HOW MOTOR RACING IMPROVES THE BREED

By now a cliché, the phrase Motor Racing Improves the Breed is still a viable reason why General Motors is set to open the new Charlotte Tech Center in mid-2020. Focused on performance and racing in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area, it will serve as a major racing hub for all types of General Motors racing efforts in the United States.

The new facility will expand GM’s performance and racing technology with the idea to transfer as much knowledge as possible from the racing programs directly to new vehicle development. The ultimate goal will be to house future technology and engineering development capabilities.

TO GROW AND RECRUIT

Located within 10 miles of Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC, the facility will be near a variety of racing disciplines, including NASCAR, IMSA, NHRA, World of Outlaws, and others. Plotted out at 75,000-square-feet, the new technical center will also serve as a recruitment point for potential GM employees from the technical talent pool in the Charlotte area.

The move will help to expand an already large GM footprint in the Charlotte area. “The facility will be close to a number of key Chevrolet and Cadillac racing partners, teams and suppliers,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “This will allow for improved collaboration, as well as access to some of the industry’s best talent,” he said.

NASCAR IS KING

While the facility will be a resource for all types of GM racing, remember that in this part of the country, NASCAR is king. As such, this new technical center provides GM with the opportunity to offer support for its NASCAR teams, as well as other GM racing entities. The new facility will feature “Driver in the Loop” simulators, vehicle simulation, aerodynamic development and other performance aids, with the ultimate goal of racing and production enhancements. The results of which you will find on vehicles you can purchase at Napleton’s Chevrolet of Wayzata.

Just how does motor racing improve the breed? Technologies developed in racing eventually make their way to production vehicles. These innovations, such as Computational Fluid Dynamics, Rolling Wind Tunnels and Scale Model Testing are all practices that quickly crossed over to production vehicle development after being pioneered in the racing world.

“Chevrolet and Cadillac Racing are two of the winningest brands in motorsports. This new facility will build upon their legacies and hopefully lead to even more success on the track,” said Campbell. “Racing helps us accelerate the development, performance and popularity of our cars and trucks across the world.”

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