CONCORD, N.C. — Rick Hendrick grabbed the oversized pair of scissors on Thursday afternoon and helped cut the ceremonial red ribbon.
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This officially marked the opening of the Atrium Health Motorsports Athletic Center on the Hendrick Motorsports campus, and it served as the latest example of how the championship-winning team owner has taken some major steps to keep the operation contending at a very high level.
No longer are pit crews walking around with "big tummies and cigarettes," as Hendrick said, nor are they running through a field while Ray Evernham watches.
They are training and undergoing treatment at a brand-new facility that can rival those found in the NFL and other sports.
"I first started coming here around 2012," Chase Elliott told FanBuzz at the grand opening of the 35,000-square-foot facility. "Wild. Kind of crazy to have watched a lot of this transform into what it has become today.
"I've known the boss for a long time now, and there's just nothing that he doesn't do first class. And that's just who he is, and fortunately, he's in a position where he can do that. And the good news is, his decisions that he makes that are first class affect a lot of people and a lot of families."
What exactly does this massive facility hold? In short, it has everything the drivers, crew chiefs, pit crew members, and employees need to focus on their health and well-being. Oh, and it has a fully-stocked barbershop.
The center of this facility is a purpose-built gym filled with equipment from Sorinex, Concept2, Assault Fitness, Rogue Fitness, and Torque Fitness among other companies.
It has massive weightlifting rigs, a climbing wall, rowers, bikes, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, and a significant amount of other specialized equipment.
Basically, everything the pit crew members need to prepare for upcoming races and everything that everyone else on the campus needs to get in a good workout.
I have two stories to write, but I can say that the new Hendrick Motorsports facility is fully stocked with everything the employees need to be healthy. pic.twitter.com/JUDd7mHytd
— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) January 22, 2026
"If you're not emphasizing your physical and mental health, you are going to be at a disadvantage," Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 team, told FanBuzz. "And I think that this place is going to give you the opportunity to do that.
"Hopefully... this is great, but it's still going to take the effort. You still have to go do the work. But I think not only having the opportunity to have it here is going to encourage people to do it, but also feel like a step like this can transform our culture a bit more to put emphasis on health and wellness, and this is a nice step in that direction."
Yet, this gym is only a small portion of this massive facility, which also includes a new closed-loop pit stop practice circuit that can fit two teams at a time.
Crews and team members can take advantage of the meeting rooms and film rooms. They can shower after workouts and before treatment in the brand-new locker room area. They can stow their gear in the Longhorn Lockers-designed ventilated lockers for 50-plus crew members, the drivers, and Mr. Hendrick.
Hendrick Motorsports also has a locker room inspired by top tier universities. Mr. Hendrick even has a locker.
These are ventilated to help with the gear smells. pic.twitter.com/vF0cVz20jP— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) January 22, 2026
The new facility also holds a hydrotherapy room with a sauna and tubs filled with hot and cold water. Another room has the dry therapy equipment. This includes a hyperbaric chamber, HydroMassage lounge chairs, red light therapy, and infrared light therapy.
"The point of this in the wet recovery and the training facility is to keep us at peak physical condition throughout the season," tire changer Andrew Bridgeforth told FanBuzz. "I mean, we win everything already (laughs), but this is just going to make it so we can sustain that."
A separate room features tables where the athletes can receive treatment for various ailments. This facility even features an ultrasound machine.
Recovery and rehabilitation will be an emphasis at this facility. So will optimization, as evidenced by the InBody Body Composition Scanner and the dedicated nutrition education spaces.
Photo credit: John Newby/FanBuzz
These recovery opportunities most excite the Cup Series drivers who regularly put stress on their bodies while racing for wins. The nutrition tools serve as an added bonus considering how easy it is to eat poorly when on the road.
The current driver lineup — Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Corey Day — can enjoy some luxuries that past generations did not necessarily have. The belief is that this will only make them better prepared to win races and championships.
"I've learned a lot through this process, right, about what it takes not only to train athletes to get the performance to another level, but also the aspect of preventative healthcare to prevent the injuries, or the recovery process of them," Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman explained.
"And I went through some of that myself — when I hurt my back — of how important having the right doctors, what the remedy was. And you want the least amount of trial and error as you possibly can. So there's definitely a need for the hot water and heat versus cold, and so we wanted to make sure our athletes had everything they needed."
Of course, this facility is far from exclusive to the race team members. Hendrick made it clear during the grand opening that the Atrium Health Motorsports Athletic Center will also provide health and wellness services to all of the Charlotte-area Hendrick Motorsports employees.
Photo credit: John Newby/FanBuzz
"We have — just in the Carolinas, we've got about 5,000 employees and teammates," Hendrick said. "And with the dependents, there's 40,000. And so we need good health care."
These Hendrick Motorsports employees can meet with the Atrium Health clinicians on staff and address their medical concerns without having to deal with the hassle of scheduling and traveling to other medical facilities in the Charlotte area.
The Hendrick Automotive Group already has a wellness center. Those employees have enjoyed the benefits of receiving care from professionals, which Hendrick said has helped cut down on injuries and helped diagnose various ailments.
Now, this model moves to the competition side of his business empire ahead of the 2026 NASCAR season.
