NASCAR Holdings today confirmed it is initiating a major restructuring to its business that it believes sets the company up better for the future. President Steve Phelps this morning sent out an internal memo seen by SBJ that spells out a bevy of executive moves set to take place more than six months before the 2025 NASCAR season begins.
Brian Herbst, Tim Clark, Ben Kennedy, Scott Prime and Michelle Byron are among the NASCAR executives who are being given elevated profiles and responsibilities. The moves will allow NASCAR’s staff to get used to the new structure ahead of 2025 when NASCAR will go from two to five domestic media rights partners, among other big changes.
…
Phelps will only have three executives directly reporting to him under the new structure, including COO Steve O’Donnell, who will take on additional oversight. There was no mention of any changes related to Chair & CEO Jim France or Exec Vice Chair Lesa France Kennedy in the memo.
[Some of the changes:]
- Ben Kennedy, SVP of racing development & strategy, the scion of the France family, will become EVP at the age of 32, with a new title of EVP and chief venue & racing innovations officer, reporting to O’Donnell. He will head up a division that newly combines NASCAR’s scheduling and facility development groups with its consumer strategy group. Members of the newly combined group will include VP/Data Strategy Kari Gritton, who has been promoted to SVP; SVP and Chief Track Properties Officer Chip Wile; and VP/Event Experience Michael Verlatti. Verlatti reports to Wile, who alongside Gritton will report to Kennedy.
- Tim Clark, SVP and chief digital officer, has been promoted to EVP and chief brand officer, reporting to O’Donnell, as part of a move where NASCAR will now have the same person overseeing marketing and communications, alongside SVP & CMO Pete Jung and VP/Communications Eric Ryan, who has been promoted to SVP and chief communications officer. Managing Dir of Gaming and Esports Nick Rend has been promoted to VP of interactive & emerging platforms. Jung, Ryan and Rend will report to Clark. Managing Dir of Research & Insights Brooks Deaton was promoted to VP of data & insights, reporting to Jung.
- NASCAR SVP and Chief Communications & Social Responsibility Officer Eric Nyquist is now SVP and chief impact officer and will continue to lead NASCAR’s efforts in sustainability and DEI, reporting to O’Donnell. NASCAR SVP and Chief HR Officer John Ferguson will report to Nyquist, while Managing Dir of HR Nancy Darby has been promoted to VP/HR, reporting to Ferguson, a recent SBJ Forty Under 40 awardee.
See much more at Sports Business Journal.