Track Talk The Bump Stops Here Shock technology is a very special tool in a NASCAR team’s tuning arsenal. NASCAR competitors simply can’t risk a substandard shock setup – it literally can be the difference between a 30th place finish or tasting champagne in victory lane. Most every team now employs at least one shock specialist who is charged with finding the right combination that will allow the race car to get as low to the ground as possible without dragging the nose of the Gen-6.
Shock specialist Chris Golder is a vital member of Jeff Gordon’s ontrack success.
Hendrick Motorsport’s crew chief Alan Gustafson relies on veteran shock specialist Chris Golder to make sure Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Axalta Racing Chevrolet SS has precise handling and comfort from Martinsville to Texas and everywhere in between on the circuit. Golder, 33, grew up in
Alpharetta, Ga., greasing his passion for restoring cars alongside his dad who owned an automotive repair shop. “I have always had an interest in cars,” said Golder. “I grew up with three younger sisters and no brothers, so cars were kind of a way for me and my dad to spend time together and bond.” After graduating from Georgia Tech in 2004 with a degree in mechanical engineering, Golder began his NASCAR career at Hendrick Motorsports. Today, as the shock specialist on the No. 24, he works with Gustafson to determine the best setup packages. “My main responsibility is the springs and the shocks,” explained Golder. “Springs are used to control the height of the race car. At the bigger, faster tracks both the front and rear attitude is very important, so we work a lot with springs and spring rubbers, along with the shocks and bump stops.” Golder spends much of his time daily configuring shock-spring combinations for each racetrack to ensure Gordon has the best possible control over the car. “I run simulations to come up with good packages,” explained Golder. “I work up options around those packages to try and practice to get Jeff’s feedback.” NASCAR does not allow teams to run data during the race weekend, only during test sessions. So, simulation has to be spot-on. “Without data, sometimes we don’t know exactly what’s going on out there on the
track,” said Golder. “We have to be able to move quickly and make changes if needed since we only get about three hours of practice on a weekend.” On race weekends, you can find Golder working inside the No. 24 transporter. His workstation houses a shock dyno that moves at different displacements, enabling the team to measure different drive and track profiles. “The front shocks on race cars are what we like to call ‘aero inhibitors,’” explained Golder. “On the front shocks, we have bump stops that we fine tune to affect the attitude of the race car. There’s a great compromise between running a softer bump stop, which is going to feel better to the driver, versus a stiff stop that’s going to keep the car sealed down to the racetrack and help improve the aerodynamics.” That delicate balance has become one of the critical points on a race car. No track is smooth as silk – Golder says short tracks
and rougher tracks are the toughest on shocks. How the car handles depends on which shocks are used and how resistant they are to motion. To control the movement, teams can tweak the piston, shims and oil inside a shock for each track. To keep the oil from foaming and losing its ability to compress and rebound, a shock is pressurized with nitrogen. NASCAR rear shocks can have no less than 25 pounds of pressure per square inch (psi) and no more than 75 pounds of pressure psi. Golder, who maintains approximately 130 shocks during the season, says he does almost 200 re-valve jobs per year and installs between 30 to 40 percent of the shocks on the race car himself. “The easiest tracks on shocks are the superspeedways where you’re not worrying about mechanical grip,” said Golder. “The most technical tracks are the short tracks and rougher racetracks like Las Vegas and Atlanta.”
Shock therapy: NASCAR competitors can't risk a substandard shock setup – it can be the difference between a 30th place finish or victory lane.
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