CEO Mark Miles Ready To Tackle Sponsorship, TV Issues Plaguing IndyCar

With IndyCar coming off "one of its most competitive seasons in memory that ended with the first American champion in six years, its on-track product is viewed as excellent," but "conventional wisdom says everything else is a mess," according to Nate Ryan of USA TODAY.

Whether it was the "protracted and bungled ouster of embattled CEO Randy Bernard … (the latest in a series of embarrassing office politics debacles and airing of dirty laundry), a lack of cohesive and widespread marketing strategy for its stars and a TV deal that has hamstrung the sport with low visibility, … IndyCar isn't in much better shape now than five years ago — when Champ Car and the Indy Racing League merged into a single entity."

Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles has "spent the past three months meeting with the drivers, car owners and key sponsors." Though Miles has "limited racing experience," he has "boundless business savvy, having spearheaded Indianapolis' successful 2012 Super Bowl bid."

He also seems "more measured than Bernard." Miles wants to "eliminate potential overlapping of staffing in the front office of IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

He also would "like to have a new CEO by spring." But the "trickiest hurdle might be IndyCar's TV deal, which runs through 2018." USA TODAY