CONCORD, N.C. - As is custom, the Hendrick Motorsports engine department paused for a moment on May 1 to celebrate the life of a trail blazer in the world of NASCAR.
Randy Dorton, who served as the lead engine builder for the organization upon its purchase of his company, Competition Engines in 1984, would've been 71 years old on Thursday. With Dorton's machinery under the hood, Hendrick Motorsports won 136 races in NASCAR's national series as well as nine championships with five coming in the Cup Series, three in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and one in the Xfinity Series.
For nearly 20 years, Hendrick Motorsports teammates in the engine department, which has now claimed a total of 536 wins across NASCAR's three main series, has gathered on May 1 for red velvet cupcakes in honor of Dorton, whose favorite color was red.
Dorton was among the 10 people who tragically perished in a plane incident in 2004. He was 50 years old.
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"Each year, we celebrate Randy’s birthday to honor the lasting impact he had on all of us," said Scott Maxim, Hendrick Motorsports director of powertrain. "He led with a quiet confidence and embodied a warm and caring nature that continues to resonate throughout our team. Randy didn’t just build engines, he built a culture rooted in respect, excellence, and connection. His influence lives on in the people he inspired, and we proudly carry that spirit forward."
His name now adorns the Randy Dorton Engine Builders Showdown, a yearly competition pairing a Hendrick Automotive Group certified master technician alongside a Hendrick Motorsports team member in an engine assembly competition.