Hendrick Motorsports

Rick Hendrick is one of the most successful car owners in the history of motorsports. His teams have captured seven Cup titles, two Truck titles, and a Busch championship. He was diagnosed in November 1996 with a form of leukemia. After an arduous struggle, he battled the disease into remission just three years later. His race teams have helped raise awareness about leukemia and the need for bone marrow donors. Hendrick is the President and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, one of the worlds largest automotive dealership operations with numerous franchises in locations that range from North Carolina to California and annual revenues of more than $2 billion. The Hendrick Automotive Group is the number one retailer in terms of new car sales and dollar volume in the country, and also holds the number one position in used car sales and dollar volume. Hendrick Motorsports, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, fields multiple teams in NASCAR, including the 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001 championship team driven by Jeff Gordon. He also fields the Kelloggs team with driver Casey Mears, the AMP Energy/National Guard team with driver Dale Earnhardt Jr, and the Lowes team with driver Jimmie Johnson. Rick Hendrick redefined NASCAR racing by making multi-car teams work. Some of the sport's great names have driven for him since he began his investment in NASCAR in 1984. Geoff Bodine, Tim Richmond, and Darrell Waltrip are a few of the well known names to drive for Hendrick. When others told him that multi-car teams couldn't work, he didn't retreat. He stay focused on his goals and dreams and has set the standard for multi-car teams in NASCAR.

Hendrick Motorsports vice president of competition Ken Howes began his career in 1968 as a Formula One mechanic in his native South Africa, where he spent 16 years working with open-wheel race cars before coming to the United States in 1984 to manage an International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) team for a South African sponsor. Howes was quickly introduced to Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, who at the time was assisting General Motors in reviving its Corvette road-racing project. In 1985, Hendrick offered Howes a position managing his team in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) division, a decision that soon produced wins at courses like Road Atlanta and West Palm Beach, Fla. After racing sports cars with Hendrick for a half-decade, Howes began regularly attending NASCAR events in 1990, joining the Winston Cup Series (now NEXTEL Cup) two years later as crew chief for driver Ken Schrader and the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets. Beginning in 1996, Howes managed Hendrick's research and development department until being named competition director in 2001. The Johannesburg native was elevated to vice president of competition in February 2005. In his current position, Howes oversees Hendrick's day-to-day competition-related activities, encompassing teams, crew chiefs and pit-crew trainers, along with at-track logistics and execution. He works hand-in-hand with vice president of development Doug Duchardt, who is in charge of car evolution through design, engineering and production in the chassis and engine areas. In 2002, Howes was presented with the Papa Joe Hendrick Award of Excellence for his contributions to Hendrick Motorsports over nearly two decades.

As Hendrick Motorsports' vice president of marketing, Patrick Perkins leads sponsorship acquisition and servicing efforts while overseeing a 15-person department responsible for public relations, client services and marketing. A 1992 graduate of California Lutheran University, Perkins joined Phoenix International Raceway that same year as marketing manager. In 1995, he became vice president and general manager of Phoenix-based Associated Companies, a group of advertising and promotional agencies specializing in the retail automotive industry. Perkins was successful during his first two stops, developing business and promotional opportunities at each. His experience, combined with lessons learned from watching his father and role model, Jim, ultimately prepared Perkins for joining Hendrick Motorsports in 1999. When he arrived at Hendrick Motorsports, Perkins quickly transitioned into the role of director of marketing services. In August 2002, he was named the director of marketing, and five years later he became the vice president of marketing. No matter his title, though, Perkins has surrounded himself with highly talented, quality employees to assist in leading the department's daily operations. He enjoys a career where he can combine his two passions racing and the automotive business. Perkins acknowledges his parents, particularly his father, a former General Motors and Toyota executive, as tremendous influences in his life. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Mary, and daughter, Julia, exercising and competing in triathlons.

Steve develops and maintains e-commerce websites using both client-side and server-side applications written in .NET, ASP, and T-SQL. One of his primary areas of expertise is in analyzing client business processes and developing appropriate web-based solutions. He is currently the lead developer for HendrickMotorsports.com, JeffersPet.com and GMR MArketing (NASCAR media sites). Prior to joining InterCerve, Steve was an independent information technology consultant for 17 years. He implemented information technology solutions for clients in accounting, office management, publishing, training, and computer technical support environments. Steve has designed, coded, and published websites, provided second-tier on-site support to help desk personnel of a major public utility, and developed custom applications for marketing, accounting, and operations departments of client firms. For three years, Steve acted as senior consultant to the CPA firm, Cherry Bekaert & Holland. While there, he analyzed client databases and developed statistical models for marketing studies. From 1981 to 1988, he was an Assistant Professor at Belmont Abbey College where he was responsible for instruction and curriculum development for the business logistics program. Steve served in the US Air Force and later as an officer in the US Army. He received a BA in Business Management from California's University of LaVerne, and an MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology. A 2-time US Armed Forces Correspondence Chess champion, his other personal interests include gardening, hiking in the North Carolina mountains and American history. He now resides in Huntersville, North Carolina, with his wife Janet.

Johnson was born on Sept. 17, 1975 in El Cajon, California. He is a member of Hendrick Motorsports and driver of the #48 Chevrolet that's sponsored by Lowe's. Johnson made his Sprint Cup debut in October 2001. In May, Johnson posted the first Cup victory of his career in 2002. He won the 2006 championship after winning the Daytona 500, the All-Star Challenge and the Brickyard 400. Johnson also took the title in 2007 with a series-best ten wins.