Grand-Am fills two key leadership positions
Richard Buck, a five-time Indianapolis 500-winning crew chief, was named managing director of competition. Buck also will remain NASCAR's director of touring series, a position he has held since 2006, overseeing NASCAR's eight touring series in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe.
Gabriel Cadringher, a technical consultant to Grand-Am since December 2011, was named managing director of technical regulations and development. He is the former director of the technical department of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), a former technical delegate for the FIA Formula One World Championship and former president of the FIA Manufacturers' Commission.
Buck will oversee the overall management of Grand-Am's competition department, working closely with Mark Raffauf, managing director of racing operations. Cadringher will focus on all technical aspects of competition with an emphasis on vehicle homologation and balance of performance between the varied engine and chassis manufacturers.
Cadringher will be based at Grand-Am headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla., and will work closely with the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., where Buck is based. Both Raffauf and Cadringher will report to Buck; Buck will report to Grand-Am president and CEO Ed Bennett.
“This combined announcement is a true milestone for our organization," Bennett said. “Along with the sheer wealth of experience these two men bring to Grand-Am, they also bring considerable respect and credibility within the overall motorsports industry—in North America and around the world."
Meanwhile, former managing director of manufacturer and series development Dave Spitzer is no longer with Grand-Am.