If you've been following along this offseason, then you've heard about the moves made by riders and mechanics in the pit area. We cannot remember a time for mechanics as hectic as this one because, in addition to the usual moves from one rig to the next, a handful of guys have decided to leave their positions entirely.
Matt Winters is one of the few that decided to call time on his wrenching career. Paired with Colt Nichols at Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha in 2021, the duo scored three Main Events wins, finished on the podium in every race, and claimed the 250 East Coast Region title, a career-first championship for both the racer and mechanic.
It was a massive moment for Winters, a Maryland native who had worked for three high-profile teams. During our call, Winters went over almost everything that happened during the past decade, like his early aspirations shadowing local tuner Shane Sneft, how he became Cooper Webb's legal guardian, what it was like to build a bike from scratch at Red Bull KTM, the chassis changes he and Shane McElrath made to a Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM, and how he returned to Star Racing for a second stint.
So, given all that success, what would make a guy want to stop? Matt was very forthcoming in his reasons and said that finally accomplishing a lifelong dream was one of the things that made him reconsider his priorities. Fortunately, fellow former mechanic Kristian Ortiz helped Winters get lined up with a new gig at SpaceX, with a position at the aerospace group's Florida facility.