Five Minutes with Darrin Sorenson
Darrin Sorenson is the mechanic for Chad Reed, the 2004 THQ Supercross Champion. Darrin is better known as "Rookie" in the motorcycle world (and to his girlfriend - cute to hear her call him that). Darrin has been wrenching for nine years and has worked for Larry Brooks, Pro Circuit, Primal Impulse Suzuki, FMF Honda, Fast By Ferracci Husqvarna, and Factory Connection Honda. Now, exclusively with Team Yamaha and Chad Reed, Darrin works with the best in the business. Here’s what Darrin had to say to Kendra at Anaheim three.
MTM: What it the hardest part about being a mechanic?
DS: Traveling bouncing around and never being home. You don’t have a normal life. It’s kind of like a circus life. You get to come home for a couple days a week and that’s it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, though.
MTM: Well, you are the mechanic for one of the fastest riders in the world, that must make you feel pretty good going home at night.
DS: Yeah definetly. Then you wanna work a few extra hours and it’s no big deal, you know your guy's working as hard as you are, you know you'll get that loving feeling of winning, and nothing feels better than that.
MTM: What’s the best part about being a mechanic?
DS: Winning. Absolutly by far it’s the best feeling in the world, if your guy wins everythings better. The champagne is better, everything is better. You could have a headache from being stressed all week, you could be injured, whatever your guy wins and nothing matters anymore
MTM: So what’s your favorite tool in the tool box that you can’t live without?
DS: Wow, the torque wrench. I always say that. I know it sounds kind of like a lame tool but then you know for sure that you got it right.
MTM: Does Chad’s results effect your mood?
DS: Yeah, yeah. A lot. We basically live through him. If he’s happy, we’re happy. When he wins we get to see how good that makes him feel. We feed off of that. Then when he’s bummed out, I’m bummed out because we both work to achieve the same goal, to win. So, his mood effects mine a lot.
MTM: During the race you are more than just his mechanic. You have to act as cheerleader too. What all do you say on the pit board? What is it that he likes to know?
DS: It depends. Reedy just wants to know a couple of things, just a little bit of information so he can glance at the board and not have to think about too many things. He wants his lap time and then the lap time of the person who is leading or who is right behind him. If he’s in the lead he wants to know the lap time of the guy right behind him. If he’s not in the lead he want s to know the leaders lap time. Then if I can see something really obvious that I think will help I’ll put that on there, but it’s just a word or two. And that’s it. We just keep it simple.
MTM: How many hours a week do you spend with Chad working on the bike?
DS: Because Chad is one of the top riders in the world he’s got a lot of people here helping out. He’s got his trainer, his agent, his team manager. We have our engine guy and our suspension guy. There’s a lot of people that want his time. But for me, I try to leave him alone. But the time that I get to spend with him is the moment he puts his goggles on. That’s kind of our time. When he gets on the line and gets out on the track. During the week out we chill at the test track, we joke around and talk smack, try different things that will help him during the races. We don’t go out to dinner or that kind of thing cause he’s so busy. Then at the races, when we get out on the track or on the starting line we b.s. a bit if he’s nervous, or I give him a little pep talk, that’s when that happens.
MTM: So you say you like your job?
DS: Yeah, yeah. I love my job. The only thing I’d rather be doing is being a rider but that isn’t going to happen.
MTM: So I hear you’re faster than your brother?
DS: Ah, nope. I have to be honest. He’s a little faster than me. He thinks his wife is faster then me though.
MTM: Darrin, thanks for your time. Good luck tonight!
DS: Traveling bouncing around and never being home. You don’t have a normal life. It’s kind of like a circus life. You get to come home for a couple days a week and that’s it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, though.
MTM: Well, you are the mechanic for one of the fastest riders in the world, that must make you feel pretty good going home at night.
DS: Yeah definetly. Then you wanna work a few extra hours and it’s no big deal, you know your guy's working as hard as you are, you know you'll get that loving feeling of winning, and nothing feels better than that.
MTM: What’s the best part about being a mechanic?
DS: Winning. Absolutly by far it’s the best feeling in the world, if your guy wins everythings better. The champagne is better, everything is better. You could have a headache from being stressed all week, you could be injured, whatever your guy wins and nothing matters anymore
MTM: So what’s your favorite tool in the tool box that you can’t live without?
DS: Wow, the torque wrench. I always say that. I know it sounds kind of like a lame tool but then you know for sure that you got it right.
MTM: Does Chad’s results effect your mood?
DS: Yeah, yeah. A lot. We basically live through him. If he’s happy, we’re happy. When he wins we get to see how good that makes him feel. We feed off of that. Then when he’s bummed out, I’m bummed out because we both work to achieve the same goal, to win. So, his mood effects mine a lot.
MTM: During the race you are more than just his mechanic. You have to act as cheerleader too. What all do you say on the pit board? What is it that he likes to know?
DS: It depends. Reedy just wants to know a couple of things, just a little bit of information so he can glance at the board and not have to think about too many things. He wants his lap time and then the lap time of the person who is leading or who is right behind him. If he’s in the lead he wants to know the lap time of the guy right behind him. If he’s not in the lead he want s to know the leaders lap time. Then if I can see something really obvious that I think will help I’ll put that on there, but it’s just a word or two. And that’s it. We just keep it simple.
MTM: How many hours a week do you spend with Chad working on the bike?
DS: Because Chad is one of the top riders in the world he’s got a lot of people here helping out. He’s got his trainer, his agent, his team manager. We have our engine guy and our suspension guy. There’s a lot of people that want his time. But for me, I try to leave him alone. But the time that I get to spend with him is the moment he puts his goggles on. That’s kind of our time. When he gets on the line and gets out on the track. During the week out we chill at the test track, we joke around and talk smack, try different things that will help him during the races. We don’t go out to dinner or that kind of thing cause he’s so busy. Then at the races, when we get out on the track or on the starting line we b.s. a bit if he’s nervous, or I give him a little pep talk, that’s when that happens.
MTM: So you say you like your job?
DS: Yeah, yeah. I love my job. The only thing I’d rather be doing is being a rider but that isn’t going to happen.
MTM: So I hear you’re faster than your brother?
DS: Ah, nope. I have to be honest. He’s a little faster than me. He thinks his wife is faster then me though.
MTM: Darrin, thanks for your time. Good luck tonight!
<< Home