Max Jones Promoted to Managing Director of the Team’s NASCAR Operation
CONCORD, NC (Jan. 3, 2018) – Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today that long-time racing executive Doug Duchardt has been named Chief Operating Officer of the corporation. Duchardt begins the role effective immediately in preparation for the upcoming 2018 seasons while Max Jones is promoted to Managing Director of the team’s NASCAR Operation joining Mike Hull, Managing Director of the team’s INDYCAR and IMSA Operations.
Additionally, a newly formed Corporate Office will include Team Owner and CEO Chip Ganassi, President Steve Lauletta, COO Duchardt, CFO Chuck Gottschalk and Vice President of Human Resources Rob Wilder. The Corporate Office will oversee all of CGR’s racing and commercial activities globally.
Duchardt will work closely with Managing Directors Max Jones and Mike Hull and team President Steve Lauletta to increase collaboration, performance and growth across all of CGR’s worldwide racing activities.
“We are all so pleased to get someone with both Doug’s racing credentials and his business acumen,” said Ganassi. “He has a lot of racing championships under his belt and a strong track record for running successful businesses and has the respect of the racing industry. Doug will be a great addition to help lead what I think is already a very good group of people.”
Duchardt brings a championship pedigree with him as he was most recently executive vice president and general manager at Hendrick Motorsports (HMS). He spent over 12 years at HMS where he directed all racing operations for a NASCAR team that fields four cars in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS). Under his watch, the team won seven MENCS Championships including a run of six consecutive from 2006-11.
“I am excited to become a part of Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Duchardt. “I, along with the rest of the industry have always admired Chip and what he does across so many forms of racing. What has been especially impressive of late has been the turnaround they have made in their NASCAR operation. I am also looking forward to competing in INDYCAR and IMSA once again. Along with Felix Sabates and Rob Kauffman, Chip has assembled a group of championship caliber people on each of his teams that I am looking forward to working with and helping them achieve even more success both on and off the track.”
Prior to HMS, the Morton, IL native spent over 20 years with General Motors where he most recently managed their entire North American motor sports initiatives with relationships in NASCAR, INDYCAR, NHRA, IMSA and SCCA.
He is a graduate of Missouri University of Science and Technology with a mechanical engineering degree. He earned a master’s degree in engineering from Purdue University. Most recently he completed his Advanced Certificate for Executives at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.
Duchardt resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife Pam and has three children, Jackson, Hannah and Matthew.
About Chip Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include two cars in the Verizon IndyCar Series, two cars in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, one car in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, two factory Ford GT’s in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and two factory Ford GT’s in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Overall his teams have 18 championships and 199 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, seven Rolex 24 At Daytonas, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.
