Inarguably, the single biggest reason behind Hendrick Motorsports’ success as a team and as a brand is simply their founder, Rick Hendrick. But while Mr. H’s vision and drive have pushed his team to the top of the NASCAR mountain, there are naturally those that have helped him in doing so.

This includes the drivers, the crew chiefs, the crew members, the executives, and the mechanics. But it also includes those that go relatively unnoticed despite their roles being just as important.

Sadly for Hendrick, he has lost one of those unsung heroes from his arsenal.

Bill Diehl, the high-profile attorney from North Carolina, passed away at 78. Although his health was constantly declining since 2016, it was a recent stroke that ultimately led to complications, leading to his death.

Along with representing Rick Hendrick, Diehl also represented Charlotte Hornets’ co-owner, George Shinn. Shinn is a partner of another NASCAR team owner, Michael Jordan.

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Rick Hendrick eyeing more success in NASCAR from 2023

The top shelf of history books is a testament to Hendrick Motorsports‘ success in the NASCAR Cup Series. But when it comes to success, or really, participation in the Xfinity Series or the Truck Series, the name of Rick Hendrick’s team isn’t really there.

This slightly changed in the 2022 season after HMS fielded entries in the Xfinity Series for a select few races, breaking their Xfinity drought of over a decade.

But going forward, fans could very well see more of NASCAR’s most successful Cup team in the second tier of the series.

“We won’t be competing full-time at all, just a handful of races. It’s been a lot of fun to watch and bring those colors back. That’s kind of (Ricky Hendrick)’s number and colors,” Rick Hendrick said in a recent interview about his team’s Xfinity Series plans for 2023.

“That’s really something that I’ve enjoyed, and we’ll do a few more of those.”

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