CONCORD, N.C. – Wednesday, a new edition of #MorningsWith aired live on the Hendrick Motorsports Twitter account, a segment that introduces fans to teammates all across the organization’s Concord, North Carolina, campus.
This week, we got to know Matt Barndt, an engineer on the No. 9 team.
He shared that his main role involves working with driver data.
“We’re starting to get some of it almost live, so we can get ahead of it before (Chase Elliott) even gets back to the garage and have an idea what we’re going to show him and work with him on that," Barndt said.
Attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Barndt began interning during his sophomore year to gain experience while working toward a degree in mechanical engineering.
He always knew he wanted motor sports to play a key role in his life, as he began racing at just 5 years old.
“It was kind of always my dream to be a driver and then reality kind of set in," he joked.
Still, he believes that former life as a racer has paid dividends in his current position.
“Just understanding how Chase describes the car,” he explained. “It’s obviously a different level – I raced on short tracks – but, still, the concepts he talks about, the feelings he has, it’s some of the stuff I’ve experienced in the past. So, it’s easy to talk about what he feels.”
Learn more about Barndt in the full #MorningsWith segment below.