How are Collaboration and Technology Reshaping NASCAR Racing?

At the highest level of stock car racing, victory is decided by as little as thousandths of a second. But besides a talented driver, what contributes behind the scenes to that success?

For Hendrick Motorsports, precision is everything. The 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champions secured 11 victories in 2024, marking the team’s fourth consecutive season with more than 10 wins. But the most decorated organization in NASCAR history knows achieving success isn’t just about what happens on race day. It’s the result of meticulous preparation by a skilled team both on and off the track, where every component is measured, assembled, and fine-tuned to perfection.

With NASCAR’s Gen 7 regulations limiting modifications, precision has never been more important. This is where metrology solutions make the difference as precision measurement is essential for safety, aerodynamics and more. By integrating advanced metrology tools and techniques, teams can ensure that each piece of the vehicle not only meets NASCAR’s strict guidelines but also contributes to overall performance. This commitment allows cars to outperform competitors, but achieving this level of precision requires a collaborative effort.

Hendrick Motorsports’ more than 20-year partnership with Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is an example of the collaboration needed to obtain this advantage. With advanced tools like high-precision scanning, automated inspection, and AI-driven analysis, they can measure, validate, and optimize every detail before a car ever hits the track.

How Metrology Affects Race Day Performance

NASCAR’s Gen 7 regulations keep teams from building custom vehicles from the ground up to get an advantage. Instead, they need to compete using pre-manufactured, standardized parts, creating a level playing field across all teams. And with that, success isn’t just about driver skill—it’s about who can measure, assemble, and fine-tune these components with the highest level of accuracy.

Even with identical chassis, vehicle bodies and components, there is still potential for small, but critical, variations that can cause issues on the track. For instance, a loose bolt on the suspension even a fraction of a millimeter off can cause disruptions to handling, aerodynamics or distribution of weight across the vehicle. When races can be won by just 0.001 seconds, metrology can be the difference between a good car and a winning car.

To ensure every piece is at top performance, teams can rely on metrology measurement solutions and predictive analysis technology, including:

• High-Resolution 3D Scanning – With portable laser scanners, engineers can create a highly detailed digital model of body panels and vehicle components, ensuring surfaces align seamlessly and aerodynamics are well optimized. Scanners can also quickly ensure the car is still in tolerance, even in conditions like intense heat.
• Digital Twin Technology – Using a virtual replica of specific vehicles and components, teams can simulate real-world stress tests related to temperature, weather and more before assembly, optimizing vehicles before the race even occurs.
• Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) – Through these advanced measurement systems, teams can validate fit, alignment and accuracy of dimensions of race-critical components like spindles and suspension, ensuring consistency across the entire vehicle.
• Automated Inspection and Verification – Barcode tracking, optical measurement systems, and real-time scanning enable teams to inspect and validate parts more quickly, freeing up time for engineers to focus on fine-tuning race setups rather than manual measurements.

By leveraging these tools, teams can detect and address potential performance issues before the car ever hits the track. This allows them to optimize aerodynamics, refine intricate geometries, and ensure full compliance with NASCAR regulations.

Pushing Boundaries Even Further Off the Racetrack 

In modern NASCAR, success goes far beyond just measuring parts, and is more about mastering the precision needed at every level of assembly to optimize performance.

With success on the track being so reliant on pre-race assessments, Hendrick Motorsports expanded its partnership with Hexagon by recently launching the Hexagon Center for Quality Excellence inside its headquarters, designed from the ground up to turn metrology from a simple verification process into an advantage.

This center provides a more centralized, controlled environment where engineers can not only validate standardized parts but also optimize how they come together. Teams can digitally assemble vehicles before they’re built, ensuring each component integrates with micron-level accuracy. This reduces human error, improves consistency, and accelerates setup.

Beyond assembly, the center enables real-time performance adjustments, allowing engineers to analyze and fine-tune critical mechanical elements—such as ride height, camber, and toe—both in the shop and at the track. With metrology-driven optimizations completed before the car ever hits the race surface, teams gain a measurable advantage in aerodynamics, handling, and part alignment.

It’s not just about measuring components but understanding how they interact and behave under stress and how that translates to success on race day. This is relevant for post-race as well, where real-time data can be used to make further refinements before the next competition.

With Little Room for Customization, Metrology Matters

Metrology solutions are transforming how teams prepare for race day. By accurately measuring, validating, and assembling every aspect of a vehicle down to the smallest detail, teams ensure that, on the technical side, nothing is left to chance.

As NASCAR moves into a new era—and other competitive sports potentially follow suit—winning will no longer be determined solely by the skill of one but by an entire team that best leverages advanced technology. With the right solutions in place, the margin for error will continue to shrink, bringing more victories to those who leverage them.

www.hexagon.com

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