NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsport's plane disappeared from radar today as it was enroute to Martinsville Speedway.

No details as of yet, but apparently Rick and other HM bigwigs were aboard.

havent heard anything

That would suck. His father passed in July.

A Hendrick car won. They didn't do a victory lane celebration. Jim Hunter of NASCAR was interviewed, I am sure he said that had be in contact with Rick, but he didn't say who was on the plane.

The plane crashed in the foothills surrounding Martinsville as it was making its final approach. Seven aboard - all perished. No further details.

*EDIT* Later reports indicate that there were ten people aboard. :(

out of Charlotte, NC is reporting live that John Hendrick, Ricky Hendrick and engine builder Randy Dorton were on the airplane.(10-24-2004)

From Jayski




SAD SAD DAY!

bummer

well thats sad

:az

:(

Apparently Big Rick Hendrick was NOT onboard, and neither were any of the team's drivers. Names are being withheld pending notification of family.

I'm no NASCAR fan, but it sucks when people die. NASCAR has had more than its share of tragedy. RIP.

In '05 the team's planes will have restrictor plates and the pilots will be required to wear a HANS device.

Not funny.

So who is this guy? I know its never cool when somebody dies, but why make such a big fuss out of a NASCAR driver?


:confused

He's not a driver. He's a team owner, and his drivers include people like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Oh noes.

Sorry about his and the other peoples death but I fail to care about the impact on Nascar.


(circle track hater's club)

The story from ESPN news:

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?id=1908619

In '05 the team's planes will have restrictor plates and the pilots will be required to wear a HANS device.
I like that. Ill give you comedic props.

Nice work on the avatar. Simple and succinct.

Oh noes.

Sorry about his and the other peoples death but I fail to care about the impact on Nascar.


(circle track hater's club)

What dickhead! It is always sad when something so devastating happens, especially in a motorsport venue (which is our hobby) regardless of whether you like it or not.

My prayers to the family and friends! :(

The man loses his father a few months ago, now a son and brother. No parent should ever have to bury a child. :(

In '05 the team's planes will have restrictor plates and the pilots will be required to wear a HANS device.


You have no respect........

:(

The man loses his father a few months ago, now a son and brother. No parent should ever have to bury a child. :(

He also lost two nieces and one of the top guys in his organization that is very much like a family.

It's a sad day for all Motorsport fans, even those folks who hate NASCAR because they think doing DE's on a road course puts them above such redneckedness. :rolleyes

You have no respect........

You'll get over it.

Rick Hendrick lost his son, brother, two neices, cheif engine builder, an dupont employee, Tony Stewert's pilot and the two other pilots...there was a total of 10 people on the plane.



MAX///M3 your a peice of shit! these people have families and they deserve more repect than that. very poor taste! :nono

Very sad indeed. Condolences to family and friends...


and for those of you [foolish people] who need a better reason to mourn the loss of NASCAR people, you'll remember that Hendrick Motorsports ran the Corvette GTP back in the IMSA days.

Oh noes.

Sorry about his and the other peoples death but I fail to care about the impact on Nascar.


(circle track hater's club)
What a winner you are.

Seriously, this is a tragedy. The Hendricks team was a huge and important part of the current Nascar scene.

Recently, (well, since I've gotten Speed channel...), I like to watch a little Nascar along with all the great coverage on Speed... its a different league with different rules, cars, drivers, formats... still fun. Even though my interest in this sport is young, I already knew that the Hendricks were a huge deal.

What makes this tragedy even more terrible is the overwhelming amount of Family on that aircraft. Rick Hendrick's brother and his two twin daughers (22 years old, I believe... so damn sad.) along with a few other Nascar related executives...

This will be a blow to all the teams and the sport itself.

EricR, even though you have differing opinions about what constitutes as 'racing,' those were ten people who died far too early and will be morned by perhaps hundreds of thousands of people. I will, I believe, be among them.

Steve

How could some of you guys poke fun at this tradgedy? What if 10 people YOU know died?

/rant

dude its so lame to try to make a joke out of such an event like this.

Everyone has their own way of dealing with tragedy.

Damn you guys are sensitive. Yes, it sucks when people die. That is what eric_r was saying, it sucks that they died, but he fails to care about the IMPACT it has on the sport. If Martha Stewart died would you care about the impact it had on gardening? No. Stop being a bunch of babies.

Max///M3, your comment ruled. :)

Damn you guys are sensitive. Yes, it sucks when people die. That is what eric_r was saying, it sucks that they died, but he fails to care about the IMPACT it has on the sport. If Martha Stewart died would you care about the impact it had on gardening? No. Stop being a bunch of babies.

Max///M3, your comment ruled. :)

Interspool, you and Max///M3 will reap what you sow..... Its a shame that assholes like ya'll are involved in our sport.....Damn shame.

I go to NC State in Raleigh, and the night the plane went down I was at a fall cocktail for Peace college. One of my dates friends who was riding with us got a call during the dance and left crying; we couldn't find her the rest of the night, thought it was about some guy or something and were tipsy enough not to care.

The next morning one of her friends found her in her dorm room where she'd been all night in mourning. Her family is very closly connected to the Hendrick family apperently, and her brother was supposed to be on the plane as he's a top machanic or something (I'll get his name if it interest y'all, I don't know or care about NASCAR), but he had some stomach issues at the time and thought that he might throw up if he got on the plane, and stayed on the ground.

Terrible stuff.

Interspool, you and Max///M3 will reap what you sow..... Its a shame that assholes like ya'll are involved in our sport.....Damn shame.

Dude, get over yourself. If you'd recall my initial post:

That would suck. His father passed in July.

Yuh it sucks what happened to his family. I bought a car from his dealership in North Carolina.

Dude, get over yourself. If you'd recall my initial post:

There is not much sympathy in a comment like "that sucks" in regards to the lives of 10 people lost.

Randy Dorton built a huge, and very successful engine program for Hendricks, sad to see a great gear head go. :(

A tragedy, not only for his family, but for his business and other businesses that worked with their company(s). They were also a customer for the company I work for. Its never a good thing for anyone when something like this happens. Oddly enough two days later anothe plane crash happened in the Mtns/foothills here. If there is one thing that sucks, it is the fog and recent weather we have been having here.

I did hear on channel 14 that the plane was not up to par with current safety and navigation equipment. But I may be wrong. Anyhow...I really don't think you should post unless you truley are sympathetic or curious, for 1 extra post count save yourself the negative attention.

I strongly feel some people need God in their life with certain things I read on this forum. It makes me sick.

In defense of MAX, I think whenever humor can come out of anything it's a good thing. Plus it was damn funny. It's not as if he doesn't care either, just giving him an Irish funeral or whatever. I hope some joy (humor) can come after my death.

PS - I bought Christopher Reeves wheelchair on eBay.

Happened to be flipping through when the post race ceremonies were goin on for today's race. Jimmy Johnson didnt get out of his car for atleast 2 or 3 minutes and was visibly upset. Then someone hands him a phone and he says "whats up boss". Gotta be very to do something like that. Rick told them to wear their hats backwards as his son always did and congrats. To be honest, the whole situation gave me the chills. Gordon, Labonte, Johnson, and Vickers all there and all somewhat upset.

Vickers, whose car was "owned" by Ricky, finished 7th...his career best.

Happened to be flipping through when the post race ceremonies were goin on for today's race. Jimmy Johnson didnt get out of his car for atleast 2 or 3 minutes and was visibly upset. Then someone hands him a phone and he says "whats up boss". Gotta be very to do something like that. Rick told them to wear their hats backwards as his son always did and congrats. To be honest, the whole situation gave me the chills. Gordon, Labonte, Johnson, and Vickers all there and all somewhat upset.

Vickers, whose car was "owned" by Ricky, finished 7th...his career best.

I agree. This situation is hard to imagine.

Follow up on the Hendrick tragedy, did anyone watch the last race of the season on Sunday? Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon both had the faces of the ten lost in the plane crash, and a saying with something like you'll always be remembered or we'll never forget. Both Gordon and Johnson were racing their hearts outs, I think winning for Hendrick being more important than the money. R.I.P those who lost their lives, hopefully Nascar stops having all these tragic events.