NASCAR teams leverage industrial-grade additive manufacturing to revolutionize part production, slashing costs while maximizing performance in Next Gen vehicles.
If you spot a NASCAR Next Gen car screaming around the track these days, you should know there’s more than just raw horsepower at work. Behind those composite body panels lies a technological revolution, powered by industrial-grade 3D printing that’s claimed to be transforming how race teams compete.
Since 2021, NASCAR’s Next Gen platform has been turning heads with its street-car-inspired symmetrical design, featuring bodies that mirror your local dealership’s Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, and Toyota TRD Camry. But the real game-changer isn’t what you can see – it’s hiding in the countless custom parts that teams are crafting through additive manufacturing.
Minnesota-based Stratasys, now officially crowned “NASCAR’s Official 3D Printing Partner,” isn’t playing with your typical hobby-store printer. Their industrial machines, which command price tags from $20,000 to a whopping $600,000, are churning out everything from intricate air ducts to specialized brackets. Part of that steep price comes from the ability to work with advanced materials that can withstand the punishing conditions of race day.
“We’re seeing materials that are just incredible,” says Stratasys Senior Global Director Fadi Abro, pointing to recent developments in heat resistance and strength-to-weight ratios. “Complexity is free with the additive process, whereas in traditional methods, complexity can really increase the price and lead time.”
The Joe Gibbs Racing team, fresh off extending their 20-year partnership with Stratasys, is putting this technology to work in ways that would make old-school mechanics’ heads spin. Take their air management system – those 3D-printed ducts aren’t just directing airflow to cool engines and drivers. They’re precisely engineered to manipulate aerodynamics, creating downforce or drag exactly when and where drivers need it.
This shift away from traditional CNC manufacturing is claimed to be more than just a tech upgrade – it’s a complete rethinking of how race cars are built and modified. Gone are the days of hammering parts into submission or waiting weeks for custom-machined components. Teams can now design, print, and test new parts in a fraction of the time.
The impact on NASCAR’s competitive landscape is already evident. With Technique Chassis providing identical base platforms to all teams, finding an edge comes down to these seemingly minor details. And that’s where 3D printing shines – allowing teams to rapidly iterate and experiment with designs that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive using traditional methods.
Looking ahead, Stratasys is pushing to increase printing speeds while maintaining precision. “If you need a hundred different versions of something, you don’t want a hundred printers side by side,” Abro explains. The focus is on faster production without sacrificing the accuracy and strength that make these parts race-worthy.
For NASCAR teams, where every millisecond matters and time is always in short supply, this technology isn’t just changing how parts are made – it’s revolutionizing how teams compete. And with material science advancing rapidly, we might just be seeing the beginning of what 3D printing can bring to the track.
