IndyCar's New Officiating Board: A Step Towards Fair Play

IndyCar is shaking things up with a new independent officiating board. Starting in 2026, this board will be in charge of overseeing the IndyCar Series and the Indy NXT development series. The board will have three members, and they will work under a new non-profit organization called IndyCar Officiating, Inc. The board will be responsible for hiring a managing director of officiating. This person will have full control over officiating, including hiring race control and technical inspection personnel. They will also be in charge of enforcing the rulebooks for both series. Many of the current officials will likely keep their jobs, but they will now work for IndyCar Officiating, Inc. instead of Penske Entertainment. The board members were chosen after months of discussion. Two of the members, Ray Evernham and Raj Nair, were voted in by the IndyCar Series team owners. The third member, Ronan Morgan, was chosen by the FIA, which governs many international motorsport events. Chip Ganassi, owner of the reigning championship-winning team, is confident in the new board. He said, "This was a thorough process, and I am confident in the independent officiating board that has been elected by the team ownership in our sport. " He also said he looks forward to their guidance as they hire a managing director. The FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is also pleased with the new arrangement. He said, "IndyCar is an American icon and I am proud of the relationship we are building together. " He believes that the FIA's expertise and IndyCar's innovation will support the series' growth. Calls for an independent officiating board started soon after Penske Entertainment bought IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There were concerns about the influence of Penske Entertainment and its owner, Roger Penske, who also has a team competing in the series. In May, after Team Penske received penalties for rule violations, IndyCar president Doug Boles announced plans for an independent board. In August, the first steps towards this new board were taken. Penske Entertainment welcomed a small group from the FIA to observe IndyCar's race control operations. This visit allowed the FIA to see how IndyCar operates and gave Penske Entertainment the chance to show that they were considering different solutions for the board. Although the new board is a step towards independence, there is still one significant link to Penske Entertainment. The salaries of the officials will still be paid by Penske Entertainment.