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Charlie Langenstein - Owner, Car Builder, Boss Concord, NC
Charlie began his racing career in 1980, when, at the age of 19, he
took a month out of his Senior Year at William Penn High School in
New Castle, DE, to work for Indy Car Driver Larry "Boom Boom" Cannon
at the famed "Brickyard" preparing for the Indy 500. Although the
team was lacking in major funding, they were heralded as a possible
contender, placing 14th on the starting grid. Unfortunately, the
team had engine problems and finished a disappointing 33rd. After
graduation, Charlie worked for Cannon for another two years before
moving on to work with Delaware Racer Walt Breeding, a successful
race car driver and builder, who taught Charlie the art of
fabrication, design and chassis engineering. Taking the experience
he gained working with Breeding, Charlie went on to record well over
250 feature wins and countless track and series championships in the
Northeast DIRTcar Modified ranks. Championship caliber drivers such
as Larry Voss, Jimmy Horton and Brett Hearn, as well as legendary
drivers like Will Cagle and Kenny Brightbill, have benefited from
the unique way Charlie preps and maintains a car for competition. In the late `80's Charlie moved to the Tar Heel State of North Carolina, in the heart of NASCAR Country. In `89 he won the Busch Grand National Series (now Nationwide Series) Championship, followed in `90 by the Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) Rookie of the Year Honors, both with the late Rob Moroso driving. Charlie then went on the build cars for Petty Enterprises, where, in `97, a chassis he built won the 3rd time on the track at the legendary "Rock", Rockingham Motor Speedway, with driver Bobby Hamilton at the wheel.
Charlie is a "self-taught" race car engineer who has successfully
designed and built many race car components and chassis, setting the
bench mark for others in Motorsport today. His ideas and "business
plans" have also been successful, such as the building of
"production line" race cars for the car driving school and "show
car" markets. Charlie was instrumental in working with famed race
car engineer/builder/driver, Mark Alderson, in the development of an
all steel frame monococ Indy Car chassis for the "race car driving
experience" industry. Together they also designed and built the
worlds first "two seat" Indy Car. This idea was copied by many
Championship Indy Car Teams and Race Car Manufacturers and is,
today, very instrumental in race car driver training, public
relations projects and the making of motion pictures. Today, Charlie is Mechanical Supervisor for Hendrick Motorsports for the 24 of Jeff Gordon and the 48 of Jimmie Johnson. Responsible for pre race build and post race teardown of the cars, Charlie has been and is an integral part of the success of both teams, and was recognized as a primary contributor to Jimmie Johnson’s `06, `07 and `08 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships. In `08 Charlie was inducted into the Northeast DIRTcar Hall of Fame and was awarded the Papa Joe Hendrick Award for Excellence by Hendrick Motorsports for his work with the 24 and 48 Teams. Charlie also works closely with many Motorsports and high performance product manufacturers to test, evaluate, promote and market new ideas and racing concepts to the Motorsports Industry. In his “spare time”, Charlie relaxes by serving as Crew Chief for his Son Austin, who drives the #7 FIREFOLD.com Bandolero for KAR Racing, a Team owned by Charlie and his wife Beth. Charlie is also deeply committed, along with his Wife, to the Riley & Friends Awareness: which he and Beth founded after their Daughter, Riley, was born with Cerebral Palsy and then later diagnosed with Epilepsy. Their program raises public awareness of the debilitating effects of these afflictions and provides support, through their association with racing, so other children who have these disabilities, and the many children who, unfortunately, will be born with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy, have a chance to live and enjoy a fun and pain free childhood.
Langenstein Motorsports (8/09)
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To contact us:
Phone:
(980) 225-2713
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For
over 30 years, “Charlie Langenstein” has been a well known and
respected name in the sport of racing, Worldwide. Beginning at a
very young age, Charlie worked under some of the best names in the
business, with the goal of someday leaving his mark of the “sport”
he loves.
