Ray Hendrick

Raymond Hendrick ( born April 1, 1929 in Richmond, Virginia; † 28 September 1990) was an American race car driver. As one of the best drivers in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, he was appointed in 1998 to one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers. Because of his outstanding achievements in the Modified series of NASCAR, he was also "Mr. Called modified ".

Career

Hendrick was one of the best drivers in the NASCAR Modified division, Whelen Modified Tour today. Although it never won the championship in this series, but was nine times at the end of the season in the top 10 in the championship standings. His best finishing position in the points he achieved in 1963 and 1966, where he finished in third place, respectively. Twice he succeeded in the "Modified Race of Champions" to win. For the first time in 1969 at the Langhorne Speedway, and then again in 1975 at the Trenton Speedway.

Also in the Late Model Sportsman Division, the predecessor of today's series Nationwide Series, Hendrick was active. In this, he finished top 10 positions in the championship in 1974 and 1975. Overall, a native of Virginia Hendrick won at NASCAR performances 700 times. Alone on the Martinsville Speedway, he succeeded 20 times that race to finish with a win. Thus he has on the line a total of more wins than drivers like Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip.

His aim in Modified racing to be there always and everywhere, meant that he in his entire career, only 17 races in the top division of NASCAR, today's Sprint Cup, graduated. He scored six top- 10 finishes, including two fifth places, one in his hometown of Richmond in 1963 and another one in Hampton, Virginia in 1968.

On September 28, 1990 Hendrick died of cancer. In 1998 was voted one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers, although he was never permanently active at the highest level.