The Hendrick Motorsports team are leaving no stone unturned to celebrate their 40th anniversary. They even have a decdicated ‘Hendrick Homecoming’ celebration planned that will take place through the Memorial Day weekend. As you’d know May 24-25 weekend is already a special one for HMS fans as Kyle Larson will be etching his name into history by doing a ‘Double Duty‘, marking the team’s first appearance in the storied Indianapolis 500. But it seems that things just got a lot sweeter for the team’s faithful as they will now also get to see a blast from the past during the Coca Cola 600 weekend.

The team is bringing in their former driver, Ricky Craven, to not only make their 40th anniversary more special but also brighten fans’ day.

NASCAR veteran returns to grace Hendrick Motorsports’ garage

Craven’s journey at HMS started in 1997 when he joined the esteemed organization for two full-time seasons. Now, after all these years, the former #50 is set to take the limelight on the Memorial Day weekend as an alumni. Team Hendrick confirmed the presence of the 57-year-old through their Instagram post.

“We’re happy to share that Ricky Craven is set to join us at Hendrick Homecoming this year! Don’t miss the opportunity to enter for a chance to meet Ricky on Saturday, May 25th at 2 PM.” Indeed, a great chance for fans to meet and greet their a renowned analyst and former driver who has driven in ARCA and all the three national series.

What else HMS has planned for the fans, you may ask? During the weekend, drivers Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott are set to appear on the first day at 10 AM and 11 AM, respectively. Then on 25th, William Byron will be there from noon. He will be followed by HMS legend and their vice chairman, Jeff Gordon, at 1 PM. Craven’s entry would be the show stopper from 2 pm. Kyle Larson would naturally be unavailable due to his hectic ‘double duty’ schedule that weekend

Fans of all ages can look forward to a day filled with excitement. The event promises to be a fun-filled experience for the whole family, with an array of food trucks, interactive displays, entertaining games, and a variety of giveaways.

Ricky Craven’s journey with the winningest team in NASCAR

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Ricky Craven made an impressive debut in the Cup Series for Mr. H’s team with back to back top-five finishes. His debut race for HMS saw him finish third in the 1997 Daytona 500. With this, he helped the team get a historic 1-2-3 finish, before they did it again this season with Byron, Larson, and Elliott.

His teammate Jeff Gordon emerged victorious that day, while Terry Labonte came second. Unfortunatly Craven’s momentum got disrupted by a concussion from a crash during a practice session at Texas Motor Speedway. This caused him to miss two races. He bounced back by winning the 1997 Winston Open, securing his place in his debut All-Star Race. Later that year, he achieved a third-place finish at Rockingham Speedway, leading for 139 laps, which was his highest in a single season.

The following year, Craven participated in four races before his post-concussion syndrome forced him to sit out the next 12 events. He made a comeback for four more races, clinching the pole position at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But eventually, he and Hendrick Motorsports decided to part ways.

Over the next six seasons, Craven drove for various teams, achieving two notable victories at Martinsville Speedway in 2001 and Darlington Raceway in 2003, with the latter featuring one of the most thrilling last-lap battles in NASCAR history.

Craven’s career spanned all three national series, with wins in each. This includs two victories in the Cup Series, four in the Xfinity Series, and one in the Truck Series. Post-retirement, the Maine native transitioned to a successful career as a sports analyst for ESPN and FOX Sports. Needless to mention, his presence would significantly enhance the HMS Homecoming festivities.