Spotting Rick Hendrick snap a sharp salute during the national anthem at Martinsville last weekend had fans buzzing—what’s behind that gesture from NASCAR’s quiet powerhouse? The man behind Hendrick Motorsports has always carried a deep respect for service, rooted in family stories passed down from his dad, Papa Joe, who flew dangerous missions over Europe in World War II. That hand to the brow felt personal, like a thread pulling back to the garage where father and son first chased speed together. Let’s rewind to see how those early days built the legend.

What were Rick Hendrick’s early life and career before NASCAR?

Rick Hendrick grew up on a tobacco farm in Palmer Springs, Virginia, the kind of place where hard work came with the sunrise. Born on July 12, 1949, he was the middle kid in a family, but his dad, Joseph Riddick Hendrick Jr., made sure there was always room for dreams. Papa Joe, fresh from his Army Air Corps days in World War II, where he was a flight engineer and a gunner, turned their old schoolhouse into a makeshift garage.

By age 14, Rick was right there, wrench in hand, piecing together his own 1939 Chevy, on which he won a local drag race. Two years later, when he was 16, he won the Virginia division of the Chrysler-Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest, which was a competition only for engine builders. And after that win, he described himself as a “gearhead.”

That setup sparked something fierce. Rick skipped college to chase races, and within three years he became the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the United States. After that, in the late 1970s, he entered into boat racing next, taking the American Power Boat Association national championship in 1971 with a modified Allison engine.

By 1976, he’d flipped that grit into car sales, opening Hendrick Automotive in Bennett Parkway, North Carolina. And because of his name, sales boomed, and soon he was sponsoring local dirt tracks, laying bricks for what became NASCAR‘s most winning team.

Hendrick tries to put the real reason behind his success in words, which echoes hard work and passion rather than luck. “People think I’m a car dealer who got into racing, but it’s really the other way around,” Hendrick said. “I’m a racer who has a passion for cars and got into the car business. I say that I’m the luckiest guy on earth because I get to make a living doing the two things I love most outside of my family, and that’s racing cars and selling cars.”

Those roots ran deep, with Papa Joe spotting from the stands, correcting Rick even for a minor mistake he made. “My dad spent a lot of time teaching me to work with my hands,” Rick said. “Dad is a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy,” he shared in a team tribute. And all of Papa Joe’s teachings and Rick’s passion and love for racing led to Hendrick Motorsports‘ launch in 1984, but the real fuel was that farm-bred bond.

That early hustle sets up a bigger question in racing circles these days.

Did Rick Hendrick serve in the military? The truth behind the rumors

No, Rick Hendrick never served in the military. Born in 1949, he came of age during Vietnam but stayed stateside, grinding away at racetracks and showrooms instead of boot camp. Rumors pop up now and then, maybe from mixing him up with his dad’s war tales or the team’s heavy support for vets. But digging into records from the National Archives or his own bio, there’s zero trace, no draft card, no service ribbon. He was too busy following his passion.

Papa Joe’s shadow might stir the chatter, though. As a flight engineer, he’d logged hours on those heavy bombers, earning respect that transferred to Rick. The family dealerships today offer $500 rebates to active duty folks near Fort Bragg, a nod to his father’s legacy without Rick ever suiting up himself.

“We do what we can to show our appreciation,” reads the Hendrick Toyota site, plain and direct. It’s an admiration and not an autobiography. Rick’s “service” has always been to the checkered flag, building an empire that employs 11,000 people.

Fans sometimes whisper about a hidden military stint, but it’s just echoes of a father’s pride. Clear the air: Hendrick’s battles were on racetracks and not battlefields.

So if not his own story, what pulled that salute from him under the lights?

Why did Rick Hendrick raise a salute during the National Anthem?

That crisp hand-to-brow at the Phoenix finale on November 03, 2025, wasn’t random; Rick was honoring Papa Joe, exactly 21 years after his passing on July 16, 2004. The elder Hendrick, who died at 84 from a stroke, had shaped every lap of Rick’s life, from early engine tweaks to managing Hendricks Motorsports. With the anthem being sung by American singer Darren Criss before the final race, Rick stood tall, eyes on the flag, channeling the man who’d taught him to salute duty first. It hit close, especially with two Hendrick cars running for the title.

Team insiders say it’s classic Mr. Hendrick attitude, subtle and heartfelt. Papa Joe flew many missions over Germany, keeping those B-24s high in the sky under fire, and later came home to help his son build one of the biggest teams in NASCAR that echoes dominance in the racing world.

That Mr. Hendrick saluting moment, caught on fan cams, felt like hearing the national anthem amid thousands of people; it made him remember his father, “Papa Joe,” and his dad’s service to the nation. No speeches, no flashy comments, just a gesture screaming respect for the great nation.

In a sport full of noise, it’s these quiet gestures that stick. This gesture by Rick shows he’s tipping his cap to the real hero in his story that left a legacy. Next time the anthem plays, look closer: you might spot the legacy.