"We don't have to look for the bad": Rick Hendrick's wife Linda reminisced about her fond memories of late son Ricky in an old interview

Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick's wife Linda reminisced about her late son Ricky's days in motorsports on his 17th death anniversary.

Ricky Hendrick entered the world of racing at the age of 15 in 1995 by competing in the Legends Series Summer Shootout, and won his first race on May 23, 1998. In the years that followed, he rose through the ranks and eventually reached the pinnacle of stock car racing.

Despite a tragically brief racing career, Ricky Hendrick won the 2001 O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway, marking his first Cup Series victory.

On October 24, 2004, an aircraft crash in Virginia claimed the lives of all 10 people onboard, including eight associated with Hendrick Motorsports. Among them were Rick Hendrick's son Ricky.

Nearly two decades after the untimely demise of their son and during the 2021 Hollywood Casino 400 race at the Kansas Speedway, Hendrick's wife Linda reminisced about her fond memories with Ricky.

Linda said (via Fox) [1:46]:

"We all get our share of heartaches and disappointments in some way. I like to remember that we don't have to look for the bad because there's always so much good out there."

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The airplane crash that killed Ricky Hendrick and the HMS staff

On October 24, 2004, eight passengers and two crew members boarded a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 aircraft owned by Hendrick Motorsports to attend the NASCAR Subway 500 event at Martinsville Speedway.

The passenger list included HMS president John Hendrick, his twin daughters - Kimberly and Jennifer Hendrick, Ricky Hendrick, director of engine operations Randy Dorton, and general manager Jeff Turner.

At 12 PM ET, the airplane flew from Concord, North Carolina but never made it to the destination. The King Air aircraft missed its first landing attempt for the Blue Ridge Airport in Martinsville, Virginia, and subsequently, failed to gain the prescribed altitude. Moreover, the aircraft came as close as 550m to the ground before foggy conditions and unfavorable carrier conditions contributed to the fatal crash.

During the Cup Series and Xfinity Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway a week after the disaster, the flags were lowered to half-mast to honor the victims' contributions to the world.