The IndyCar Sequence may have an unbiased officiating system in place for the 2026 season, the sanctioning physique confirmed on Thursday. The brand new system will even prolong to Indy NXT, the undercard of North America’s premier open-wheel championship.
The brand new unbiased and not-for-profit group – INDYCAR Officiating Inc. – has been established and can be ruled by a three-person Impartial Officiating Board (IOB). The members of the board will choose a Managing Director of Officiating (MDO) and set up its annual funds.
The board members have been independently chosen this week. The IndyCar group house owners, who’re constitution members, selected two members through a vote, deciding on motorsports legend Ray Evernham and automotive veteran Raj Nair. The opposite member, Ronan Morgan, was appointed by the FIA.
“We have now remained dedicated to unbiased officiating for 2026, and we’re happy to announce this subsequent step,” mentioned IndyCar president Doug Boles. “The IndyCar group house owners and the FIA have chosen a world-class board with excessive character, unimaginable information and an intense ardour for motorsports and IndyCar racing.”
The managing director will report on to the unbiased board with no oversight from IndyCar or Penske Leisure officers. The person can be charged with full officiating oversight, which is able to embrace the hiring of personnel for race management, IndyCar technical inspection and answerable for implementing the IndyCar rulebook in each IndyCar and Indy NXT.
“This was an intensive course of, and I’m assured within the unbiased officiating board that has been elected by the group possession in our sport,” mentioned Chip Ganassi, group proprietor of Chip Ganassi Racing. “I look ahead to their steerage as they take the following step of hiring a managing director.”
The 2 IOB members chosen through a vote from chartered group house owners are:
• Ray Evernham – Longtime motorsports veteran who, most notably, served because the crew chief for 3 of Jeff Gordon’s NASCAR Cup Sequence championships. Evernham additionally pioneered Dodge’s return to NASCAR as proprietor of Evernham Motorsports earlier than later changing into a tv analyst, producer and marketing consultant.
• Raj Nair – A 30-year veteran of the automotive and auto racing industries, Nair has huge expertise and technical compliance experience as an government at Singer Group, Inc., Multimatic, Inc. and the Ford Motor Firm, the place he additionally served because the North American president from 2017-18. Because the chief technical officer and government vp of Ford’s world product improvement (2012-17), Nair was answerable for all Ford Motorsports applications, together with in NASCAR, IMSA and FIA WEC.
The third member of the IOB appointed by the FIA is:
• Ronan Morgan – Brings over 50-years of worldwide motorsport expertise as a senior official, promoter, organizer and competitor. With the FIA, Morgan served because the chairman of stewards for greater than 100 worldwide race and rally occasions, was sporting supervisor of the Abu Dhabi Formulation 1 Grand Prix from 2009 to 2021 and is president of FIA drivers fee. Morgan can also be a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council and advisor to the FIA president.
The FIA’s function in IndyCar’s unbiased officiating system can be restricted to the appointment of its board member.
“IndyCar is an American icon and I’m pleased with the connection we’re constructing collectively,” mentioned Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA. “The FIA’s unbiased experience in delivering constant officiating oversight throughout our World Championships, mixed with IndyCar’s innovation and aggressive spirit, will assist the continued development of the collection. I look ahead to the work forward of us.”
The hiring of the managing director of officiating, together with further particulars, can be introduced in early 2026.
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