General Motors->ke1024 is doubling down on its racing department with the opening of the new Powertrain Performance and Racing Center located at the company’s campus in Pontiac, Michigan. The 111,420-square-foot facility is connected to the company’s existing Global Powertrain Engineering Center, bringing together an expansive network of engine builders, engineers, and support staff, all of whom will be tasked to help develop engines for GM’s racing teams competing in NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, NHRA.

The main objective of the new center falls on the development of its current crop of racing engines that will all be used in the racing series that the company is actively involved in.

Among the engines that will fall under the responsibility of the new center include the Nascar “R07”, which will be used for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. In addition, the center will also develop the IndyCar 2.2L Twin-Turbo V-6 engine, NHRA COPO Camaro V-8 engines, Corvette->ke1280 Racing 5.5L V-8, and the Cadillac ATSV.R Twin Turbo engine.

The importance of the new center can’t be understated, especially for a company that’s involved in more than just one racing series. The massive size of the facility alone allows GM to use all that space to serve a variety of functions. Engine assembly will obviously be there, but the facility will also include areas for machining, calibration, and engine testing, including the availability of four AVL dyno cells : two gas-powered engine dynos, a gas-powered driveline dyno, and a new electric driveline dyno. An interactive lobby and meeting space is also included in the facility.

More than just the technological wizardry that’s expected to happen in this facility, its importance also hinges on how the two connected facilities can leverage their respective expertise to create an efficient and integrated working ecosystem that can benefit GM’s racing and production divisions.

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Why it matters

This is a big step for General Motors as it tries to streamline the development of its racing and production engines. If anything, you have to commend GM for doing this as part of a $200-million investment at its Pontiac, Mich., campus. For those who don’t know, the company’s racing center was initially located in Wixom, Michigan but now that the facility is effectively under one roof with the Global Powertrain Engineering Center, it’s going to make it a lot easier for engineers of both facilities to work in concert and build the best possible engines for GM. The resources are there. The technology is there. But, most of all, the know-how is effectively doubled having all these expert minds together in one place.

As far as its capabilities, the new facility has it all. From the design release of these engines to the calibration and everything else in between (engine build, electronics, telematics, and dyno validation), this facility will have them all.

On the flip side, all the attention GM has gotten with the opening of this facility does put the spotlight on the company’s racing efforts. A lot of people, myself included, will now look at the company and have incredibly high expectations for its racing programs. That comes with the territory of announcing the vast resources your putting into your racing people to come up with the best possible racing engines in the business.

There’s pressure on GM to be able to live up to that, and only time will tell if GM will be able to live up to having all the attention. I think GM can do it because it’s got some bright people working in what is now a mega facility over there in Pontiac, Michigan. Now it’s on them to bear fruit to the company’s motto of “racing to win”.