*M*....Jeff Gordons Legendary Masterpiece Known as T-Rex Raced only once in its original form, the Hendrick Motorsports Monte Carlo known as “T-Rex” ranks among the most legendary cars in NASCAR history. Driven to victory by Jeff Gordon in 1997’s The Winston, NASCAR’s all-star event held annually at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, the car originally drew its name from its Universal Studios “Jurassic Park” paint scheme featuring a Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur in the hood. In reality, T-Rex owed its name more to chief designer Rex Stump, the Hendrick engineer who spearheaded its revolutionary chassis. In the months leading up to The Winston, No. 24 crew chief Ray Evernham asked Stump, a former Corvette engineer with General Motors, to build a new car, throwing out traditional chassis designs. The only requirement was to stay within NASCAR’s rulebook. Along with a number of contributing team members, Stump engineered a lightening-fast car like no other before it. Within the bounds of NASCAR rules, the radical chassis innovations put the Chevy in a league of its own – and Gordon used it to dominate the 1997 all-star race. Following a thorough post-race inspection, NASCAR officials noted the car’s compliance with the rules, but asked that the team not bring it back to the track. Retired for use as a showcar for a short period, T-Rex remained in storage until its renovation in 2004. As Stump recalls, “It was just a car ahead of its time.”
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 15:30:00 +0000
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