06:38 PM EDT on Monday, October 25, 2004

John Hendrick

hendrickmotorsports.com

John Hendrick

John Hendrick is the president of Hendrick Motorsports, teaming with his brother, Rick, to lead one of the world’s premier stock-car racing organizations.

Born in Richmond, Va., and raised near the tiny Virginia town of South Hill, Hendrick was active in sports as a young man, participating in baseball, basketball and track, while sharing his brother’s interest in racing. Following high school, he enrolled at the University of Cincinnati, earning a degree in science before moving to North Carolina.

Like his sibling, John Hendrick excelled in the business world. Rick, the elder of the two, quickly recognized John’s potential and recruited him to join his ventures in Charlotte, N.C., where the younger Hendrick began his introduction to the automotive industry in 1978, working at City Chevrolet to experience the car business top-to-bottom, from parts to sales.

As he learned his way around the dealership, Hendrick’s passion for motor sports was growing as he became increasingly fascinated with motor-boat racing, a sport in which his brother was heavily involved. John’s success paralleled Rick’s, as both men set world records in their respective classes.

Hendrick quickly moved from City Chevrolet to Rick Hendrick Honda in West Columbia, S.C., where he was named general sales manger. He soon took over the franchise, becoming a dealer himself while founding his own company -- JL Hendrick Management Corp. -- that operates car dealerships throughout the Carolinas.

In 1998, John Hendrick’s profile in the world of motor sports increased as he took the reigns of Hendrick Motorsports while Rick battled leukemia. Under his leadership, HMS earned a fourth NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship, its third with Jeff Gordon, and came within three points of a second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title with driver Jack Sprague.

One of Hendrick’s personal interests has always been working with charities, especially those that support disadvantaged youth. He is currently chairman of the board of Nazareth Children’s Home in Rockwell, N.C., and serves on the board of directors for Elon Homes for Children in Charlotte.

In his free time, Hendrick enjoys snow skiing, playing golf and spending time with his family. He and his wife Cathy have three daughters -- Alesha, and twins Jennifer and Kimberly.

hendrickmotorsports.com

Ricky Hendrick

Like father, like son is an appropriate way to describe Ricky Hendrick, the youngest child of Hendrick Motorsports founder Rick Hendrick and co-owner of two NASCAR teams.

Behind the wheel, Ricky Hendrick enjoyed considerable success on the race track. As a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie in 2001, the then-21-year-old became the youngest driver in history to win an event on the circuit and finished the season sixth in points.

In 2002, Rick Hendrick’s namesake moved into the NASCAR Busch Series, testing his skills against the best up-and-coming drivers in the sport before transitioning into an ownership role with the No. 5 NASCAR Busch Series team following the season.

Outside the race car, the 23-year-old enjoyed a banner year in 2003, becoming the youngest owner in history to win a NASCAR championship, as driver Brian Vickers and the No. 5 team earned the Busch Series crown with three victories, 13 top-fives and 21 top-10 finishes. It was the first-ever title for HMS on the circuit and its ninth overall NASCAR triumph.

Ricky Hendrick is now co-owner of both the No. 5 Busch Series entry with rookie Kyle Busch and the No. 25 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team of the 20-year-old Vickers.

Along with his motor sports endeavors, Hendrick has followed in his father’s footsteps as a successful entrepreneur, founding a motorcycle dealership, Ricky Hendrick’s Performance Honda, which is now part of the Hendrick Automotive Group family.

hendrickmotorsports.com

Jeff Turner

Jeff Turner was named general manager of Hendrick Motorsports in March of 2002, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Charlotte, N.C.-based company and its five NASCAR teams.

Turner joined Rick Hendrick in 1984 as tax director of dealership and racing operations after five years with Price Waterhouse as a senior tax consultant. From 1986 until 1990, he was vice president and controller of the Hendrick Automotive Group, then known as JRH Inc.

In 1990, Turner was named vice president and general manager of Hendrick Sportswear and Motorsports Traditions, companies involved in the manufacturing, distribution and licensing of apparel, souvenirs and novelty items in racing and for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.

The New London, N.C., native returned to the automotive group in 1993 as vice president and chief financial officer of JL Hendrick Management Corporation, a company owned by Hendrick Motorsports president John Hendrick that operates automobile dealerships.

Before assuming the general manager position, Turner, a University of North Carolina at Charlotte graduate, was vice president and chief financial officer of Hendrick Motorsports from 1998 through 2002, focusing on finances and marketing during a period of unprecedented company growth.

hendrickmotorsports.com

Randy Dorton

Rick Hendrick acquired Competition Engines in 1984 and invited the company’s founder, talented engine builder Randy Dorton, to join the fledgling operation of Hendrick Motorsports. Since that time, Dorton and his staff have consistently produced the finest motors in stock-car racing.

Dorton’s career began in the 1970s with legendary crew chief Harry Hyde, assembling engines that propelled driver Dave Marcis within one spot of the 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship.

After coming to Hendrick, Dorton was named NASCAR’s Engine Builder of the Year in 1986, an honor that three members of his staff have since claimed under his tutelage.

Race cars with Dorton motors under the hood have won five Winston Cup championships, four with driver Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001) and one with Terry Labonte (1996), not to mention a NASCAR Busch Series crown with Brian Vickers (2003) and three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series titles with driver Jack Sprague (1997, 1999 and 2001).

As engine director, Dorton oversees more than 80 specialists who build and rebuild 600-plus engines a year. He is also heavily involved in research and development for both Hendrick Motorsports and General Motors, helping develop the next generation of racing technology.

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Scott Lathram

Scott is a former Kentucky State Police trooper. The 38-year-old left the state police force last year and took a job as a helicopter pilot for race car driver Tony Stewart.

Lathram had spent the past 14 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and was about to deploy to Iraq with his Fort Knox-based unit, state police spokesman Barry Meadows told The Paducah Sun.

Dick is a company pilot for Hendrick Motorsports. He is the brother of Vermont state Rep. John Tracy.

Richard Tracy, 51, of Charlotte, N.C., grew up in the southeastern Vermont community of Springfield.

John Tracy said his brother was the third of eight children.

"He grew up with the name Dick Tracy. My dad was a cop. And he (Richard) always lived up to it," John Tracy said Monday from Virginia. "He always had spunk."

After graduating from high school Richard Tracy moved around a bit before attending aviation school in Florida, John Tracy said.

When he died Richard Tracy was flying for Hendrick Motorsports, one of the premier teams in NASCAR racing.

"He absolutely loved it," John Tracy said. "It's a wonderful organization."

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Jennifer and Kimberly Hendrick

Jennifer and Kimberly are the twin daughters of John Hendrick. Jennifer had just gone to work for Hendrick Motorsports about three months ago.

The girls graduated from Charlotte Christian in 2000. Their former teachers said Jennifer and Kimberly were caring and respectful and their giving spirit shined through during several mission trips.

Liz is a company pilot for Hendrick Motorsports. She is a resident of Harrisburg, N.C.

Joe is an executive with DuPont, sponsored Jeff Gordon's Hendrick Motorsports car.

Some of the information in this report is courtesy of Hendrickmotorsports.com