of not just racing, but life."

Linda went on to admit that when the two got married, they didn't know what to expect, but added there was no way to predict the amazing future they'd have together. She added:

"When Rick and I got married, we were just like all young people – we didn’t have any plans of our own. We never could have imagined what was to come. It’s just not something we talked about – that we were going to start a race team or car dealerships."

Through all the trials and tribulations, from HMS' debut in 1984 to winning championship after championship, Linda said she and Rick never got ahead of themselves.

"We just took it one step at a time and one day at a time," Rick Hendrick's wife said. "Looking back, where we started, how things have progressed and where we are now, it’s like a dream that we just happened to be a part of."

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Rick Hendrick's team Hendrick Motorsports still going strong today

Little did Rick Hendrick know back in 1984 what his team, Hendrick Motorsports, could be capable of in NASCAR. As the winningest team in the sport, HMS is still one of the top contenders on the racetrack every week.

Today, HMS fields four full-time Cup Series teams. Kyle Larson pilots the #5 HMS Chevrolet and most notably won the 2021 championship amid his first year under Hendrick. Chase Elliott, who wheels the #9 HMS machine, drove his way to a championship with the team as well in 2020.

While they don't have championships to their names, Alex Bowman and William Byron are still two of NASCAR's elite drivers.

Bowman, who drives the #48 HMS car, is an eight-time Cup Series race winner, capturing all eight at Rick Hendrick's team. Byron, who drives the #24 HMS Chevrolet, is a 13-time Cup Series race winner and has made two appearances in the Championship 4.