CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) – “We are here to honor Roy Hendrick. That is the most important thing for us tonight.”

Lin O’Neill and hundreds of others revved their engines and headed to Southside Speedway for a lap of honor in honor of the late Roy Hendrick.

“People knew Roy from our races here and a lot of our friends in the race,” said Al Tate, a Chesterfield resident. “We came here to see what was going on, but we didn’t know it would be such a big crowd.”

Hendrick passed away earlier this month and leaves behind a strong legacy.

“Roy had so much respect on the track. I had a lot of fun racing with him,” said O’Neill.

Many Chesterfield residents still call Southside Speedway home. It opened in 1959 and has been home to many racing legends, including Wendell Scott and Richard Junior.

But perhaps no name is as well known in the local community as Hendrick. He was known for driving the infamous Flying 11 and winning 24 of 27 races at Southside Speedway in 1991.

“Roy was able to watch his father race, then he became a racer himself, then his kids raced here. So it’s not just a place, it’s family.”

Friday’s commemoration brings back memories of the track’s glory days and I hope that one day the green flag can be waved there.

“A lot of people have a lot to do with this place,” said local resident Danny Ayers. “A lot of families, a lot of memories. It’s a shame.”

The county’s website indicates that it is in negotiations with Competitive Racing Investments LLC to reopen the racetrack.

“This is not going to be a one-off. If I can stop it, it will run for another 75 years,” said O’Neill, who also owns the company that wants to buy the track.

He hopes the track will be ready for racing sometime next year.

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