Danny Emerick Extends Record with Eighth Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown Win

Danny Emerick claimed his eighth Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown victory on Friday, this time with a first-time teammate representing Hendrick Automotive Group's flagship dealership.

Emerick extended his all-time record for most wins in the Engine Builder Showdown in a dramatic final build, where Emerick and Jeremy Aimi of Rick Hendrick City Chevrolet bested a pair of former winners, Kevin Moler and Kyle Kittell of Hendrick Chevrolet Shawnee Mission. Emerick and Aimi's final build of 21 minutes, 53.48 seconds was 16.51 seconds faster than Moler and Kittell in the championship round.

"This is incredible," said Emerick. "These trophies get better each year, it seems like. To have me on the wall in the engine shop on that plaque, to have made an amazing friend, a lifelong friend who is very deserving, too, I can't explain how exciting this is."

Aimi was a newcomer to the Randy Dorton Engine Builder Showdown, but scored the victory in his first year in the event alongside Emerick. The annual event pairs 12 Hendrick Certified Master Technicians from Hendrick Automotive Group with 12 Hendrick Motorsports engine department team members.

"It's all so cool," Aimi said. "To win it for Mr. H at his flagship store, that's the most important part."

When he learned via the blind draw that he would be paired with Emerick, Aimi's already brimming excitement for his first time in the event reached a new level.

"I was amped for it," Aimi explained. "In the back of my mind, I was hoping for it. To somehow get that on a blind draw, it just gave me every confidence and the right mindset. I came here to go hard and go home."

While Emerick has now won each of the last four Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdowns, he is often met with a new teammate each year from Hendrick Automotive Group. Emerick believes part of the recurring success comes from being able to relate to his partners, regardless of their level of experience in the event.

"I think we get better, as motorsports employees, every year," said Emerick. "One thing I'm able to do is, I'm able to myself in their shoes. There was a time it was my first time, and I needed to hear a certain word or certain phrase that helped me.

"That's what I try to pass along, and it seems to work. Before we even talk about winning, I try to connect and get to know each other, and then we talk about winning."

While top-performing Hendrick Automotive Group master technicians from across the country are carefully selected for the event, Aimi is proud to be able to keep the trophy on "home turf" for himself and the Hendrick family in the Charlotte area. It also meant his family was on hand at the Hendrick Motorsports campus to witness his victory.

"It means a lot," said Aimi. "They know how long I've had the desire for the opportunity to compete in this. Finally, to have it and to be able to push myself hard enough to make it happen, to have Danny as a coach and a guide, the communication for us was perfect."

While Moler and Kittell came up one spot short, they held their heads high after a spectacular final build that was only a few seconds short of a victory.

"It makes us hungry to come back and get that last run on the ladder," said Moler. "It was still a phenomenal event, and a phenomenal build for both of us. To decrease our time from the qualifying build to the final build, we left it all out there on the floor. We're proud of it."

For Kittell, the adrenaline rush of taking part in the final round, building an engine in just over 22 minutes with zero mistakes, is unparalled.

"It's as high as it gets," said Kittell. "You're full-on, the muscles are burning, legs are burning, arms are burning, dry mouth. You're just pushing through it, go, go, go, until that engine is running, and go, go, go for those 60 seconds."

While both teams worked feverishly over their engines in the final round, Moler acknowledged he knew the lead in the contest swapped back and forth between the two teams several times.

"There's some sounds, some things you hear along the way," said Moler. "The emcees talk about some things. I knew we beat them on the flip. I knew he was watching me, also. I think we traded the lead back and forth a few times based on what I heard. It was a great show, and that's what we're here for."

Friday's event marked the 24th edition of the Randy Dorton Engine Builder Showdown. The competition will celebrate its 25th edition in 2026.

-Photo credit: Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown