“We Want to Make Him Happy”- HMS President Reveals Internal Pain of Letting Rick Hendrick Down That Rescued Collapsing Season

Hendrick Motorsports is used to setting the standard in NASCAR, but the 2026 regular season gave its fans very little to celebrate. Across 26 races, the four-car organization managed just two victories, both courtesy of Chase Elliott, while Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Alex Bowman struggled to find Victory Lane. Behind the scenes, the pressure was becoming difficult to ignore, particularly for the people responsible for meeting Rick Hendrick’s expectations.