Like the majority of those who work in the MotoAmerica paddock, it’s a labor of love. Scott Padgitt fits that description to a tee. As MotoAmerica’s Chief Pit Steward, Padgitt is at every round, from start to finish, and rarely seems to stop moving. And when he’s not working, you might find him running around the track. Literally.
What was your introduction to the motorcycle world?
I started working corners at car races here at Road Atlanta back in the early ‘90s. That progressed to racing cars in SCCA Solo II, Solo I and then road racing. I bought a motorcycle in 2000 and quickly discovered that I could go a lot faster for a lot less money racing a motorcycle. So, I sold the race car and bought a racing bike. I club raced with WERA in Southeast for about 10 years. Then I discovered that the young guns were getting faster, and I wasn’t, so I stopped racing in about 2010.
What led to you working in the MotoAmerica paddock?
In 2012, Beth Miller contacted me (she got my name from our very own Ryan Nelson) about working the Daytona 200 that year. I worked about half of the events in 2012. She brought me back to all of the events in 2013 and I was lucky enough to make the transition with MotoAmerica in 2015 when the KRAVE Group bought our series. Rachel Johnson became Chief Pit Steward in 2016 and asked me if I would be her assistant. When Rachel moved on in 2019, I became Chief Pit Steward and have been in that role since.
What part of the job do you enjoy the most?
Easy question. It’s the people in our paddock that keep me coming back. My staff members, the other MotoAmerica staff members, the crew members for all the teams, the riders, everyone. We all share a similar passion for racing. The reality is that no one is getting rich racing motorcycles anymore. So, it’s the love of the sport and the people that keep us going. The race events are a ton of work and not always in the best conditions, but it doesn’t seem to bother anyone. We’re all just glad to be a part of it.
What part of the job is the most difficult?
Probably the most difficult part is having to notify team and/or riders of penalties and/or infractions. Especially if I know (or find out) that it will have an impact on either their race or their championship. I know how hard everyone has worked and how much time (and money) has gone into it. Most of the time, the infractions are not intentional. But they are still infractions and rules are rules. It’s just not any fun to be one who has to break the bad news to them.
What do you like to do when you’re not at the racetrack?
When I’m not at the racetrack and not at my day job as a Project Manager, I enjoy running. Over the last few years, I’ve become quite an avid runner and have fallen in love (albeit sometimes a love/hate relationship) with the marathon distance. I’ve been very fortunate to have completed the six World Major Marathons – Boston, Berlin, London, New York, Tokyo, and Chicago. I ran my first Major in 2018 and finally completed the sixth major in 2023. Only about 12,000 people worldwide have completed all six majors, so I was pretty proud to have gotten to join that club. Now I just want to continue to travel the world and run more marathons. Last year I got to combine my love of motorcycle races and marathons by attending the final MotoGP race in Valencia and then a week later run the Valencia marathon. It was definitely a trip to remember.
