CONCORD, N.C. – This week, the same day Hendrick Motorsports GC was officially announced, the organization’s two drivers in the eNASCAR Heat Pro League made their way to the Hendrick Motorsports campus for the first time.
If it didn’t feel real for the two gamers after being drafted back in March, it certainly does now.
“Watching the draft and hearing your name get called, it didn’t really set in, I think, until I really got here,” said Nick Jobes, Hendrick Motorsports GC’s PlayStation 4 driver. “To kind of walk around the shop and do all of this, it’s amazing.”
The organization’s Xbox One driver, Sam Morris, agreed with his new teammate’s sentiment.
“When I got here, the first thing we did was go to the main garage area, with every team member, all the crew chiefs, so, immediately, I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is actually happening,’” he smiled. “(No. 24 team crew chief) Chad Knaus and them are sitting there talking and I’m standing there right by them. Immediately it set in, like, ‘I’m really here.’”
The reality began to sink in even as they rode through the gate onto campus.
Both drivers remarked on how “enormous” the Concord, North Carolina, facility is, with Morris noting that it’s likely “bigger than my college campus.”
“Hendrick Motorsports, when you pull up here as a race fan, it’s kind of like a fairytale land,” he explained. “It’s got a big sign with all the numbers on it, it’s back in the back at the end of a long road, and as soon as you pull in there’s a big opening with a bunch of buildings and a huge lake. You’re just like, ‘This is way bigger than I expected it to be.’”
The gamers spent two days on campus, getting an exclusive tour of what makes the organization tick. From visiting the race and chassis shops to watching pit crew practice, meeting some of Hendrick Motorsports’ leadership and even getting their own photo and video shoots, it was a jam-packed visit.
The two-day trip even included a visit to 704 Games, which produces “NASCAR Heat 3,” the game that will be utilized in the Heat Pro League.
“It’s my dream to be part of Hendrick Motorsports and the Hendrick Motorsports Gaming Club,” Jobes said. “I dreamed about this plenty of times, and to finally be here, and maybe I took an alternate route to get here, but it’s crazy. It really is.
“It’s incredible to really feel like kind of part of the team.”
Speaking of teams, both Jobes and Morris were excited to continue to get to know one another throughout the experience. While both will certainly look for individual success once the Heat Pro League season kicks off next month, they know they’ll have to work together to capture the team championship.
And their early impressions have them excited to chase that goal as a duo.
“It’s incredible how similar we were in a lot of our racing styles and personality-wise as well,” Jobes said. “It’s been a pleasure to get to work with him over the last couple weeks and I can’t wait to work with him over the next few months.”
Morris shared that he’s looking forward to being able to root on his teammate on the PS4, and Jobes can cheer for his teammate on the Xbox One. Though they’ll be racing on different gaming systems, they’re excited by how well they already seem to be aligned.
Most of all, they’re both honored to be the inaugural members of Hendrick Motorsports Gaming Club.
“There’s a lot of energy coming along with Hendrick Motorsports GC, the new logo,” Morris said. “I see online a lot of people are excited.”
The gamers themselves are certainly taking part in that excitement, and their visit to the Hendrick Motorsports campus only ratcheted that up even further.
“Touring the shop was amazing,” Morris said. “To see the actual cars that they’re going to be using in the race at Talladega, I was sitting there staring at them like, ‘I’m going to be seeing you on TV this weekend.’”
For now, they’ll head back home – Morris to Indiana and Jobes to New Jersey – with brand-new Hendrick Motorsports GC gear in tow, working hard on their craft in the lead-up to next month’s season-opener.
The visit made for a memorable stop in their journey toward the inaugural Heat Pro League campaign.
“This trip,” Jobes said, “has been incredible.”