Concord, NC (World Wide Gamble) - Marshall Carlson has been named president and COO of Hendrick Motorsports.

The title of president has remained vacant since October 2004, when owner Rick Hendrick's brother, John Hendrick, passed away.

Carlson became executive vice president and general manager within the organization on January 24, 2005 and Hendrick Motorsports has since won four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships. He will continue to oversee the day- to-day operations in his expanded role.

"Marshall has the ability to plug into every aspect of our industry, from competition to marketing, at an extremely high level," said Hendrick. "He's versatile from a business perspective, and there's a high degree of respect for him throughout the organization because of the way he treats people. We're very fortunate to have someone of his considerable talent help guide us into the future."

The 37-year-old steadily rose through the ranks of Hendrick Motorsports after starting his tenure sweeping floors as part of a chassis department summer internship. He went on to serve as an engineer for the fledgling Camping World Truck team and later as director of marketing services for sponsorship and marketing efforts.

In 2000, he managed a $10 million facilities effort, which included the design and construction of racing operations space now housing the Sprint Cup Series teams of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Carlson moved on to oversee more than $200 million in real estate projects as vice president of corporate financial management with Hendrick Automotive Group from 2002-2004.

"Hendrick Motorsports is a family, and it's been one of the great privileges of my life to work with these amazing people," Carlson said. "This opportunity comes with the highest commitment to serve my teammates and support their continued success."