A Partnership Destined for Victory Lane

May is all about The Greatest Spectacle in Racing: the Indianapolis 500. This year there is even more excitement at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway because of a new, long-term partnership between IU Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, including the Sports Performance division, and PitFit Training, a premier fitness training organization for more IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 champions than anywhere else in the world.

Jim Leo, who began training racers for the CART IndyCar team of Roger Penske, founded PitFit Training in 1993. PitFit’s focus is on the development and implementation of motorsports-specific human performance training. In addition to training elite racers in auto racing, Leo often works with junior level racing series drivers, giving them what they need to excel and ultimately moving on to find success as racing champions in Formula One, Izod IndyCar, NASCAR, NHRA, Grand-Am, ALMS, and USAC.

PitFit Training provides the racers with experts in the field of biomechanics, exercise physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition and mental training. Partnering with IU Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine brings the most comprehensive healthcare system in Indiana to complete the already successful training regimen.

IU Health Sports Performance’s Carmel facility offers PitFit racers a medically integrated approach through an array of new tactics such as indoor soccer (which enhances foot-eye coordination), Functional Movement Screenings and world-class comprehensive approach to athlete rehabilitation.

PitFit Training opened its new facility in Indianapolis in 2010 in order to expand the many tools used to train drivers of all levels of racing, all of which will now be available to IU Health Sports Performance clientele, including the state of the art Dynovision hand-eye training program.

“We have a tremendous program,” explains Leo, “and left as it was, we would likely still attract the top drivers and teams in the world. But one thing we don’t do is rest our laurels, and the addition of the IU Health Orthopedic & Sports Medicine team puts us that much above the competition.”

Drivers such as Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Kasey Kahn, Sam Hornish, Jr., Larry Dixon, Morgan Lucas, Levi Jones, and James Hinchcliffe are just a few of the many drivers who have trained with PitFit. And as this year’s green flag waves, count on the team of PitFit Training and IU Health Sports Performance to leave the competition in the dust.