Felipe Giaffone

Tony George has been asked to step down as president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his family's business, Hulman & Company, to spend more time running the Indy Racing League. The board of directors of both the speedway and Hulman & Company announced Tuesday that a new management team will take over the Hulman-George companies effective July 1. The Hulman-George family has run the speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500, for six decades and also owns the IRL and Clabber Girl, a baking-powder company based in Terre Haute, Ind. Speedway board chairman Mary Hulman George, Tony George's mother, said it is ... Read Full Story

IndyCar racing is coming to NASCAR country. The Indy Racing League and promoters announced a deal Monday that will bring the open-wheeled cars to the Barber Motorsports Park track starting in April 2010. "This will be the only IndyCar Series race in the Deep South, meaning it is a great tourist draw for the region," said Gene Hallman, a longtime area sports promoter who heads Zoom Motorsports, which will stage the race. The Indy Racing League has 18 dates on its schedule each year, and the Alabama track is getting a spot that opened when Detroit lost its race. The rest of the 2010 ... Read Full Story

Will Power won the 2007 Champ Car race on the streets of Toronto, and that sort of makes him the defending race champion for Sunday's Honda Indy. He's poised for a repeat performance. Power, seeking a full-time ride with Team Penske in the IndyCar Series, nearly won the pole on Saturday and will start on the front row alongside Dario Franchitti. "I'm very happy with the results. That's what we were looking for. It was really tough," Power said. "It's a great team to be involved with. I'd rather be doing select races than running at the back somewhere. I think we can have ... Read Full Story

Tony George resigned as chief executive of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation after nearly 20 years guiding the famed US racing facility and changing the face of IndyCar racing. The 49-year-old, who will remain on the board of the family's Hulman and Company organization, will turn over top executive duties at the speedway to Jeff Belskus, now vice president and chief financial officer of the companies. Curt Brighton, executive vice president and chief legal counsel, will be the new chief executive of Hulman and Company. George denied reports last month that he had been ousted from the job he took in January of 1990 ... Read Full Story

Tony George is still the CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. How much longer he holds the title remains unclear. On Wednesday, track officials denied that the board of directors voted to oust the 49-year-old CEO and said that George has instead been asked to create a more efficient plan for spending time running the family's businesses. George, the Indy Racing League founder, must report back to the board later this year. "Contrary to published reports, I continue to serve as CEO of IMS," George said in a statement issued by the speedway. "Our board of directors met yesterday, and we did discuss how to ... Read Full Story

Power-ups are one of the key ingredients to Nintendo’s Mario Kart games that have made the series such a runaway success. Taking a cue from this recipe for success, the Indy Racing League (IRL) has added the equivalent of super mushrooms to the real-world racing scene. Since August 1, IRL drivers have been racing with a “push to pass” button strategically placed on the car’s steering wheel. When pressed, the car receives a sudden surge in horsepower, instantly catapulting drivers forward. Power boosts range from five to 20 horsepower. Already, the gimmick has been heralded as a success, helping to revive excitement in IRL ... Read Full Story

The Indy Racing League has suspended driver Sean Guthrie and his father, car owner Jim Guthrie, for disregarding directions by officials during a Firestone Indy Lights race last week in Kansas. IRL competition vice president Tony Cotman said Thursday their actions put "everyone at risk" during a yellow caution period and that the suspensions are for an indefinite period. The driver was cited for failing to follow the direction of officials, failing to slow down under the yellow and failing to follow the direction of safety personnel after a crash during the Kansas Lottery 100 Sunday. His father was suspended for failing to follow ... Read Full Story