Hendrick to expand empire?

NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, who also has 62 automotive dealerships spread across the United States, appears to be adding 13 more.

Bill Heard Enterprises, one of the leading sellers of Chevrolet vehicles in the country, closed all 13 of its dealerships on Wednesday including a large store in Sanford.

Friday Rick Hendrick confirmed to Fox that he has spoken to the group but stopped short of saying they had actually purchased the entire group.

"If there's a potential opportunity to expand our company, we're always going to be interested in discussing it," said Rick Hendrick, chairman of Charlotte, N.C.-based Hendrick Automotive Group. "We're constantly looking at ways to grow the Hendrick Automotive Group organization.

"We have spoken with the folks at Bill Heard Enterprises, and I personally have appreciated their time and effort. If something comes of our conversations, we certainly will announce it."

According to a company statement released Wednesday through Atlanta public relations professional Alan Ulman, the Bill Heard Enterprises closures will affect about 2,700 employees.

The Columbus-based company had five dealerships in Georgia and nine in six other states — Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Tennessee and Texas. The Arizona dealership closed two weeks ago.