It’s hard to imagine now, but one of NASCAR’s most powerful owners almost walked away before his story even began. Rick Hendrick had steady employment, a nice life, and no need to risk things when he was just 23 years old. But then a rural South Carolina Chevrolet opportunity knocked at his door. Hendrick wanted to leave as soon as he saw what was waiting there. But fate had other (better) plans, and his wife had a huge part to play in it.

Rick Hendrick, the owner of Hendrick Motorsports and Hendrick Automotive Group, had a rare and open discussion with Jason Stein about creating two of the most powerful companies in American business and sports history. During the conversation, Mr. H revealed how he almost said no to the very thing that, in retrospect, played a huge role in creating his massive empire.

“And I got cold feet. I said, ‘No, I’m not doing this,'” Rick Hendrick revealed. Here’s the context behind it.

Rick Hendrick already had what most people would consider success before he became one of the most well-known names in racing and auto retail. He had persuaded super dealer Mike Leith of Raleigh, North Carolina, to hire him to oversee Leith’s import branch.

And in no time, Rich Hendrick was running a Honda, Mercedes, and BMW business – all at the age of just 23. The venture led to major financial success. Linda, his spouse, had a Mercedes. On the other hand, he had a BMW. They had stability and a brand-new home. Then a call arrived.

General Motors and Chevrolet wanted him. Now, acquiring a Chevrolet franchise in the mid-1970s was seen as ‘the opportunity’ to take the next step professionally rather than just another dealership. And Rick Hendrick was offered a chance to run a Chevrolet franchise dealership at Bennettsville, South Carolina.

There was just one issue. The fantasy and reality of owning a dealership in Bennettsville were not the same. It was a failing store. Situated in a little town with a population of less than 8000 people. GM was clear in its ask that if Rick Hendrick wanted a bigger Chevy dealership to run, he had to first prove his worth with this tiny, loss-making store.

On the way down, Hendrick joked to Linda about how the dealership would likely be situated in the midst of a bean field. Turns out he wasn’t too wrong, as the two arrived and found a Chevrolet sign standing in the middle of a cornfield.

There was no showroom. The rent was only $1,800 a month, and this was something Rick Hendrick joked wouldn’t even cover a bathroom renovation today. All this led him to get cold feet. And, that could’ve been the end of this story…If Linda Hendrick hadn’t stepped in.

She looked at him and said:

“You know, you want to do it. We can start over. So, you won’t be satisfied. Let’s do it.”

That conversation changed everything. To make the move work, they had to sell nearly everything, including the 1963 Corvette Rick had taken Linda on their first date in – it was a car he deeply loved. They packed up and moved with little more than a bean bag and their $28,000 house. Surely enough, success, too, followed.

GM had initially expected the location to move around 200 vehicles annually. However, Rick Hendrick, one who never shies away from a challenge, turned it into a machine, putting up numbers in the thousands. That success led to expansion, then City Chevrolet in Charlotte, and eventually, in 1985, Hendrick became the first dealer to own and operate multiple General Motors franchises, expanding into Florida.

Years later, Rick Hendrick still credits that moment and his wife for everything that followed. That one uncomfortable decision slowly turned into one dealership becoming many. The business expanded into what eventually became one of America’s largest automotive retail groups, and with that growth came the resources and confidence to launch a NASCAR team.

In 1984, Rick Hendrick founded Hendrick Motorsports. Needless to say, the rest became part of NASCAR lore. Drivers like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson helped turn the organization into something for the history books.

Today, Hendrick Automotive Group operates more than 130 franchises across the United States, while Hendrick Motorsports has collected hundreds of Cup wins and multiple championships. But none of that would exist if Linda hadn’t had that conversation with him.

As they say, behind every successful man is a woman! This instance definitely proves it.

Why Rick Hendrick calls his family his most important win

Even while telling the story decades later, Rick Hendrick never finished by talking about championships, business records, or trophies. He talked about family.

“My wife’s here today, 53 years, and I have to give her all the credit.”

Since their first meeting at an ice cream shop, Rick and Linda have enjoyed each other’s company. Linda, in particular, has been by Rick’s side through the highs and especially the lows. In an article published in 2017, Linda wrote how she and Rick had “to count our money at the back of the grocery store to make sure we had enough when we made it to the cashier.”

Linda would assist with packing the parachutes for their drag racing team. In the parking lot, she also sold T-shirts. She did not expect anything in return, and her efforts paid off tremendously in the end, with Rick’s success with the HMS NASCAR team.

That same theme showed up again when he talked about his daughter and grandson. Especially his grandson, who Hendrick has already joked spends more time at the family racetrack than anyone, and was giving rides the day before.

But Rick Hendrick’s lesson stayed the same. Because the decision that built an empire happened because one person looked at a scared 23-year-old Rick Hendrick standing in a cornfield and said: Go do it.