Rick Hendrick has built Hendrick Motorsports into one of the greatest NASCAR teams ever over the past four decades. He did not do this all by himself. A key person who was instrumental in this success was the mastermind engine builder Randy Dorton. Dorton’s career in the race shop began in the 1970s as an engine assembler for the legendary crew chief Harry Hyde.
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His learnings led to him creating a company by the name of Competition Engines. Hendrick purchased this company in 1984 and brought Dorton into Hendrick Motorsports (then known as All-Star Racing) as a lead engine builder.
Two years later, he won NASCAR’s Engine Builder of the Year award and went on to bring the team nine championships over a career that spanned till 2004.
He won a total of 136 races and laid the foundation for a shop that would collect over 500 wins. But his contribution extended beyond just building engines.
His leadership style and character as the director of engine operations were something that everyone at Hendrick Motorsports looked up to. In October 2004, Dorton died in a plane crash that killed 10 members of the team.
It is the best who are taken away from us too early. The team remembers this icon every time a driver reaches victory lane. His photos are hung on the walls of the shop and are looked at by the people he trained, hired, and developed to be the artists they are today. Dorton’s legacy can be understood further by listening to the words of the people he worked with.
What Hendrick Motorsports icons say about Dorton
The seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was one of those who had a special relationship with Dorton. He says, “Randy was a great friend. Instead of just being the figurehead of the engine department, he helped me in so many ways, personally and professionally. I know he did that for many others.”
Team President and General Manager Jeff Andrews is someone whom Dorton personally hired. He says, “Whether you were in the back washing parts, assembling an engine, working in the dyno, or at the racetrack, he always made you very important. He made you feel like a critical member of that department. That is key.”
Dorton was left out of the Hall of Fame Class of 2025. It was one of the biggest surprises of the year. One can argue that he deserves a place in Charlotte. The hope is the hall will consider itself worthy of his name in the near future.
