IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard announced major changes in IndyCar administration, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2012.
Brian Barnhart will be removed as race director, and Terry Angstadt has resigned as commercial division president; he will be replaced by Mark Koretzky, who is being promoted from director of corporate business development.
Barnhart’s Reign as Race Director Ended
Brian Barnhart, whose controversial calls had drivers, owners, and fans calling for his ouster, will be stripped of his duties as race director; he will continue as president of race operations. IndyCar has not yet chosen a replacement race director.
Barnhart told the IndyCar.com website, “As our sport continues to grow and we prepare for our first new car in almost a decade, we feel that splitting these roles will help fully service our teams and venues as we prepare for the demands of 2012 season.”
Barnhart’s removal as race director comes as no surprise. Most IndyCar followers expected his replacement after Barnhart restarted the New Hampshire Indy 225 in the rain, despite advice from drivers and spotters, leading to a massive crash.
Barnhart was also disliked for what many perceived as uneven enforcement of penalties; at some races he penalized one driver and not another for almost identical accidents.
At other races, he gave different penalties to different drivers for the same infraction, and on one occasion dismissed two penalties committed by the two race leaders, saying the penalties were “offsetting,” which effectively penalized the whole rest of the field.
Barnhart has served in various positions in IndyCar and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1994, including being IndyCar president from 2005–2007.
Angstadt Replaced After Numerous Successes
The resignation of Terry Angstadt comes as a surprise. Angstadt assumed the job of commercial division president in 2007. He was responsible for signing Izod as a title sponsor and Apex Brazil as a major sponsor, and also signed up races in Baltimore; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Qingdao, China.
“Terry has been an integral member of the INDYCAR executive team since 2007, and has been instrumental in orchestrating successful inaugural events Baltimore and Brazil, managing the demands of promoter relations and serving as a key liaison between our teams, venues, and partners while overseeing the business development of our company,” CEO Bernard said on the IndyCar site.
“We wish Terry the best of luck as he moves on to the next chapter in his career. He will be missed by the entire IndyCar team.”
Angstadt’s replacement, Mark Koretzky, was responsible for all the off-track events at the IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas. While the race ended with the tragic death of Dan Wheldon, the commercial and promotional side of the event were tremendously successful.
Before coming to IndyCar, Koretzky worked with the NFL as Director of Operations for multiple Super Bowl Committees and was an independent lead consultant to the Atlanta Local Organizing Committee for the NCAA Men & Women’s Final Four Basketball Championships.
