Rick Hendrick is in hot water right now due to his latest ICE deal. Recently, his company sold 25 Chevrolet SUVs to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The deal was worth $2.25 million, but people are questioning it because ICE bought the vehicles without going through the usual competitive bidding process.

In his defense, Hendrick’s company says the SUVs were completely normal and unmodified, and that they do not have control over how ICE uses them after the purchase. But despite that, the deal has still drawn backlash and unwanted attention. And amidst this, some unexpected help has arrived from veteran Kenny Wallace.

Wallace comes to Hendrick’s defense

On his usual Coffee with Kenny on X, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace stepped up to defend Rick Hendrick amid the backlash over the $2.25 million ICE vehicle deal, calling the criticism “very unfair.” Wallace said he’s “not going to get into politics,” but he did make clear that Hendrick Motorsports simply sold 25 Chevrolet Tahoes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It’s just a contract.

Wallace drew a relatable comparison, asking, “If you’re a business … my brother Rusty Wallace owns 10 dealerships … the government comes in and says, ‘Hey, we need to buy $2.5 million worth of pickup trucks’ — what are you going to do?”

He argued that Hendrick, like any business, is simply selling to a customer. This mirrors Hendrick’s own statement: he described the deal as a standard commercial transaction made in good faith, not a political or ideological move.

The statement by an HMS spokesperson read, “Earlier this year, we sold 25 standard Chevrolet Tahoes to the federal government. The vehicles were unmodified, and we fulfilled the commercial sale. We do not participate in or control how agencies equip, brand, or use vehicles after purchase.”

Wallace didn’t mince words. He said, “I just think it’s a bunch of bullshit … Sell your product … Don’t apologize for doing business, especially just normal everyday business.” To him, Hendrick’s critics are twisting a standard auto sale into a political scandal. Wallace’s defense underscores a common business mindset that if someone’s willing to buy, and you can supply, then that’s what you do.

The deal itself raised eyebrows for a few reasons. ICE justified bypassing a public bidding process by claiming an urgent need. According to the contract, the agency said it needed the vehicles “immediately to provide a visible law enforcement presence … support public safety operations … and reinforce recruitment efforts.”

Critics argue that such terms favor large vendors with ready inventory, like Hendrick. Wallace’s point is that this isn’t an ethical choice so much as a supply and demand transaction.

Still, not everyone sees it as harmless. While Kenny Wallace frames the deal as “business as usual,” others emphasize the broader social and political implications, especially given ICE’s role in immigration enforcement.

But for Wallace, that’s missing the point: “It’s America, baby, sell your product.” The whole thing blew up after ICE started using similar SUVs in Charlotte for enforcement ops, sparking protests and calls for boycotts against Hendrick. Even though the Tahoes were standard models, the timing made it look bad. Hendrick clarified it was a routine sale, one of many to government agencies over the years, across parties, but the optics stuck.

Wallace’s take cut through the noise because he’s been around long enough to see how business and racing mix. He knows Hendrick’s not some outsider dipping toes; the guy’s built an empire that feeds back into the sport. Rusty’s dealerships do the same thing: sell to whoever pays. To Kenny, boycotting a team over a car sale is like punishing the mechanic for the driver’s wreck. It’s misplaced.

The scrutiny hit harder because Hendrick’s no stranger to tough spots. He’s weathered plane crashes, personal losses, and still kept HMS on top with 15 titles. This feels small by comparison, but in today’s world, everything’s a headline. Wallace, calling it “unfair,” wasn’t just support; it was a reminder that Rick Hendrick’s success comes from hard decisions, not headlines. And as Ray Evernham just pointed out, that drive is what’s kept the team winning for decades.

Hendrick’s vision is the real MVP

Ray Evernham credits Rick Hendrick’s drive as the biggest reason for Hendrick Motorsports’ lasting success.

Hendrick Motorsports won its 15th Cup Series championship earlier this month at the Phoenix Raceway. With this, the team has further firmly affixed itself as the top dog in the NASCAR world. But to whom is this stature owed the most?

68-year-old Ray Evernham believes that it is not to him, the other iconic crew chiefs who served the team, nor the drivers who ought to be credited, but Rick Hendrick. He underlined strongly during a conversation with former driver Kenny Wallace that Mr. Hendrick’s work and vision are the anchor that holds Hendrick Motorsports in place.

He said, “The key person that’s always been there with the vision is Rick Hendrick. What he’s done, his vision, his commitment, and his ability to put people together and keep that drive up for as many years as he can is pretty amazing.” “It’s a difficult thing to accomplish what they’ve done, but it’s easy for me to understand why after spending time around guys like Rick Hendrick and Jeff Andrews and Jeff Gordon, and Chad Knaus. You look at that group there and, man, second is just not an option for them.”

The sophisticated work ethic that is cultivated at Hendrick Motorsports is a secret to none, which is why Wallace readily agreed with Evernham’s opinion.

Evernham went on to say that the team will always be a home to him that he is blessed to have been a part of it. He was the crew chief for Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 team back in the day and led the driver to three Cup Series championships. He later co-founded the SRX Racing Series and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2018. That no second-place mentality Evernham saw up close is what Wallace was getting at, too. Hendrick doesn’t chase headlines or deals for show; he builds empires that last, even when the noise gets loud.