Chitwood Leaving Indy For ISC Role

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and Chief Operating Officer Joie Chitwood will step down after this week's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Chitwood will become Vice President of Business Operations for International Speedway Corporation after completing his final day with IMS on Thursday, August 6.

ISC has also announced that W. Grant Lynch Jr. will become Chairman of Talladega Superspeedway and Vice President of ISC Strategic Projects. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Belskus will assume the daily responsibilities of managing the Speedway. It has not been determined if Chitwood will be replaced.

"This is a disappointment for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway," said Belskus. "Joie provided the leadership you would expect for a facility that hosts the largest sporting events in the world. With his history in the sport combined with his business acumen, Joie was well-suited for the role of president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and we appreciate how he has represented IMS. We wish him all the best."

Chitwood joined the IMS staff as Senior Vice President of Business Affairs in October of 2002, and was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of IMS in December, 2004. His family connection to IMS dates to the late 1930s, when his grandfather began competing in the Indianapolis 500.