Joie Chitwood resigned Monday as president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Chitwood was elevated to the position in December 2004 after serving various roles with the Indy Racing League, Chicagoland Speedway and the Indy speedway. He was one of the IRL’s first employees. USA Today
Chitwood, whose last day at the speedway will be Aug. 6, will return to his home state of Florida to become vice president of business operations for the International Speedway Corporation in Daytona Beach, Fla.
His departure comes about a month after Tony George was ousted as president and chief executive officer of the IndyCar Series. George, who had been the speedway’s president for 20 years and formed the IRL in 1994, was removed amid concerns among board members about his spending on upgrades at the speedway. Canadian Press
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Jeff Belskus, who replaced George as president and chief executive of the speedway corporation on July 1, will assume Chitwood’s duties. It has not been decided if the job, Chitwood’s since 2004, will be filled.
“This is a disappointment for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Belskus said. “Joie provided the leadership you would expect for a facility that hosts the largest sporting events in the world.” The Associated Press
Chitwood led the pursuit of a MotoGP race at the Speedway and keyed the organization of the Centennial Era, which represents the first 100 years of the facility.
Chitwood said he began considering his career options earlier this year and decided returning to Florida was important for his family. He and his wife, Susan, have an 8-year-old son.
“I felt like I had accomplished a lot of things here,” he said. “I’m from Florida, I’ve got experience in motor sports, (ISC) owns a lot of racetracks, and it seemed like a good opportunity for me.”
Chitwood said there was no connection to George’s situation.
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“I had been here for a good number of years and I think it’s natural for a person to start asking, ‘What’s next?’ ” he said. “With all of our family in Florida, that was an important decision factor.” Indianapolis Star
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