CONCORD, N.C. — Hendrick Motorsports set out to build its new Athletic Center with a big goal — it would be second to none, regardless of sport. Yet, achieving this required far more than simply placing a bulk order for weightlifting equipment
Yet, Hendrick Motorsports still didn't open a catalog and place an order. Each Sorinex facility is designed to fit every specific need of the respective client.
"What we had to learn first was A, what was the requirement of the performance side of that? And B, how did the coaches choose to elicit that stressor," Bert Sorin, president of Sorinex, told FanBuzz at the grand opening.
"Because all training is a stressor and recovery cycle. So when we understood what the stressors were in the sport, we knew how to replicate that in the gym."
Sorinex learned the needs of Hendrick Motorsports and then it used software to create a 3D render of the proposed space. This helped both sides of the project finalize the design before actually starting construction.
Photo credit: John Newby/FanBuzz
Of course, the process did not end there. Members of the No. 24 team actually traveled to Sorinex headquarters in Lexington, South Carolina. Sorin and his crew then got a firsthand education about how pit crew athletes train compared to those in football, baseball, or soccer.
"They had some great insights of even muscular needs specifically, or movement needs specifically," Sorin said. "We were able to learn more and more and more about them and their sport, almost like AI.
"We start teaching one another, and we get to a better and better solution together. And once we've had an entire day, and then a few months of massaging this thing through, you truly get something that's form fitted for their needs."
The fitness space has no shortage of companies that can provide equipment for athletes across all forms of sports, so Hendrick Motorsports could have worked with any of them. Yet, the NASCAR organization repeatedly heard the Sorinex name while conducting research.
The decision-makers toured numerous athletic training centers for other sports teams, as well as Fort Bragg, to draw inspiration. The group included development manager Roberto Medina and pit development manager Evan Kureczka.
It was on these trips that they constantly saw Sorinex equipment. After all, the company has worked with such high-profile franchises as the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Atlanta Braves, Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Sorinex has also done facility builds for UFC's Las Vegas training center, high schools across the country, and National Championship-winning college football teams. This company even built a facility for employees of Black Rifle Coffee Company.
Early in the process, it became apparent to Hendrick Motorsports that Sorinex would be the ideal fit for a project of this scope.
"Well, I think a best way to answer that is winners find winners," Sorin explained. "And what we've been touted as is the go-to guys for the go-to guys. So we say anyone who can afford anything but to lose.
The Hendrick Motorsports facility has no shortage of equipment. The athletes and employees can climb a rock wall, pick up kettlebells weighing up to 202 pounds, push a resistance sled from Torque Fitness on the turf, do sprints on a fan bike, complete a marathon row, or work on traditional strength with some compound lifts in the area with the massive racks.
"We've had to kind of stick them almost in a corner through the training process," Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 team, said. "And they were super fun to see this place (revealed).
"So, I mean, really instantly, one of my changers is a wrestler, and he's up the rock wall climbing that thing. And they were already talking about the competitions they wanted to have through all the new equipment.
Photo credit: John Newby/FanBuzz
The options continue with multitudes of other machines and pieces of equipment. This particularly includes the X-Factor, a ground-based machine that Hendrick Motorsports can use for improving lateral speed.
The men charged with jacking up stock cars can perform specific isolated movements using the X-Factor and a band. Working their arms and rotational muscles will help them better prepare for the grueling season and pit-heavy races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
An athlete demonstrates the X-Factor's movements. Photo credit: Sorinex
Sometimes, the pit athletes may not necessarily be able to do heavy barbell movements due to an injury or ongoing rehab. The new athletic center includes specialized equipment for this need.
The Back Attack provides the ability to work the muscles without causing damage. The athletes can load weight against the spine without having force coming down on the body.
"It ties in the glutes, the hamstrings, and the low back, which is really the engine of every athlete," Sorin said. "So we pioneered that piece of equipment almost 26 years ago, back when I was training for the Olympic trials of 2000.
"That's been one of my secret weapons. And if you look in all the strongest gyms in the world, they generally have one, and they don't talk about it. And they don't talk about it for a reason."
Photo credit: Sorinex
The athletes at Hendrick Motorsports essentially have a fitness playground at their disposal. Yet, properly maximizing their time in the facility is another matter entirely.
Fortunately, they have a dedicated staff charged with crafting the weekly programming and altering movements based on age, needs, and time of year.
The strength and conditioning coaches like to blend workout movements together while taking advantage of the available equipment, even as they continue to discover more opportunities for athletic improvement.
Like the athletes, the coaches have to adapt to different styles of equipment than what they previously used.
"Those (Sorinex) racks have so many attachments that we're still learning them," Mark Morrison, HMS strength and conditioning coach, told FanBuzz. "Because our old racks were just a rack. I mean, you could pretty much do everything — push, pull. I mean, the turf areas, never had that before.
"We do a lot of like... so we'll hit a core lift, and then I call it blend work. So whoever I'm working with, let's say I'm just gonna use this squat as an example. Let's say we're hitting lower. We're doing some squats, I'll take them over to the turf, and I might do like some single leg, bounding lateral (jumps) out in a fatigue state."
As Morrison and Sorin pointed out, the new racks from Sorinex have holes on all four sides of the posts. This is different than traditional squat racks and weightlifting rigs, which makes it possible to purchase numerous attachments.
Photo credit: John Newby/FanBuzz
Hendrick Motorsports can simply add on to the racks in the building while saving space. They don't need to order special equipment for improving grip strength or for targeting specific muscle groups.
"If you're a gun guy, that was the Picatinny rail of the gun world," Sorin said about the creation of four-direction holes and the ability to accessorize. "That legitimately changed the landscape of weight rooms for the last 20 years.
"And I've kind of joked, if we went out of business tomorrow and I passed away, I know there's a part of what we came up with (that) will be relevant within the strength community for another few decades."
Sorin doesn't plan on going out of business any time soon. He and Sorinex will keep working on the craft while forging partnerships with other sports franchises.
The athletes at Hendrick Motorsports, however, will take full advantage of this new facility. They will keep training while using all of the new "toys" at their disposal.
And of course they will continue to compete with each other even while pushing toward a common goal — being the absolute best crews on pit road.