Darrick Dong, the longtime director of motorsports at PFC Brakes, has died, according to a company statement. Dong was a cornerstone at PFC for some 25 years, where his knowledge and experience made him one of the industry’s most insightful, accessible, and trusted authorities on motorsports and braking technology.

“Steadfast, passionate and a true professional, Darrick’s knowledge of the total braking system has been pivotal to the success of PFC,” the company announced. “Darrick's ability to educate PFC’s customers on how they properly install, tune and personalize their brake packages was truly a gift and something to be cherished.

“His time and know-how gained at Tilton Engineering, along with the years of experience of working with professional race teams, are the catalysts of what has elevated the PFC Brakes Motorsports department to what it is today,” the statement continued. “Darrick strived to embody every principle that makes the racing industry great with his stubborn ‘no stone left unturned’ demeanor toward troubleshooting a brake system for a customer in need. Darrick was a fierce competitor and always put his customers and racers first… Darrick’s legacy will forever be remembered and ingrained into the culture of PFC.”

Dong helped oversee a number of major developments at Clover, South Carolina-based PFC throughout his decades-long career there, including IndyCar’s move to PFC hardware in 2017 (followed by the full package in 2018) as well as PFC’s release in 2010 of the ZR43 Zero Drag caliper, which won the Most Innovative New Motorsport Product of the Year Award at the following year’s RACE TECH World Motorsport Symposium.

The entire PRI team extends our deepest condolences to Darrick Dong’s family, friends, and colleagues.