Childress Engine Pairing Takes Clevite Showdown Title

Danny Lawrence and Greg Gunnell of Richard Childress Racing, in what appeared to be a come-from-behind finish, bested the time of Mike Maiwald and Shane Parsnow of Hendrick Motorsports to win the Clevite Engine Builder Showdown. 
Maiwald and Parsnow, the current Clevite Engine Builder Showdown record holders, posted a strong build time of 20 minutes, 52 seconds, but it wasn’t enough to trump the 19 minute, one second time of Lawrence and Gunnell. Lawrence won his first Clevite Engine Builder Showdown Championship in 2002. 
Clevite Engine Parts, the NASCAR Technical Institute and the Randy Dorton Memorial Fund came together to celebrate the life of Randy Dorton, raise money to help aspiring engine builders and bring the art of engine building to a crowd of more than 2,000. 
“It was an honor to be invited to participate in this year’s Clevite Engine Builder Showdown,” said Danny Lawrence of Richard Childress Racing. “We appreciate the team effort by Clevite to make this event happen, in addition to their support with our racing program, and feel that everyone won because the event was held in honour of our friend, Randy Dorton. 
“Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are part of the Chevrolet family, and feel as though we’re all in this together,” added Lawrence. “In addition, we’re real good friends with all of our competitors.” 
This year marked Maiwald and Parsnow’s second trip to the final round. During the first and second rounds of competition, Maiwald and Parsnow’s teamwork lead them to break the Clevite Engine Builder Showdown record previously held by Danny Lawrence. The current record now stands at an impressive 18 minutes, 54 seconds. 
“Our main motivation in this year’s competition was to get that trophy (the Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy) in our shop. We hate that it didn’t happen, but give Danny and Greg a great deal of credit they’re not only great competitors, but also great friends,” said Mike Maiwald of Hendrick Motorsports. “We look forward to making a run at the title of Clevite Engine Builder Showdown Champions next year.”