The Tudor United SportsCar Championship is remaking its management structure just eleven days before the start of the 2015 season.
Tudor has hired former Pirelli World Challenge competition director Geoff Carter as Tudor Series Manager. Carter will also join the newly formed IMSA Technical Committee. IMSA oversees both the Tudor Championship and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series.
“This is my dream job and this position is right in my wheelhouse,” Carter said in a press statement. “IMSA is the pinnacle of sports car racing in North America and it’s an honor to join the IMSA competition department. I’m highly motivated and confident that I will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the Tudor Championship and throughout the IMSA organization.”
Before his three-year stint with World Challenge, Carter managed the Muscle Milk/Pickett Racing team in the American Le Mans Series. He has also spent time as crew chief for a number of IndyCar teams.
Carter starts work at IMSA on Jan 15.
Scot Elkins Departing Tudor Championship
The new technical team will include Carter plus Tudor Championship Senior Technical Manager Charlie Cook and Continental Tire Challenge Senior Technical Manager Jeff Mishtawy plus some members of IMSA senior management.
It will not include current Tudor Technical Regulations Manager Scot Elkins.
Elkins, who oversaw the difficult adjustments of cars from Tudor’s two component series, will step down on Saturday, Jan. 24, the day the 2015 season kicks off with the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Elkins spent six years as Vice President of Competition and Chief Operating Officer at IMSA’s American Le Mans Series, which merged with NASCAR’s Rolex Sports Car Series in 2013 to form the Tudor Championship. As VP of Competition at TUSC, Elkins oversaw the nearly impossible task of balancing two radically different chassis types, the LMP2 and Daytona prototype, so they could compete fairly as the series’ top class.
In October 2014 Elkins was promoted to Technical Regulations Manager. His departure was first mentioned during the Tudor Roar Before the Rolex 24, Jan. 9–11.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at IMSA and have many fond memories from the ALMS and TUDOR Championships,” said Elkins on IMSA.com. “I will truly miss the day-to-day involvement but the many friendships I have made over the years will continue.
“Perhaps there is an opportunity to continue being involved—it would be an honor to be able to consult on selected projects. I still have a lot of passion for IMSA and the many initiatives with which I was involved, but we'll have to see what develops. It’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Elkins will join the Mazda Road to Indy suite of open wheel series, where he will be race director for both the Pro Mazda and USF2000 series. In that position, he could potentially be part of a pool of stewards for the IndyCar series.
The Tudor United SportsCar Championship begins its 2015 season with the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Jan. 24–25. Tickets and information can be found at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com
http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Tickets-Events/Events/2015/Rolex-24-At-Daytona/Rolex-24-At-Daytona.aspx
