Precision Through Partnership: How Metrology is Driving the Future of Motorsports

In a sport where milliseconds determine champions, Hendrick Motorsports continues to rely on Hexagon Metrology to provide the necessary precision to stay ahead of the rest of the NASCAR race teams. Scott Grumbles, Commercial Operations Manager at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, writes how this partnership is taking another big step with the launch of a new state-of-the-art facility designed to bring next-gen technology to the team.

In NASCAR, races can be won by as little as a thousandth of a second. Just ask Kyle Larson, who at Kansas Speedway in 2024 edged out Chris Buescher by just 0.001 seconds. When margins are this tight, precision isn't just important -- it's everything.

Every aspect of a race car, from aerodynamics to the smallest screws in the engine, affects performance. At the heart of this is metrology -- the science of measurement -- ensuring every part is manufactured, inspected, and optimized to exact standards.

In a sport where standardized components and regulations limit the modifications that can be made, the real advantage comes from how well teams measure, assemble, and fine-tune critical parts.

For more than two decades, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (Hexagon) has worked with Hendrick Motorsports to push the limits of precision, integrating metrology tools that optimize everything from individual components to overall vehicle performance. This collaboration -- recently expanded with the launch of a metrology-dedicated innovation lab -- is part of a longstanding commitment to advancing motorsports through manufacturing technology.

Key Technologies Driving Precision in Motorsports

Motorsports components are becoming more intricate than ever. Designs feature complex surfaces and lightweight materials that push the limits of traditional measurement methods, making precision scanning and analysis central to success.

This is where metrology plays a critical role, enabling teams to detect even the smallest issues before assembly and race-day performance. For instance, metrology technology is being used to:

• 3D Scan for Instant Analysis -- Portable scanning devices can create highly accurate models of vehicle components, allowing engineers to inspect and compare parts against design models with sub-millimeter accuracy. This is crucial for aerodynamics, suspension components, and body panels, where slight imperfections can disrupt airflow and handling on the racetrack.
• Digital Twins for Predictive Optimization -- Virtual replicas of individual components or entire vehicles can bridge the gap between design and real-world performance, simulating how a part will act under different track conditions, strain, and weather. This allows teams to correct issues before production or before hitting the track, reducing cost.
• CMMs for Precision Part Inspection -- Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) provide ultra-precise, repeatable measurements for critical components, ensuring standardized parts meet incredibly strict NASCAR tolerances. CMMs help teams validate fit, alignment, and performance consistency, particularly in suspension systems, spindles, and structural elements.

AI is becoming critical in this space as well, enhancing precision by tailoring material-specific parameters like shrinkage and expansion rates to ensure reliable performance across different types of materials. It can also predict and compensate for distortions before manufacturing begins, helping components remain structurally sound under extreme conditions.

By integrating these advanced scanning techniques with predictive analysis, teams ensure that even standardized parts are assembled and optimized with absolute precision -- because in motorsports, even the smallest imperfections can determine the outcome of a race.

The Power of Partnerships -- On and Off the Track

Success on the racetrack isn't just about the driver -- it's a team effort, with engineers, manufacturers, and technology partners working behind the scenes.

For over two decades, Hexagon has been a trusted partner of Hendrick Motorsports, providing metrology solutions to refine every component of their vehicles.

NASCAR has always been competitive, but with the dawn of the Gen 7 car, it's become even more of a technology-focused competition.

With the Gen 7 car, all teams receive identical parts, so the difference on the track now comes from how well teams optimize these parts. Hexagon technology is embedded across Hendrick Motorsports -- from the machine and engine shops to setup plates and race prep -- ensuring that they can build, assemble and optimize the best possible car within NASCAR's tight regulations.

The results show for themselves at the finish line. Hendrick Motorsports has won 14 NASCAR Cup Series championships. Just recently, William Byron, driving the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet, won his second consecutive DAYTONA 500 for the team -- proof that manufacturing excellence can help in the race to success.

Creating a Blueprint for the Future with the Hexagon Lab

Hexagon has now taken the commitment with Hendrick Motorsports even further with the launch of the Hexagon Center for Quality Excellence -- a state-of-the-art facility designed to bring next-generation metrology technologies into the future of motorsports.

At its core, the Lab features advanced measurement and quality control technologies, enabling engineers to digitally assemble race cars before they're built to ensure the best possible configuration. High-speed scanning and automated verification processes accelerate part selection and assembly, reducing human error and ensuring precise tolerances.

Beyond assembly, the Lab and associated metrology technology enables real-time performance adjustments, allowing engineers to analyze and fine-tune key mechanical elements -- such as ride height, camber, and toe -- both in the shop and trackside. These refinements, made before the car ever hit the track, help optimize aerodynamic efficiency, handling, and component alignment faster than ever.

By integrating cutting-edge scanning, automation, and data-driven insights, the Lab is more than a measurement facility -- it's an example of how strategic partnerships and advanced technology are shaping the future of motorsports.

Precision Will Define the Future of Racing

The next big race won't be decided by who just has the best driver or the most advanced car alone. It will be shaped by the teams -- on and off the track -- that harness the power of precision and innovative technology. And in a sport where milliseconds determine champions, the strongest partnerships will continue to push racing forward.

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