The Man Who Never Sleeps: Alec Gaut’s Wild Ride from Track Crew to Supercross Photographer

When you walk into a stadium on a Saturday night or fire up the Peacock app to catch the latest round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, you’re met with the spectacle—manicured tracks, massive banners, and a starting gate that spits flames like a fire-breathing dragon. But what you don’t see are the countless hours of labor that make it all happen. I’ve always been fascinated by the transformation of a venue—turning an ice rink into a basketball court or a football stadium into a concert hall—so naturally, I wanted to know how a dirt battlefield comes to life for Supercross.

At the same time, as a photographer and filmer, I’ve always been intrigued by the stories behind the lens—those grinding away so we can all get our moto fix before the next race week. That curiosity led me to one of the hardest-working individuals in Supercross. His name? Alec Gaut. By day, he’s on the track crew. By night, he’s behind the camera. And on race day, he’s lucky if he snags a couple of hours of sleep before catching a flight to do it all over again.

While some might think he’s living the dream, others would crumble under the weight of constant travel, long hours, and sleepless nights. But Alec? He thrives in the chaos. If you want to break into Supercross, you better be ready to outwork him—good luck with that.

From the Backwoods to the Big Leagues

Alec’s story starts in the backwoods of Kansas. At 13, he started riding ATVs, just looking for something fun to rip around the trails. His cousin, a motocross racer, helped spark the racing bug, and soon Alec was competing in regional four-wheeler races across Texas and Oklahoma. But during his college years he found a new passion—video.

What started as filming buddies at the track turned into a side hustle—creating sponsorship packages to keep his own racing dreams alive. But as anyone who’s raced knows, the cost of keeping a machine on the gate stacks up quick. So, when he had to step away from racing, he picked up a camera and looked for new ways to stay in the sport. ATV Motocross may not scream “big leagues,” but for Alec, it was the first step toward Supercross.

Determined to make it, he hit up RacerTV, landing a gig filming the ATVMX series. That meant life on the road. Here’s where things got funny—on his resume, he listed his hometown as “Pittsburgh.” What he didn’t mention? It was Pittsburgh, Kansas, not Pennsylvania. So, when he showed up to his first event in Georgia after a brutal 14-hour drive, the crew was floored. But hey, that kind of dedication gets you noticed.

He knocked out two seasons with RacerTV and started cold-emailing Supercross teams, hoping for a chance to do behind-the-scenes work. Crossland Honda bit, and Alec got his foot in the door, filming riders like Freddie Noren, Tommy Hahn, and Colt Nichols.

Then in spring of 2020 COVID hit. Racing stopped. Opportunities dried up. But beer sales? Oh, they were booming. So, Alec found himself working in the graphics department at Budweiser. After grinding it out slinging suds, the itch to get back to racing was unbearable. He called up Davey Coombs, hoping for a spot to work in Pro Motocross Championship. His phone rang, and it was John Ayers: “You wanna work track crew?”

Done deal. Alec quit Budweiser (giving them a full month’s notice—because he’s just that guy). Then, just as he was about to hit the road, due to COVID, the series got delayed and he had to awkwardly ask for his job back. Rough. He thought his chances were over.

From Wrenches to Lenses

Once the series finally got rolling, Alec faced a new challenge: TV rights meant no filming while on track crew. But no rule against photos, right? He pivoted. Camera in hand, he snagged his first published shot in Racer X—a banger of Jett Lawrence. That moment flipped the switch: “Guess I’m a photo guy now.”

Determined to shoot Supercross, Alec hounded the right people and eventually got his shot. He showed up early, stayed late, and never missed a morning press session. In 2023, after years of grinding, he finally earned a media vest, officially joining the ranks of Supercross photographers.

The night after A1, Alec was buzzing. He threw together a photo gallery and shared the link with friends, one of whom was Brett Cue. Brett, being the proud homie he is, blasted Alec’s shots all over social media. The problem? They made their way back to the big dogs at Feld, and Alec’s phone lit up.

“You’re not allowed to do that.”

That sinking stomach feeling hit hard. Had he just blown his shot? Fortunately, they let him off with a warning: Keep your job, just don’t do it again. Lesson learned.

The Hustle Never Stops

Now, Alec shoots for Feld, focusing on privateers while still grinding with the track crew. While other photographers finish shooting and rush to their laptops—Alec swaps his media vest for a high-vis vest and starts tearing down the stadium floor. If he’s lucky, he’ll check his photos around 4 a.m. Sunday morning before grabbing a couple of hours of sleep en route to the next city.

At press day in San Diego, I spotted him with a drill in one hand and a camera in the other. Riders were clicking off laps for the local news, and Alec would snap shots before immediately turning around to wrench on the starting gate. The dude never stops.

When people ask how to break into the industry, Alec and I agree: work your butt off, solve problems, and do whatever it takes. But his advice is even simpler: Hustle hard and be nice to people.

Words to live by.

Images: Main (Via Gaut) / Gaut (Brandon Clarke) / Others (@octopi.media)