IndyCar merges staff from marketing and communications dept (Update)

UPDATE Leaving IndyCar’s PR/editorial staff as part of the moves are CATHY KIGHTLINGER, PAT CAPORALI, MARK ROBINSON and COLBY REDMOND.

Meanwhile, sources say IndyCar is also out in the market looking for a new agency of record for its marketing, which is now being overseen by SJ LUEDTKE, who joined the series in February from Nike.

But one can't blame these people for the lack of sponsor money in the IndyCar paddock or IndyCar's popularity, it starts right at the top with the decision to not put 100% of IndyCar's races on NBC – the NBCSN ratings are so low sponsors run for the exits and since 99.9% of the USA population does not watch NBCSN, they have no clue what IndyCar is.

Mike Zizzo – back with IndyCar where he belongs

07/02/19 INDYCAR has consolidated its Marketing and Communications teams into one department while adding two award-winning motorsports veterans.

INDYCAR named Mike Zizzo as Vice President of Communications and Kate Davis in the newly formed position of Director of Communications as part of a reorganization to create an integrated and strategically aligned Marketing and Communications department.

Zizzo and Davis will join Vice President of Marketing SJ Luedtke, who joined INDYCAR in February after serving as a Nike executive for nearly the past decade, in developing and executing a comprehensive marketing communications plan.

"Mike and Kate provide INDYCAR with a tremendous amount of motorsports knowledge and communications experience, especially from sanctioning body and promoter perspectives, and they are highly respected both inside and outside the industry," INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. "They will complement SJ on the marketing side and provide INDYCAR with a stronger, more integrated Marketing and Communications department."

Zizzo, who had been serving as a PR consultant for INDYCAR since February, is an award-winning communications executive with 23 years of motorsports experience in his field. He has served in management roles for two sanctioning bodies – CART and NASCAR – and most recently spent the past 13 years as Vice President of Communications for Texas Motor Speedway.

Zizzo is the only two-time recipient of NASCAR's national series track public relations representative of the year award and also received the sanctioning body's "Best Youth Marketing Initiative" honor for his Speeding To Read educational program at TMS. He also is a previous winner of the esteemed Jim Chapman Award for motorsports PR excellence.

His motorsports career began with CART from 1996-2002 and the tenure was highlighted by serving as Vice President of Competition Public Relations for the open-wheel sanctioning body. He then joined NASCAR from 2002-2005 as a Senior Public Relations Manager with an emphasis on competition before moving to Texas Motor Speedway later in '05.

Davis is a veteran communications and content executive who has spent the past 17 years with NASCAR in various broadcast or digital-related capacities. She joined NASCAR in 2001 and served as the Senior Manager of Broadcast Communications before spending the last 12 years with NASCAR Productions and NASCAR Digital Media.

In her most recent role as Senior Director of Content, Davis oversaw the development and production of content that was distributed to NASCAR's television; radio and digital partners; third-party clients; and television and radio affiliates throughout the country. During that tenure, she was part of a team that produced an Emmy Award-winning documentary.

In related moves of the restructuring, Curt Cavin will shift to the role of Senior Manager of Digital Content Editorial while Communications colleagues Kate Guerra and Arni Sribhen continue in the department in similar or redefined roles.