Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports watches from Kyle Larson's pit Sunday, July 27, 2025, during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports watches from Kyle Larson's pit Sunday, July 27, 2025, during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rick Hendrick recently revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he made the consequential decision not to fire his employees. Instead, the billionaire paid his workers 80% of their salaries.
This decision, as expected, left a major impact on many and their families, with Hendrick saying that employees still thank him years later, telling him, “You saved my house. You saved my family.”
The NASCAR team owner opened up about how difficult it was to keep the business running during the early days of the pandemic, especially when businesses were either shutting down or reducing costs by firing employees.
In a recent appearance on the "Cars and Culture" podcast with Jason Stein, recalling the moment, Hendrick said:
“Yeah, and he's (Company CEO) here today. I said, how long can we pay everybody? Actually, it was a Friday night, and I went home, and Linda (wife) and I were talking, and it happened first in California. They shut down California first. And I said, I just cannot think of laying people off. I'm going to pay them as long as I can.”
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 10: HMS team owner Rick Hendrick looks on before the 53rd Annual Quaker State 400 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA race on July 10, 2022 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUL 10 NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart Icon95322070911382
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 10: HMS team owner Rick Hendrick looks on before the 53rd Annual Quaker State 400 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA race on July 10, 2022 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUL 10 NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart Icon95322070911382
Instead of reducing staff, Hendrick chose to keep employees on payroll despite the uncertainty surrounding the economy and the automotive industry. This decision was a sound one, as it soon yielded results.
“And he (CFO) said we could do it for 90 days. It didn't take about 45, and we were back on our feet. And you know, keeping the team together, we didn't have to kind of re-rack. We were ready to go,” Hendrick added.
This ability of Hendrick Motorsports to treat the entire organization like family isn't new. In fact, it was also recently witnessed on track.
How a Hendrick Employee's Heroics Earned One of the Organization's Highest Honors
On the cusp of NASCAR's All-Star weekend at Dover, Hendrick Motorsports rewarded an employee whose actions truly reflected its philosophy.
During Qualifying day for the All-Star Race, athletic department staff member Donovan Williams stepped in front of a 4000-pound runaway pit cart that was heading toward FOX Sports reporter Amanda Busick, absorbing much of the impact himself.
Williams was then rushed to the hospital, where he was treated for injuries. However, he had helped prevent a far more serious incident.
To recognize the same, Hendrick Motorsports decided to honor him with the Spirit Award. This is an internal award given by the team, reserved for individuals who demonstrate exceptional character and selflessness.
This showcased exactly what Rick Hendrick was talking about, that Hendrick Motorsports is a team that extends beyond the garage and the race track, where every choice is not just a business decision but a consideration for all people within the company.
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Written by
Uday Jakhar
Edited by
Yash Kotak