Hendrick Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history. It goes without saying that the drivers deserve most of the credit for the success. Equally indispensable are the crew and crew chief, and no NASCAR team can boast good results if the crew lacks the capability. HMS, luckily, has had the privilege of having some of the best in this regard.

Hendrick Motorsports holds the envious record of having won the most Cup Series races (291). They also have 14 Cup Series Championships to their name, to go along with 3 Truck Series and 1 Xfinity Series titles. And the team has Ray Evernham to thank for a lot of it. Evernham was with the team for 12 years, most famously between 1992 and 1999. During that period, Evernham guided Jeff Gordon to 3 Cup Series titles and 47 race wins.

Evernham’s heart-touching project called IGNITE

The NASCAR Hall of Famer retired in 2008 and, for the past decade, has been working with young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and Asperger’s syndrome. It was his vision that led to the foundation of the IGNITE Program. The program helps young adults affected by the disorder to live fulfilling and dignified lives. 

“We started it about ten years ago in helping our members enter into college, get driving skills, banking skills, things we assume that everyone can handle and we have had a lot of success with those people getting jobs and being able to get their drivers license, working toward living independently,” he was reported as saying by WCCB News.

Revealing a personal connection with the disorder, he said, “Ignite and other things have started in honor of my son Raymond John who is on the Autism spectrum. And you know I am not a golfer, not a fisherman, not a bowler, right, so what do we do. We do cars.”

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His efforts outside his field of expertise have helped several young people to enhance their quality of life. To find such quality attributes in a NASCAR Hall of Famer is a mark of pride for the whole NASCAR community.

The Ray Evernham and Hendrick Motorsports love story

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Six seasons of Evernham and Gordon at HMS were pure magic. The triumphant driver and crew chief made a habit of finding their way to the top of the podium. They remain arguably the most successful driver–crew chief pair in NASCAR history.

But the partnership came to an end in 1999 after Evernham was released prematurely. His contract was due to run until 2006, but both parties amicably decided to part ways. As he left, he told Motorsport magazine, “This was my idea, and I am thankful that Rick (Hendrick) was willing to work with me in finding a path toward a goal I have of running my own operation.”

That however wasn’t Evernham’s last association with the team. He came back in 2011 to head HMS’ retail brand for performance parts. Welcoming him back, Rick Hendrick reportedly said, “He’s assembled a terrific group of people at REE, and I see a lot of opportunities for them to be a valuable resource for our organization on projects like this. I know the kind of high standards Ray sets.”

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A legend on the track and an inspiration off of it—Evernham sets the bar high for the NASCAR community.