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IndyCar
MILLER: Why Now?
Joie Chitwood readies to leave before the Brickyard 400 and a couple months before HIS MOTO GP? There’s still something smelly about this deal.
A few days after breaking the story of Tony George’s ouster last May, I was tipped that Joie Chitwood would be next to face the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s firing squad. My source said the IMS president would be following George out the door but not until the MOTO GP had run in September.
Having no relationship with Tony’s three sisters or board member Jack Snyder and never one to ambush Mari Hulman George for a quote, there weren’t many outlets to try and get conformation and/or denial.
Two calls to the IRL office produced more surprise than information but then Fred Nation called me. The IMS executive vice president of communications heard I was thinking about writing a story on Chitwood and wanted to offer his assistance.
Now whenever Fred calls to help me, I immediately think of Eddie Haskell: polite, sincere and devious. And I’m The Beaver.
Of course there have been times when Fred has leveled with me and he’s not always Baghdad Bob.
His message a few weeks ago was that the Speedway had no intention of getting rid of Chitwood, that he was doing a good job and his efforts were appreciated by the Hulman-George family. Nation also added that it was possible Joie had plans to leave and there was nothing IMS could do but it still would be surprising.
Last month I told a couple of racing reporters and a few of my friends that Chitwood wasn’t long for 16th & Georgetown but Fred’s call had left me wondering: Was he telling the truth or trying to throw me off the path?
When Monday’s press release came out it certainly read like Chitwood left on his terms. And the new job at International Speedway Corporation as vice president of business operations sounds impressive.
Chitwood had worked with ISC at Chicago before coming to IMS in 2002 and it’s believed Lisa France is a big fan.
Yet there’s still something smelly about this whole deal.
Why now? A few days before the Brickyard 400 and a couple months before HIS MOTO GP? With the recent turmoil at the Speedway, its COO can’t even wait until the season is over before he bolts?
NASCAR is in such bad shape it needs him immediately?
With TG no longer in power, did Chitwood figure his days were numbered? Why did he reportedly ask a friend during May if his job was in jeopardy?
Jeff Belskus, the longtime IMS chief financial officer who has assumed TG’s duties along with Joie’s, supposedly liked Chitwood but the former stuntman for his family’s famous thrill show may have gotten sideways with the Hulman-George clan over his smarmy attitude and repeated references in public to “his Speedway.”
So did Josie George, Nancy Gunter and Kathy Conforti vote Joie out last May along with their brother and give him time to go find another job to save face?
That’s what I’m leaning towards because of the timing, the call from Nation and that tip I got way back in May.
Some theorize Chitwood was a NASCAR mole and now that he knows all the dirt on the Speedway and IRL he might try to play hardball with IndyCar since its schedule currently boasts six ISC tracks.
Or maybe his IMS ties will strengthen that rocky relationship.
The bottom line is that this is merely a ripple in the water compared to the tidal wave that washed TG overboard.
To be honest, it really doesn’t matter Chitwood is gone because he did nothing special during his tenure and nothing memorable except for this year’s Indy 500 when he foolishly attempted to orchestrate the winner’s celebration by ordering Helio Castroneves into victory lane instead of letting the three-time winner climb the fence.
The word isn’t that Chitwood is irreplaceable, it’s that he won’t be replaced.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, SPEED, FOX, or NewsCorp.
Robin Miller became an Indy-car junkie in late 1950s and stooged for his hero, Jim Hurtubise, at the 1968 Indy 500. He went on to work as a vent man and board man on Indy pit crews from 1971-77. Miller bought a Formula Ford from Andy Granatelli in 1972 and raced it in SCCA until 1974 when he purchased a midget from Gary Bettenhausen, competing in the USAC midget series from 1975-82.
Robin flunked out of Ball State College in 1968 and began working at The Indianapolis Star sports department in 1969, covered motorsports there from 1969-2000.
In addition to his broadcast work. Miller's also covered IndyCar racing for Autoweek, Autosport, Car & Driver and On Track magazines over the past 35 years.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
Having no relationship with Tony’s three sisters or board member Jack Snyder and never one to ambush Mari Hulman George for a quote, there weren’t many outlets to try and get conformation and/or denial.
Two calls to the IRL office produced more surprise than information but then Fred Nation called me. The IMS executive vice president of communications heard I was thinking about writing a story on Chitwood and wanted to offer his assistance.
Now whenever Fred calls to help me, I immediately think of Eddie Haskell: polite, sincere and devious. And I’m The Beaver.
Of course there have been times when Fred has leveled with me and he’s not always Baghdad Bob.
His message a few weeks ago was that the Speedway had no intention of getting rid of Chitwood, that he was doing a good job and his efforts were appreciated by the Hulman-George family. Nation also added that it was possible Joie had plans to leave and there was nothing IMS could do but it still would be surprising.
Last month I told a couple of racing reporters and a few of my friends that Chitwood wasn’t long for 16th & Georgetown but Fred’s call had left me wondering: Was he telling the truth or trying to throw me off the path?
When Monday’s press release came out it certainly read like Chitwood left on his terms. And the new job at International Speedway Corporation as vice president of business operations sounds impressive.
Chitwood had worked with ISC at Chicago before coming to IMS in 2002 and it’s believed Lisa France is a big fan.
Yet there’s still something smelly about this whole deal.
Why now? A few days before the Brickyard 400 and a couple months before HIS MOTO GP? With the recent turmoil at the Speedway, its COO can’t even wait until the season is over before he bolts?
NASCAR is in such bad shape it needs him immediately?
With TG no longer in power, did Chitwood figure his days were numbered? Why did he reportedly ask a friend during May if his job was in jeopardy?
Jeff Belskus, the longtime IMS chief financial officer who has assumed TG’s duties along with Joie’s, supposedly liked Chitwood but the former stuntman for his family’s famous thrill show may have gotten sideways with the Hulman-George clan over his smarmy attitude and repeated references in public to “his Speedway.”
So did Josie George, Nancy Gunter and Kathy Conforti vote Joie out last May along with their brother and give him time to go find another job to save face?
That’s what I’m leaning towards because of the timing, the call from Nation and that tip I got way back in May.
Some theorize Chitwood was a NASCAR mole and now that he knows all the dirt on the Speedway and IRL he might try to play hardball with IndyCar since its schedule currently boasts six ISC tracks.
Or maybe his IMS ties will strengthen that rocky relationship.
The bottom line is that this is merely a ripple in the water compared to the tidal wave that washed TG overboard.
To be honest, it really doesn’t matter Chitwood is gone because he did nothing special during his tenure and nothing memorable except for this year’s Indy 500 when he foolishly attempted to orchestrate the winner’s celebration by ordering Helio Castroneves into victory lane instead of letting the three-time winner climb the fence.
The word isn’t that Chitwood is irreplaceable, it’s that he won’t be replaced.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, SPEED, FOX, or NewsCorp.
Robin Miller became an Indy-car junkie in late 1950s and stooged for his hero, Jim Hurtubise, at the 1968 Indy 500. He went on to work as a vent man and board man on Indy pit crews from 1971-77. Miller bought a Formula Ford from Andy Granatelli in 1972 and raced it in SCCA until 1974 when he purchased a midget from Gary Bettenhausen, competing in the USAC midget series from 1975-82.
Robin flunked out of Ball State College in 1968 and began working at The Indianapolis Star sports department in 1969, covered motorsports there from 1969-2000.
In addition to his broadcast work. Miller's also covered IndyCar racing for Autoweek, Autosport, Car & Driver and On Track magazines over the past 35 years.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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