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Chassis Department
As the only team in history to win four straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships (1995-98), Hendrick Motorsports has built a reputation as one of the most innovative operations in stock-car racing.
Never was this more evident than in 1990, when to ensure quality control and competitive advantage, Hendrick developed an in-house chassis-engineering department. An unprecedented move at the time, similar programs have become the norm for NASCAR's championship-caliber teams.
Veteran crew chief Gary DeHart originally spearheaded the project before it eventually went into full-scale production in the fall of 1992 under the guidance of Eddie Dickerson and now under Doug Duchardt.
The Hendrick chassis team has built well more than 300 Chevrolet Monte Carlos, Luminas and Impalas during the past decade. If necessary, they now have the ability to produce turnkey rolling chassis with a completed body in less than one week's time.
In addition to new production, the chassis group is responsible for repairs and modifications to existing cars, as well as extensive track testing. The department -- consisting of parts specialists, machinists, fabricators, constructors and engineers -- supplies cars for superspeedways, intermediate tracks, short tracks and road courses.
Every piece of the chassis is tested extensively by Hendrick Motorsports, while many of the parts are also manufactured internally. The team's technicians must refer constantly to NASCAR's rule book and body templates to assure compliance.
The process can be broken into the following stages:
- Assembly starts with the center section, then the front and rear clips, and finally the roll-cage assembly. At this point, the construction crew meets order design criteria by adjusting parameters such as frame heights, suspension points and other construction variables.
- Once the main chassis is built, internal sheet metal work is started to fit the floor plan, front and rear firewalls, and the fuel cell. During this phase, suspension parts are installed, including the A-arms, spindles, steering assembly, trailing arms, and rear-end housing.
- The rolling chassis is then moved with a large hoist to one of two fabrication plates. The fab crew is responsible for building, fitting and installing each custom-built part on the car.
- Before delivery to the team for final assembly and event preparation, the car will get an extensive quality and compliance test. The final check is based on the same procedure NASCAR officials use each race weekend in the inspection line. Then, the chassis is stamped with a serial number so that all build records and specifications can be easily accessed if the car must be repaired.
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