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 engine assembler Danny Emerick.
He explained that his primary role this year is to help the engine department adjust on the fly and resolve any potential issues that could arise.
“Wherever there’s a need is where I’ll jump in,” he explained. “It may be building a Texas race engine. It may be fixing a problem on a Phoenix engine. Just making sure everything’s flowing, there aren’t any problems, addressing the problems, addressing the needs – and there’s always problems and needs. And when things go good, celebrate it.”
He relayed that while the engines are certainly fast on the racetrack, it’s best not to speed through the process of assembling them in the engine shop.
“You really can’t let your guard down,” he said. “We have to look at everything – all 2,500 pieces. We have to be sure about it. Not only are we worried about finishing races and performing at the level that we’re expected to perform, but we have the driver’s safety in our hands, too.”
Hear more from Emerick in the full #MorningsWith segment below, including his path to Hendrick Motorsports, how long it takes to assemble each engine and what goes into the annual Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown, which Emerick has won multiple times.