Engine Builder Showdown heats up as Team Hendrick prepares
The 22nd annual Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown presented by Valvoline is just around the corner, and the intensity is about to ratchet up. LIVE coverage starts Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 9 am ET on RacingAmerica.tv and HendrickEBS.com, held annually at Hendrick Motorsports in Concord, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte.
Last year’s final was a nail biter, as Hendrick Lexus of Kansas City’s Brad Huston and Hendrick Motorsports builder Danny Emerick assembled 243 engine parts in 22 minutes, 31 seconds. Only 13 seconds ahead of Stephen Moore (Hendrick Collison Center of Kansas City) and Hendrick Motorsports Scott Vester, who’s 30-second post-build penalty proved to be costly. Huston and Emerick also had a 30-second penalty assessed.
It was Emerick’s fifth overall Engine Builder title, one behind Vester, who is the competition’s all-time leader in victories at six.
Showdown Primer
Every year, this event pairs 12 Hendrick Master Certified Technicians with 12 elite builders from the engine shop of 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Hendrick Motorsports. Randomly paired, the two teams assemble 358-cubic Chevrolet engines similar to the fuel-injected versions that race every weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Each team performs a qualifying build, with the two-quickest teams moving on to the championship, which takes place Thursday, Nov. 9 at 2 pm ET. The team with quickest time and least number of errors becomes champion. Each winning team member receives a brand-new NAPA toolbox filled with the latest tools.
Hendrick Automotive Group competitors are Hendrick Certified Master Technicians who also have this year’s best customer service scores. Hendrick Masters pass a yearly, one-of-a-kind Hendrick Automotive Group-tailored Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) exam to qualify for the event.
Named for Randy Dorton in 2004, the Showdown is an appropriate tribute to the legendary Hendrick Motorsports engine shop leader and innovator. Dorton was a people-focused leader, was supportive of this recognition event.
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Experienced List of Hendrick Masters Ready to Compete
Among the Hendrick Certified Master Technicians competing in this year’s event, eight have competed previously. Kelly Brandt, a GM World Class Tech from Rick Hendrick Chevrolet in Charleston, teamed with Emerick to win the 2017 Showdown. He returns for his third competition in 2023. Runner up that year, Chris Roberds from Honda Cars of McKinney (Texas), is also making a third competition appearance. He built with Vester that year.
There are four builders making their fourth appearance in this this year’s Engine Builder Showdown. Ryan Dutro (Hendrick Lexus Kansas City), Phil Seaton (Honda Toyota Merriam (Kansas)), Bill Sullivan (Honda Toyota Wilmington (NC)) and Michael Veleke from Honda of Concord (NC) each have the experience to excel.
Returning for their second competition is James Turner of Hendrick Buick GMC Cadillac of Cary, North Carolina and Keith Hartis of Charlotte, North Carolina’s City Chevrolet. While making their first appearance as new builders in 2023: Jamie Hairr (Jeff Gordon Chevrolet (Wilmington, NC), Kenny Kinmon (BMW of Kansas City South (Mo.)), Chris King (BMW of South Austin) and Charles Gravelle (Hendrick Lexus Kansas City).
Alternates for the 2023 Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown presented by Valvoline are Jesi Lopez (Rick Hendrick Buick GMC Duluth (Ga.)), Eric Jeffers (Hendrick Lexus Charleston (SC)) and Allen Barnes of Rick Hendrick Toyota (NC).
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Vester Goes For Seven; Emerick Closes In On All-Time Mark
NASCAR’s most successful engine department, with more than 500 national series victories, sends its top performers to this competition every year. Paired via random draw the night before, Hendrick Motorsports builders traditionally lead each team from strategy to communication.
The aforementioned Vester and Emerick return for this year’s Showdown, each going hoping to make event history with their next victory. Vester took home the prize back in 2020, securing an impressive victory with Hendrick Chevrolet’s Jeff Heinz from Cary, North Carolina.
Also competing in this year’s Showdown is 2004 champion Mike Maiwald, 2005 champ Shane Parsnow, while Showdown runners up Brian Franklin (2018) and Sam Vernatter (2020) are back to capture their first competition titles.
Hendrick Motorsports Ben Procter is the only competitor in this year’s Showdown to have competed for both companies, winning the 2015 event with now engine shop colleague, Emerick. At the time, Proctor was a Hendrick Certified Master Technician with Rick Hendrick Chevrolet in Duluth, Georgia. With a time of 26 minutes, 36 seconds, Emerick worked with Procter to claim the first of his four-consecutive engine build titles at the time.
Veteran Hendrick Motorsports builders Derek Seyerle, Chris Moroch, Ty Gillen, Gage Wenzel and Josh Speier are also set to challenge for their first Showdown triumphs.
Hendrick Motorsports alternates for this year’s competition include 2019 and 2021 event champion John Boydston, two-time titlist Jay Wiles (2002, 2013) and 2003 winner Tom Karas. While Billy Davis, Jerry Windell and Joe Concato have also been selected as alternates for this year’s event.
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To follow along with this year’s Showdown, check out #HendrickEBS.
Good luck builders!
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