Dale Jr.’s Team Unveils Tribute To Teammate Killed In Plane Crash

Johnathan Moore / Getty Images (Left), YouTube/QueenVickers8325

When the heartbreaking call came through that the company plane had gone down in the mountains just outside of Martinsville, Virginia, nobody on the track knew what the fate of their teammates and his family were. 

Ricky Hendrick, was a NASCAR Busch Series racer who had just taken home a win in 2001 in the Camping World Truck Series and was racing as part of his family’s team, Hendrick Motorsports. 

On October 24th 2004, Hendrick and members of his family and racing team were aboard a small company plane when it crashed into the side of Bull Mountain on their way to Martinsville Speedway for a race as part of the Cup Series. All ten passengers were killed upon impact. 

Now, JR Motorsports, a company co-founded by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Rick Hendrick (Ricky’s father), and Kelley Earnhardt Miller (Dale Jr.’s sister), is unveiling a stunning tribute to the late Hendrick with an impressive throwback paint scheme for their entry at Darlington Raceway in a month’s time. 

On top of honoring Ricky Hendrick with a throwback paint scheme, the car’s sponsor, Liberty University, also announced that they will be granting the Ricky Hendrick Memorial Scholarship at their school toward a degree in their Automotive Dealership Management Program. 

Check out the new paint schemes and Rick Hendrick’s statement on the tribute to his late son below.