PitFit Training Adds Human Performance Expert to Staff
“I met Dr. Ferguson through Chip Ganassi Racing driver Charlie Kimball and some of the work he was doing to assist Charlie with his diabetes management," said Jim Leo, president of PitFit Training. “After David invited me to speak at the American College of Sports Medicine conference in Indianapolis this past summer, I was able to really sit down with him and pick his brain on things. I knew immediately we had to have him on our team."
Dr. Ferguson received his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Master of Science in Clinical Exercise Physiology from the University of North Carolina Charlotte, and his Doctorate of Philosophy in Exercise Physiology from Texas A&M University. In this process Dr. Ferguson has worked to improve the performance of pit crews for the NASCAR teams Hendrick Motorsports, Michael Waltrip Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Red Bull Racing, and Stewart-Haas Racing. A highlight from this work was that Dr. Ferguson helped develop a unique pit crew training program that led to Tony Stewart’s team winning the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Dr. Ferguson has also worked with several drivers such as Trevor Bayne prior to his 2011 Daytona 500 win, and Charlie Kimball, the first licensed driver with diabetes to win a race in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
In addition to optimizing performance of motorsport athletes Dr. Ferguson is uniquely suited to aid in the rehabilitation of motorsports athletes as a Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Dr. Ferguson currently is a member of the ACSM Motorsport Health and Safety Committee where he works to improve the performance and safety of individuals involved in motorsports at all levels and has published several peer reviewed articles on the subject.
“I have been passionate about racing for a long time and I am very excited for the opportunity to be part of the PitFit Training team," noted Dr. Ferguson. “I think the future is going to be very exciting, as we will be using some technology that the racing world has not seen before, providing the opportunity for dramatic improvements in performance of PitFit Training clients of all ages."