IndyCar to introduce independent officiating system

The IndyCar Series will have an independent officiating system in place for the 2026 season, the sanctioning body confirmed on Thursday. The new system will also extend to Indy NXT, the undercard of North America’s premier open-wheel championship.

The new independent and not-for-profit organization – INDYCAR Officiating Inc. - has been established and will be governed by a three-person Independent Officiating Board (IOB). The members of the board will select a Managing Director of Officiating (MDO) and establish its annual budget. 

The board members were independently selected this week. The IndyCar team owners, who are charter members, chose two members via a vote, selecting motorsports legend Ray Evernham and automotive veteran Raj Nair. The other member, Ronan Morgan, was appointed by the FIA.

“We have remained committed to independent officiating for 2026, and we are pleased to announce this next step,” said IndyCar president Doug Boles. “The IndyCar team owners and the FIA have selected a world-class board with high character, incredible knowledge and an intense passion for motorsports and IndyCar racing.”

The managing director will report directly to the independent board with no oversight from IndyCar or Penske Entertainment officials. The individual will be charged with full officiating oversight, which will include the hiring of personnel for race control, IndyCar technical inspection and responsible for enforcing the IndyCar rulebook in both IndyCar and Indy NXT.

“This was a thorough process, and I am confident in the independent officiating board that has been elected by the team ownership in our sport,” said Chip Ganassi, team owner of Chip Ganassi Racing. “I look forward to their guidance as they take the next step of hiring a managing director.”

The two IOB members selected via a vote from chartered team owners are:

• Ray Evernham – Longtime motorsports veteran who, most notably, served as the crew chief for three of Jeff Gordon’s NASCAR Cup Series championships. Evernham also pioneered Dodge’s return to NASCAR as owner of Evernham Motorsports before later becoming a television analyst, producer and consultant.

• Raj Nair – A 30-year veteran of the automotive and auto racing industries, Nair has vast experience and technical compliance expertise as an executive at Singer Group, Inc., Multimatic, Inc. and the Ford Motor Company, where he also served as the North American president from 2017-18. As the chief technical officer and executive vice president of Ford’s global product development (2012-17), Nair was responsible for all Ford Motorsports programs, including in NASCAR, IMSA and FIA WEC.

The third member of the IOB appointed by the FIA is:

• Ronan Morgan – Brings over 50-years of global motorsport experience as a senior official, promoter, organizer and competitor. With the FIA, Morgan served as the chairman of stewards for more than 100 international race and rally events, was sporting manager of the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix from 2009 to 2021 and is president of FIA drivers commission. Morgan is also a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council and advisor to the FIA president.

The FIA’s role in IndyCar’s independent officiating system will be limited to the appointment of its board member.

“IndyCar is an American icon and I am proud of the relationship we are building together,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA. “The FIA’s independent expertise in delivering consistent officiating oversight across our World Championships, combined with IndyCar’s innovation and competitive spirit, will support the continued growth of the series. I look forward to the work ahead of us.”

The hiring of the managing director of officiating, along with additional details, will be announced in early 2026.