CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In a show dedicated to heroes, Hal Colston was one who really caught Oprah Winfrey's attention.

Colston operates the Good News Garage, which has locations all over New England. Workers there fix cars for people down on their luck, many of them single mothers.

“In so many cases, people are just a repair bill away from disaster,” Colston said.

Oprah acknowledged there's a waitlist for cars, and that's when Colston’s surprise came.

“When Rick Hendrick, an automotive dealer from North Carolina heard . . . ,” Oprah began.

Out came Hendrick, one of Charlotte’s best-known businessmen who owns NASCAR teams and car dealerships.

“So today we want to donate 10 2008 Chevy Impalas,” Hendrick told the Oprah audience.

Back in Charlotte, Eyewitness News asked Hendrick why he wanted to do this.

"We could inspire a lot of people to help, to step up, because these were folks that -- they had a job, and if they didn't have transportation to get to work, they were going to lose their jobs," he said.

Hendrick said it was Oprah's producers who contacted him for the show after several car manufacturers turned down their request for car donations. He said it took only about a half-hour to decide to do it.

“We thought, it'll come back. And it was the right thing to do,” he said.

Hendrick also donated $1,000 worth of gas for each of those vehicles. It’ll be up to Colston to determine who will get the cars.