Now that the NASCAR 2025 Cup Championship is over, and Hendrick Motorsports has already bagged its third title in the last six seasons, the organization has turned its attention inward, fueling competition under its own roof to build the ultimate crew synergy ahead of 2026.
Starting Thursday at 9 a.m., twelve Hendrick Motorsports engine builders will partner with twelve Hendrick Automotive Group Certified Master Technicians in a challenge to see who can assemble a NASCAR-inspired 358-cubic-inch V8 engine faster and cleaner than the rest, where Precision will be everything.
Each engine contains 243 engineered parts, and every misstep will rack up penalties. The event, broadcast live on the Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown, has become a hallmark of skill, teamwork, and mechanical artistry. The names of the competition are given after the mastermind engine builder, Randy Dorton.
Last year’s finale came down to the wire, with Hendrick Motorsports’ Danny Emerick and Hendrick Automotive’s Shane Flake edging out the duo of Scott Vester and Joe Gagatch by just 31 seconds. It marked Emerick’s seventh career victory, the most in event history. He’s back again this year, eyeing title number eight.
Past champions read like a who’s who of mechanical excellence: six-time winner Scott Vester, and two-time winners John Boydston, Jay Wiles, and Robert Marock (from Honda of Concord).
Now in its 24th year, the showdown doubles as a bridge between Hendrick Motorsports and Hendrick Automotive Group, the two sides of Rick Hendrick’s empire.
While one builds race-winning engines for the Cup Series, the other keeps customers’ cars running across the country. This annual competition unites them under one banner, testing craftsmanship, communication, and nerves of steel.
The bets will be more than bragging rights. Winners will take home a brand-new, fully stocked NAPA toolbox, while runners-up earn a mobile NAPA tool cart.
The competition will span two days, with four qualifying builds set for Thursday and two more on Friday morning before the finale show that afternoon. Pairings are determined by random draw, keeping every matchup unpredictable.
The technicians from Hendrick Automotive Group aren’t chosen lightly either. Each one must rank among the year’s top performers in customer service and pass a specialized Hendrick Automotive-tailored ASE certification exam to qualify.
Heading into this year’s contest, Kevin Moler and Kyle Kittell have set the early benchmark, sitting atop the leaderboard among eight teams.