WASHINGTON, April 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GM Defense LLC, a subsidiary of General Motors (GM), has awarded Hendrick Motorsports with its 2022 Supplier of the Year distinction. The Supplier of the Year award recognizes global suppliers that distinguish themselves by exceeding requirements, in turn providing defense and government customers with innovative technologies and high-quality solutions.

Supporting GM Defense's Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), a light and agile nine-passenger troop carrier that meets U.S. Army requirements for rapid ground mobility, Hendrick Motorsports provides the chrome-moly steel exoskeleton Roll Over Protection System that maximizes Soldier safety, in addition to other fabricated metal structures. The ISV is based on the award-winning Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 midsize truck architecture and features 90 percent commercial-off-the-shelf parts, including Chevrolet Performance race components proven to perform under some of the toughest off-road conditions. The expeditionary ISV, currently fielded to the Army's 82^nd and 101^st Airborne Divisions, is also light enough to be sling loaded by a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and compact enough to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for air transportability.

"Our ability to deliver advanced commercial technologies is paramount to our mission in support of our Army customer. Thanks in part to our collaboration with Hendrick Motorsports, we've been able to successfully deliver the ISV to Soldiers and field this important ground mobility enhancement to the Infantry Brigade Combat Teams," said Steve duMont, GM Defense president. "Leveraging GM's legacy in Chevrolet Racing, we found in Hendrick Motorsports a teammate as equally committed to quality, reliability, safety and the mission success of our warfighters, as GM Defense. We look forward to continuing this important collaboration as we showcase the ISV's capabilities to our allied defense and security customers around the world."

The ISV is manufactured in GM Defense's award-winning production facility in Concord, North Carolina, located just minutes from Hendrick Motorsports headquarters. 

"On behalf of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports, we are honored to represent GM Defense and support a project like the ISV that strengthens our country's military," said Marshall Carlson, president of Hendrick Companies. "It's exciting to see General Motors, one of the world's greatest manufacturers, invest in advanced commercial technologies that bolster national security and help keep us safe. Our teammates take tremendous pride in the relationship and all it represents, and they have committed themselves to delivering the highest-caliber product each and every day. Having their hard work recognized by such a key partner is incredibly humbling."

Hendrick Motorsports was one of many honorees celebrated at GM's recent 31^st annual Supplier of the Year event in San Antonio, Texas. Each year, GM's Supplier of the Year recipients are selected by a global, cross-functional GM team for their performance in criteria such as Product Purchasing, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services, Customer Care and Aftersales and Logistics.

About GM Defense, LLC.
GM Defense delivers integrated vehicles, power and propulsion, and autonomy and connectivity solutions to global defense, security, and government markets. The exceptional reliability of GM Defense's technologies results from decades of proven performance and billions of dollars spent in independent research and development by its parent, General Motors, a world leader in global design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities. For more information, please visit www.gmdefensellc.com.

About Hendrick Motorsports
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport's premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (14), points-paying race victories (294) and laps led (more than 77,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 39 different seasons, including an active streak of 38 in a row (1986-2023). The team fields four full-time Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Headquartered on more than 100 acres in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs approximately 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.