Chevrolet. Racing to perform better for you.

How does racing make a better product for you?

Jimmie Johnson began his auto racing career racing off-road and stadium buggies before graduating to NASCAR, where he won a record-tying seven championships in the Cup Series.

Rick Mears followed much the same blueprint en route to winning the Indianapolis 500 four times.

Four years before he sipped milk in victory lane after winning his first 500, Mears won the Mint 400 in the desert surrounding Las Vegas.

It is a race in which champions are made. 

Obviously, the main attraction of car and truck racing is the adrenaline-surging thrill of high speed, thunderous noise, and the shared experience with tens of thousands of like-minded fans of both vehicular sports.

Beyond the championships of racing, comes one of the most important developments vehicle manufactuers could ever gain. The benefit to racing can be primarily centered on the extreme engineering insight such sports provide makers of everyday components for both types of vehicles. Racing a car, truck, UTV or even a motorcycle pushes the machine to its limit, and engineers then take that data, and the result is a better model machine for you the consumer.

The automotive industry has always relied upon motorsports born technology as an innovation test-bed for road cars; applying lessons from the track to the road, to develop products that power and protect motorists globally. With fewer regulations and cost considerations than the real world, motorsports is an open test ground for pushing industry boundaries and generating ideas or solutions that could have far-reaching impact on the future of mobility.

Action Sports Today recently got to experience this first hand with Chevrolet Performance, Hall Racing and professional driver Chad Hall, as they entered two trucks into the world famous Mint 400 off road race. Being behind the wheel throughout the race allowed Action Sports Today to see first hand how the race team and Chevrolet engineers collaborated to bring about a better performing vehicle for not only winning races but for the consumer.

But driving the trucks in the Mint 400 is more than just a race for Chevrolet, it’s all a learning process too. What specifically is that data that comes from the race that benefits them as a manufacturer?

“Racing is an ideal venue to test advanced technologies – from 3D printing parts to advanced Computer Assisted Engineering models – that may someday shape production vehicles. Off-road races like the Mint 400 allow us to test and validate prototype parts and accessories on some of the most extreme driving conditions in the world. The information we collect through this testing transfers directly into the products we sell.”

– Chevrolet

In a race like the Mint 400, unless seen in person it is difficlut to see from the outside what developments come from the data gathered that changes how the trucks are built for the consumer. However, that is not the case. There are so many factors created from racing that translates into everyday motor vehicle and military design.

Off-road racing is brutal –a single off-road race creates more wear-and-tear than most vehicles will experience in a year. This extreme testing help us shape our performance parts and accessories portfolio, our GM Defense projects and production-vehicle offerings.  Durability is the most important aspect of competing off-road. Most of the development info we collect is suspension related. Other than special safety equipment, the trucks are pretty much stock production. We’re always monitoring things like engine vitals, transmission performance, HVAC, etc. If you remember, we have the A/C on and windows up during the race – intentionally.

– Chevrolet

While some may still see racing as a complete waste of time, there is no doubt that auto, truck, UTV or motorcycle brands will ever be out of the racing business.

Chevrolet trucks are synonymous with off-road racing and we are committed to the sport. We have a very successful partnership with Chad Hall Racing competing in the Best in the Desert series with both a Colorado ZR2 Bison and this year a 6.2L Silverado Custom Trail Boss. The information we gather is vital to make the best performance parts possible.

– Chevrolet