IndyCar names Scot Elkins to lead officiating as May approaches

TL;DR

IndyCar has appointed Scot Elkins as the first managing director of officiating, effective May 11. He will oversee officiating duties starting with the Indianapolis 500 qualifying and race later in May.

Key points

Scot Elkins named managing director of officiating for IndyCar
Elkins previously worked as technical director for Champ Car World Series
Independent Officiating Board was created in December
Elkins will start on May 11, after the Grand Prix of Indianapolis
His first assignments include Indianapolis 500 qualifying and race

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Indianapolis 500

IndyCar Officiating has named Scot Elkins as its first managing director of officiating (MDO). Elkins rejoins IndyCar after serving as the technical director for the Champ Car World Series from 2005 to 2008 and coordinating the merger with IndyCar in 2008.

In December, IndyCar announced the creation of its Independent Officiating Board (IOB) and IndyCar Officiating as its new independent, governing officiating body. Since then, Raj Nair (chairman), Ray Evernham (secretary and treasurer) and Ronan Morgan (FIA appointee) have made up the IOB.

The trio was supposed to hire an MDO prior to the start of the IndyCar season, but five races have gone by before this announcement. Elkins will start on May 11, after IndyCar's next race, the Grand Prix of Indianapolis (May 9), meaning his first assignments will be qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 (May 16 and 17) and the race itself (May 24).

Nair, Everham and Morgan have overseen general independent officiating operations until an MDO was hired. Those three, alongside a rehired officiating nucleus led by race director Kyle Novak, have handled officiating duties thus far.

"IndyCar Officiating already has something truly special, teams in race control and technical inspection who are exceptional at what they do and have earned the deep respect of this paddock,” Elkins said in a news release. "Together with the Independent Officiating Board, our mission is to build on that foundation, bringing greater transparency and consistency to an operation that this sport and its competitors depend on.

"Having worked across some of the most respected motorsport series internationally and here in North America, I have seen first-hand what world-class officiating looks like, and it looks like IndyCar. Growing up in Indiana with the Indianapolis 500 as part of my life for as long as I can remember, I could not be more proud or more motivated to serve this sport."

IndyCar began working on the IOB following failed post-qualification tech inspections by Team Penske and in last year's Indianapolis 500. The tumultuous month of May led IndyCar to develop an officiating body separate from IndyCar's parent company, Penske Entertainment.

Q&A

Who is Scot Elkins and what is his role in IndyCar?

Scot Elkins is the newly appointed managing director of officiating for IndyCar, responsible for overseeing officiating operations.

When will Scot Elkins start his role as managing director of officiating?

Scot Elkins will officially begin his role on May 11, after the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 9.

What is the Independent Officiating Board (IOB) in IndyCar?

The Independent Officiating Board (IOB) is a newly created governing body for officiating in IndyCar, consisting of Raj Nair, Ray Evernham, and Ronan Morgan.

What events will Scot Elkins oversee after starting his new position?

After starting on May 11, Scot Elkins will oversee the qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 on May 16 and 17, and the race itself on May 24.