by Darrell Waltrip

If you want to see NASCAR at its finest and the competitors and people in the sport at their best, tragedy pulls us all together. Something doesn't happen to a team in another city and state. When one hurts in this community, we all hurt.

One of the toughest things for Hendrick Motorsports to muster this weekend will be a positive attitude. They've lost the heart and soul of their operation. Ricky Hendrick certainly orchestrated the Busch side and other duties at Hendrick Motorsports. Johnny Hendrick oversaw the Cup side and other duties. Randy Dorton oversaw the engine program. Hendrick Motorsports has lost its nucleus. Certainly they still have their boss and leader in Rick Hendrick, but you can't replace the people who were lost.

To pull themselves together and present themselves in Atlanta is going to take a huge effort on everybody's part at Hendrick Motorsports, and that's when our NASCAR community is at its finest and every person in the garage area and every fan gives you the encouragement and support that you have to have to get through this difficult time.

If you lost your son, that would be devastating. What a tragedy! If you lost your brother, what a tragedy! But when you lose your brother, your son, two nieces and all of the people who were on that airplane, it's just devastating. One person doesn't have the capacity for that kind of grief so it's going to take all of us grieving together to help Rick Hendrick, his wife, Linda, Ricky's girlfriend, Randy's wife and Johnny's wife. It's going to take all of us praying, caring and supporting that group of people to get them through this devastating experience. I haven't seen anything like this in a long time, maybe since Alan Kulwicki's plane went down.

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In times of tragedy, the NASCAR community shows what its made of. More than in any other sport I know, the men and women in NASCAR really step up and help people who are hurting get through situation like this one. Thank God for Motor Racing Outreach, the great ministry that's involved in this sport and supported by the Hendrick group. Having MRO at Atlanta will be a comfort to everybody in the NASCAR circle.

Some people celebrate in victory, but this is one of those times when we all pull together and help the Hendrick family get through a difficult situation.

This is when the NASCAR community is at its best. All barriers are broken down. There's no us against them. Everybody pulls together and shows support.