Former Indy track president Joie Chitwood named president of Daytona
Former Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Joie Chitwood has replaced Robin Braig as president of Daytona International Speedway, track parent company International Speedway Corp. announced Friday in a news release.
Chitwood, 41, oversaw the construction and operation of Chicagoland Speedway while previously working for ISC from 1999-2002. He returned to the company last year as Vice President of Business Development.
“We are very fortunate to have a seasoned executive of Joie’s proven ability to step into this important position as President of Daytona International Speedway,” ISC Chief Executive Officer Lesa France Kennedy said in the news release. “Joie is highly respected throughout the industry and brings a lifetime of motorsports entertainment experience to Daytona.
“We will certainly benefit from his experience and knowledge of the motorsports industry which he has proved in his successful work over the years. I would also like to thank Robin for his passion and dedication to the speedway and to promoting motorsports. I wish him much success in his future endeavors.”
Braig had been president at Daytona since 2002 but the last couple of years have not been easy.
The track has had sluggish ticket sales for its Independence Day weekend events, which include the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series. The backstretch grandstands have remained closed the last two years because of low ticket demand.
The 2010 Daytona 500 was delayed twice for a total of nearly three hours after a pothole developed in the track during the event. The 2.5-mile track opened for business in 1959 and was repaved prior to the 1979 season. It is currently being repaved to be ready for the 2011 racing season.
Braig had been with ISC since 1998, coming to the company from Anheuser-Busch, where he spent 15 years including eight as the company’s director of sports marketing.
