Over the years we have establish ourselves as a pioneer in the human performance side of the motor sports industry, supporting some of the most well-known drivers in teams worldwide.
At PitFit, we are proud to develop the most well prepared drivers and teams in motorsports, ensuring that physiological and cognitive stressors never become a limitation of maximizing performance.
PitFit Origins
PitFit’s foundation began in 1993 when Jim Leo sent a request to racing legend Roger Penske asking to improve the fitness of his CART Indycar team. To Jim’s surprise, Penske sent back a simple hand-written note from his desk; ‘Go for it”. With little racing knowledge but a wealth of human performance experience and a passion for success, Leo soon started the formidable task of creating a program that could make Penske Racing, the most successful team in racing, even better. With help from Team Coordinator Tim Lombardi, Jim was able to get the entire Penske family to embrace the concept and put in the kind of effort you would expect from an organization led by Roger Penske.
When the 1994 CART season began, Penske Racing had a full fitness center and a conditioning program in place that focused on improving team pit stops and overall wellness. That year, Penske dominated the competition by winning 12 of 16 races, the CART championship, and the Indy 500. Jim Leo quickly saw there was a lot more to human performance in motorsports than even he had realized, and the general concept of PitFit started coming together.
A New Way to View Human Performance
In 1997, Jim Leo formed PitFit and began working with other teams in the CART series. After a successful ‘97 season, PacWest Racing’s John Anderson hired Jim to train their drivers Mark Blundell and Mauricio Gugelmin. In 2000, PacWest Racing hired a young, slightly pudgy and undisciplined Kiwi driver named Scott Dixon. With an incredibly rigid and focused training and nutrition program, Dixon transformed himself into a winning machine, dropping 30 lbs and following Leo’s disciplined approach to win the 2000 Indy Lights title and secured a spot on the 2001 PacWest Racing CART squad. Dixon went on to become the youngest driver in CART history to win a race when he won at Nazareth in only his fourth start. 21 years and six IndyCar Championships later, Scott Dixon still utilizes PitFit as his human performance partner.
Leadership and Growth
PitFit has added numerous experts in the field of medicine, exercise physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition, sports psychology, and mental health to ensure coverage all the key areas needed for ultimate performance in motorsports. In addition to the latest in technology and equipment, our Indianapolis and Charlotte headquarters house all the expertise to continually move the human performance side of motorsports forward. At PitFit, we’re committed to always being at the very forefront with the technology utilized, ensuring that our drivers and teams are always one step ahead of the competition.
The roster of champions that are part of the PitFit family is a who’s who of auto racing. Drivers such as Scott Dixon, Alexander Rossi, Colton Herta, Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Kasey Kahne, Sam Hornish Jr, JR Todd, , Levi Jones, and William Byron are just a few of the many drivers who have trusted PitFit as their human performance partner.
PitFit Personnel
Executive
Founder/CEO
Program Director - Charlotte
Program Director - Indianapolis
Performance Coach
Performance Coach
Performance Coach
Trackside Support Director
Specialists
Medicine
Science
Sports Psychology
Sleep Performance
Chiropractic
Mental Health
Nutrition