Update on 07/10/21:
Amy and her kids attend the Southwick National with the amazing crew at Legends and Heros. They did a fundraiser in Scott’s name to honor his memory and shared epic stories of Scott’s impact he had on the community. Huge thanks to Pete and the crew at Legends and Heros for doing this for Amy and the Sheak family.
SCOTT SHEAK (1974-2021)
We are deeply saddened to report the passing of Scott Sheak, the former professional motocross racer from Germantown, New York. Sheak suffered multiple spinal and internal injuries a little more than two weeks ago in a heavy crash while training at Walden Motocross in New York. Sheak was first taken to MidHudson Medical Center, then moved to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where doctors and nurses worked to stabilize him. Unfortunately, the massive injuries and subsequent pneumonia and staph infections proved to be too much, and he passed away earlier this afternoon. He was 47 years old.
Born in 1974, Scott Sheak grew up racing motocross, and he became one of the most promising young riders in the sport by the early 1990s. That’s when he graduated from the amateur ranks with Kawasaki Team Green, winning multiple championship titles at major events all over the country. Sheak then began a long and steady climb up the professional ladder that saw him go from privateer status to teams like Boyesen Yamaha and a full-factory ride with Team Honda in 1997. That was the year Sheak achieved a childhood dream when he won an AMA 125 Pro Motocross National in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. He would finish the ’97 season ranked third in the final 125cc AMA National Championship standings, behind only Ricky Carmichael and Kevin Windham.
In the years to follow, Sheak would spend time riding for various teams, including FMF Honda and Pro Circuit Kawasaki. He also found himself on the FIM 125cc World Championship tour, traveling all over Europe to compete. Wherever Sheak went, his humble and gracious nature—not to mention an ever-present smile—made him as popular with fans as he was with his teammates. Unfortunately, an assortment of injuries hampered his results, and by the mid-2000s Sheak was done with professional racing. He turned his attention to working with younger riders, and he thoroughly enjoyed helping them achieve their own goals in motorcycle racing by being a tireless and dedicated teacher.
Recently, returned to his amateur racing roots as a veteran rider. He was preparing to qualify for the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee when he suffered his tragic accident in New York.
Scott Sheak is survived by his beloved wife, Amy, whom he’d known since high school, and stepchildren Ryan and Brooke’lyn. Amy said today that she takes solace knowing that Scott was doing exactly what he loved doing throughout his entire life—he was riding his motorcycle.
The Road 2 Recovery Foundation has been working closely with the Sheak family to help them navigate this unforeseen tragedy and have set up a fund to help them offset the immense costs of his hospitalization and care; they will continue accepting donations in his memory, with all funds going to support his family. Please donate here on Scott’s R2R Fund page.
On behalf of the entire motocross community, we offer our sincere condolences to Scott Sheak’s family, his friends, and all the countless people he touched along the way. When details of a memorial service are finalized we will share them here.
Update provided by Scott's wife, Amy, on 06/18/21:
The past two months have been a heartbreaking emotional whirlwind for the kids and me. We are still unable to wrap our heads around this tragedy.
On May 18th, 2021, Scott was laid to rest, which was the most horrifying day of our lives. You would think this would bring this tragedy to reality, but I, as well as the kids, refuse to believe what has happened. During this time, what has been proven is not only how big the entire MX community is but how loyal, caring, and supportive everyone is. Over the years, Scott made such an impact on so many lives both on and off the track, proving what a great man he was. He was an amazing husband, stepfather, friend, and mentor to so many people around the world.
Everyone’s continuous support has helped make this a little easier, and most importantly, has kept Scott’s memory alive.
If Scott has taught us anything, it was to never give up and do the best you can no matter what…. Stay humble, never judge, and be grateful for everyone who crosses our path.
As we continue to fight our way through this every day, we can not thank you enough for your continued support.
All love from Amy, Ryan, and Brooke-Lyn.
Update on 05/15/21:
The past few days for @ironsheak have been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Thursday was one of the toughest days as his body and vital organs started shutting down. His doctors decided to put him on an ECMO machine and start dialysis to help take some of the strain off his body. After several tests throughout the day, it was still unknown if ECMO was helping. On Friday things started to trend on the positive side with his temperature beginning to regulate. This gave his family some hope that the machines are doing their job and giving Scott’s body some much-needed relief to focus on healing the Pneumonia and staph infections.
Today Scott remains in the same “stable” but the extremely critical condition with the help of the EXMO machine and dialysis. They were able to extract about 7 liters of fluid from his body but he is still retaining a lot of fluid. Doctors warned the family that with the high level of injuries to his C3-C8 soft tissue and spinal cord, it is unknown what functionality Scott will retain. They are projecting 6 months to a year of inpatient therapy once he is stable and released.
The family is extremely grateful for the continued thoughts and prayers from EVERYONE! It’s going to be a long road so please keep Scott and them in your thoughts, hearts, and prayers.
Update on 05/11/21:
Scott is suffering from aggressive coughing fits while currently intubated. Unfortunately, he is very uncomfortable and has been heavily sedated to help alleviate some of this pain. His doctors are trying to control his ever-spiking fever and blood pressure but paired with everything else he is battling, this is a delicate process to navigate.
Statement from Scott’s family- We would like to thank everyone for keeping Scott and our family in your thoughts and prayers. Your reaching out to each of us has helped more than we could ever express. We are honored to be a part of such a huge and supportive “family”. Please keep Scott and his recovery in your thoughts and prayers…
Retired professional motocross/supercross racer Scott Sheak suffered a substantial practice crash last Friday at Walden Motocross Track in New York while preparing for an upcoming Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross Regional Championship. When Scott was approached, he was found unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse at the site of his crash. He was rushed to MidHudson Medical Center, where he was stabilized then transported via helicopter to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York, where he underwent surgery to stabilize the cervical spine in his neck.
After arrival at Westchester Medical Center, it was determined that Scott had sustained a collapsed lung and fractured cervical spine, as well as a severe concussion, damage to the spinal cord, and major soft tissue damage. On Saturday, May 1, Scott underwent surgery to stabilize the C7 vertebrae with rods and screws, and they decompressed the spinal cord. At this time, Scott has no movement or feeling in his extremities due to the excessive swelling and damage to his spinal cord. It is still too soon to know if the paralysis is permanent.
At this moment, Scott’s recovery process is unknown, but it is expected that he will have an extended stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and months of physical therapy. This is a fundraising campaign to support Scott as his medical bills are expected to be substantial. As always, R2R is a nonprofit 501(c) (3), and your donation toward Scott’s fund is tax-deductible.
As more information on Scott’s recovery becomes available, we will update his page here. We encourage folks to leave positive messages of support on Scott’s R2R page for him to read.
