IndyCar Adds Key Chip Ganassi Racing Employee To Series Management

Mike O'Gara at Portland after Alex Palou clinched the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series Championship IndyCar Photo by Chris Owens - 2023 Instagram: @chrisowens It’s one of the biggest weekends of the season for the NTT IndyCar Series at the 51 st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It’s the biggest street race in North America and the second biggest street race in the world behind Formula One’s Monaco Grand Prix. Before the series left home base in Indianapolis earlier this week, IndyCar hired a key Chip Ganassi Racing official to an important position within the series.

It’s veteran motorsports executive and longtime race team engineer Mike O’Gara, who was named vice president of competition, race engineering, by IndyCar on April 15. O’Gara will serve as the senior technical authority for IndyCar, leading all aspects of vehicle performance strategy, race engineering and technical governance across the NTT IndyCar Series and INDY NXT by Firestone. He also will be charged to define and drive IndyCar’s long-term technical roadmap, research and development initiatives and the development of next-generation technologies, including the new 2028 NTT IndyCar Series race car.

“I am thrilled to take this next step in my career and honored to join IndyCar in this critical role for the series,” O’Gara said. “This is truly an exciting time for the sport with a new car on the horizon and the opportunity to build on a growing focus and interest in INDY NXT. “I know my prior experience has set me up to successfully contribute and help mold the future of North America’s premier open-wheel racing series.

I cannot wait to get started. ” The 54-year-old O’Gara is from Indiana and comes to IndyCar with over 30 years of experience leading championship-winning programs across IndyCar, IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, including the last 12 years in executive leadership at Chip Ganassi Racing. During that time, O’Gara established the team’s Cadillac endurance program after helping win the 12 Hours of Sebring (2014), the Rolex 24 At Daytona (2015) and a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2016).