Hendrick Motorsports has promoted Doug Duchardt to executive vice president and general manager.
Duchardt, 49, left General Motors Racing in 2005 to join HMS as vice president of development. In his new role he will report to team owner Rick Hendrick and president Marshall Carlson as he oversees racing operations for the company.
According to the release, Duchardt will oversee Hendrick Motorsports' competition group — personnel, teams, engines, car construction, research and development, pit crews and engineering. He will also manage the company’s technical relationships, which include the distribution of engine leases and chassis purchases as well as act as the “primary liaison between Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR’s competition” department.
“Doug has led by example from his first day with us,” Hendrick said in a release. “We’re in a competitive and ever-changing industry, and he brings a global view that will be critical to our long-term success. Doug shares the organization’s values, understands the importance of relationships and has helped promote a culture of teamwork and communication. We know those are things he will lean on and grow in the years to come.”
Duchardt was also instrumental in directing the development of the last two generations of Chevrolets that competed in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup division, including the Generation 6 model — the Chevy SS. Since Duchardt’s arrival, HMS has won 84 Cup races and five Cup championships.
“I’m honored to work with this incredible team of people,” Duchardt said. “I will continue to focus on giving them the resources and opportunities they need to be successful. We have a winning tradition that all of us want to protect and build on, and I’m lucky to be in a position to contribute to those efforts.”
