Hendrick Motorsports' love affair with Martinsville Speedway: A reminder of NASCAR's winningest team's bittersweet history with 'The Paperclip'

Set to visit Martinsville Speedway after a rather scandalous end to last Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway, drivers are expected to be bumping their way at 'The Paperclip' as the season's short-track swing draws to a close.

Having seen the use of NASCAR's new aero package aimed at reducing dirty air for the cars following, the upcoming 0.5-mile-long track will be its harshest test yet. While other teams focus on Martinsville Speedway as one of the sport's iconic short tracks, Hendrick Motorsports heads into the Cook Out 400 looking at the shortest venue on the NASCAR calendar in a different light.

Hendrick Motorsports stands as the winningest team in NASCAR history as of 2024, the same year that will see the Charlotte, North Carolina-based racing outfit celebrate its 40th anniversary in the sport. With over 300 wins as an organization in NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports is also the winningest team to have ever competed at Martinsville Speedway.

However, before the team's current heyday, team owner Rick Hendrick often talks about how he almost shut down the team in its first-ever season just before the 1984 Martinsville race. Owing to former driver Geoff Bodine's abilities at 'The Paperclip', Rick Hendrick decided to go ahead with the event. Bodine managed to win at the venue, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Hendrick elaborated on the same to FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass:

"We were going to close before that, and Harry said let's just run one more race, Geoff is really good there, and my wife Linda and I were in church, so I wasn't there that day, and we won the race."

What ensued afterwards was an influx of much-needed sponsorship for the racing outfit, along with the team's climb through the NASCAR ranks. Ever since his first victory at Martinsville Speedway in 1984, Rick Hendrick and his race team have amassed 28 wins at the iconic short track.

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Martinsville Speedway brings an air of sadness for Hendrick Motorsports as well

While Hendrick Motorsports as an organization might have conquered Martinsville Speedway and the sport in terms of all-time wins, team owner Rick Hendrick also has an emotional attachment to 'The Paperclip'.

Hendrick's attachment to the beloved short track does not evoke great memories. During the 2004 season, one of the organization's planes crashed on the way to Martinsville.

Aboard the plane were close family members in the form of Rick Hendrick's son Ricky, his brother John, and his brother's two daughters Kimberly and Jennifer. Four team employees as well as the two pilots of the aircraft were also killed in the crash.

Despite suffering a massive personal loss to his family and team, Rick Hendrick managed to keep his and his racing outfit's eyes on the prize.

Coming into the 2024 Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports arrives at the venue having won at the track in the last four seasons, with all four of their drivers. Needless to say, the goal remains the same this year.