Hendrick Motorsports Plane Crashed.

[bengalsfan33]

ESPN.com news services

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- A plane carrying members of the Hendrick Motorsports organization crashed Sunday afternoon on its way to NASCAR's Nextel Cup race at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR officials confirmed.

Rick Hendrick, founder and owner of Hendrick Racing, was not on the plane. NBC 6 News TV in Charlotte, N.C., reported that John Hendrick, Ricky Hendrick and engine builder Randy Dorton were on the airplane. John Hendrick is team owner Rick Hendrick's brother, while Ricky Hendrick is the owner's son. Dorton is the organization's chief engine builder.

Rick Hendrick owns the teams of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte and Brian Vickers in the Nextel Cup Series.

Johnson won Sunday's Subway 500, his second straight Cup victory, but did not participate in any victory lane celebrations or interviews. His teammate Gordon did not meet with the media, either.

NASCAR has spoken with team owner Rick Hendrick, Hunter said, but he added that no other details about who was on the plane, where it disappeared or what may have preceded the loss of contact were immediately available.

"We're working very closely with members of the Hendrick organization,'' Hunter said. "We're just saying extra prayers right now.''

NASCAR learned of the plane's disappearance during the race and withheld the information from the Hendrick drivers until afterward, Hunter said. All the Hendrick drivers were summoned to the NASCAR hauler immediately after the race and Johnson was excused from victory lane.

[Kirkendall]

Update.

Hendrick plane goes down

close to Martinsville track

John Hendrick, Ricky Hendrick, engine builder Randy Dorton among those believed on board

By JIM UTTER

ThatsRacin.com Writer

A Hendrick Motorsports plane carrying two pilots and eight other passengers crashed into Bull Mountain, about 10 miles west of Martinsville, Va., site of Sunday's Subway 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup race, the FAA confirmed.

FAA spokeswoman Arlene Murray said a Beechcraft airplane owned by Hendrick left Concord (N.C.) Regional Airport and crashed about 12:30 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, near Martinsville Speedway.

There was no confirmation on injuries or fatalities, Murray said.

NBC 6 News TV in Charlotte, N.C., reported Sunday afternoon that John Hendrick, Ricky Hendrick and engine builder Randy Dorton were on the airplane. John Hendrick is team owner Rick Hendrick's brother, while Ricky Hendrick is his son. Dorton was the organization's chief engine builder.

The TV station also reported that a Virginia funeral home had been told to expect 10 bodies.

Names given by the funeral home were those of Ricky Hendrick, John Hendrick, Kimberley Hendrick, Jennifer Hendrick, Dick Tracy, Joe Jackson, Liz Morrison, Jeff Turner, Randy Dorton and Scott Lathum.

"The plane was en route to Martinsville and they lost it on radar and that's all the information we have," said NASCAR's Jim Hunter. "We've been in contact with Rick Hendrick...we just don't have a lot of details at the moment. We are going to say a prayer for everyone in the Hendick organization."

HMS had four teams competing in Sunday's race with drivers Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte and Brian Vickers.

In 20 years of competition, Hendrick Motorsports has garnered five NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now Nextel Cup) championships, three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series titles and one NASCAR Busch Series crown, making it one of stock-car racing’s premier organizations.

Rick Hendrick is just the second team owner in NASCAR’s modern era to earn more than 100 Cup Series victories.

More than 400 employees call Hendrick Motorsports home, and day-to-day activities include management of HendrickMotorsports.com, the 15,000-square-foot museum and team store, marketing, public relations, sponsor services, licensing, show cars, merchandising, and much more.

[bengalsfan33]

Damn, that's sad news out of Racing country.

My thought and prayers go out to the Hendrick family...

[Kirkendall]

And finally from NASCAR.com

Hendrick plane crashes, killing all 10 aboard

Team members were headed to Martinsville Speedway

October 24, 2004

07:11 PM EDT (23:11 GMT)

 

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) -- A plane owned by the Hendrick Motorsports organization crashed Sunday on its way to a NASCAR race, killing all 10 people aboard, federal officials said.

Eight passengers and two pilots died in the crash, a spokesman with the National Transportation Safety Board said.

A spokesman for a funeral home where the bodies were being taken said the dead included four relatives of team owner Rick Hendrick, including his son and brother.

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the FAA has notified the National Transportation Safety Board, and "they're investigating to see what might have happened or what has happened."

The Beech 200 took off from Concord, N.C., and crashed in the Bull Mountain area about seven miles west of the Martinsville airport at about 12:30 p.m.

Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Bailey said rescue workers could not immediately reach the crash site because of the rough terrain.

NASCAR has spoken with team owner Rick Hendrick, Hunter said, but he added no other details about who was on the plane were immediately available.

"We're working very closely with members of the Hendrick organization," Hunter said. "We're just saying extra prayers right now."

Hendrick owns the teams of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte and Brian Vickers in the Nextel Cup Series.

Johnson won Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway.

NASCAR learned of the plane's disappearance during the race and withheld the information from the Hendrick drivers until afterward, Hunter said. All the Hendrick drivers were summoned to the NASCAR hauler immediately after the race and Johnson was excused from Victory Lane.

Hendrick has been on a season-long celebration of its 20th anniversary in NASCAR's top series. The organization has won five of the series' top titles, three truck series titles, and one Busch series crown.

The team has over 100 Cup series wins, making Hendrick just the second team owner in NASCAR's modern era to surpass that mark.

Hendrick employs more than 400 workers at the Charlotte-based Motorsports compound, which includes race shops and a 15,000-square-foot museum and team store.

He recently began grooming his son, Ricky, for a larger role with the company.

Ricky began his career driving a Busch car for his father, but retired in 2002 because of a shoulder injury suffered in a racing accident.

His father then made him the owner of the Busch car Vickers drove to the series championship last season, and Kyle Busch currently pilots.