Tony George has been voted back onto the board of directors of Hulman & Co., the family company that oversees the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway and IndyCar Series.
Hulman & Co. announced in a statement Thursday that it expanded its board of directors from four to eight “in an
effort to best position the company to take advantage of the promising outlook over the upcoming years.”
The changes were made at a regularly scheduled quarterly shareholders meeting.
In addition to Tony George, the new members are HHGregg Inc. Chairman Jerry Throgmartin, LDI Ltd. Chairman Andre B. Lacy
and Michael L. Smith, a former WellPoint Inc. executive.
“As we strive to position Hulman & Co. to be more competitive and relevant in this marketplace, the current board
believes we can strengthen our position by calling upon the successful business expertise of these additional board members,”
IMS Chairwoman Mari Hulman George said in the statement.
“We are pleased to welcome Andre, Mike and Jerry to the board. In addition, I am particularly pleased that we will
be adding Tony to the Hulman & Co. board, a board upon which he has been a member in the past.
“Over the last 18 months, we have successfully positioned Hulman & Co. for future growth through strong management,
limited streamlining and other efficiencies. We are excited about the future, and we believe the addition of these board members
and their long and proven history of extremely successful business management will benefit Hulman & Co. greatly.”
The new board members will not be involved in day-to-day management of Hulman & Co., and the company's management
structure isn't changing, the statement said.
Tony George stepped down as CEO of Hulman and Co. and resigned from its board in June 2009. His departure came after board
members—namely Tony’s three sisters—squabbled over his management of the track and open-wheel series, which
has failed to turn a profit in its 15-year history.
It’s not clear how George’s re-emergence at the company will affect the IMS, the Indianapolis 500—which
is celebrating its centennial this year—or the IndyCar Series.
Sources close to the IMS and series said that Mari Hulman George, the family matriarch, insisted on her son’s re-instatement
to the board. The board was previously composed of Mari Hulman George and her three daughters—Nancy George, Josie George
and Kathi Conforti-George.
Speedway officials say it's possible George also will return to the IMS board, but that has not been determined.
George stepped down as both Hulman & Co. and IMS CEO on June 30, 2009. Sources close to the Hulman George family said
Tony’s three sisters in recent years had become upset over his heavy spending on the open-wheel series he formed in
1994.
Tony George was replaced as chief executive by a pair of longtime company employees—Jeff Belskus at IMS and Curt Brighton
at Hulman & Co. George had held those positions since 1989.
Hulman & Co. also manufactures Clabber Girl Baking Powder, and has businesses in the banking and real estate sectors.
In March, former Pro Bull Riders CEO Randy Bernard was hired to replace Tony George as the boss of the open-wheel series.
SpeedTV reported last year that Tony George made an unsuccessful attempt to buy the series.
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like Wheldon does he can stay), and you have yourself a series. But dadgumit, Defender, Hedeki and Bertrand just didn't rez in Iowa and Kentucky. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm. Defend that, stink.
Daytona got over 125% better ratings than the hapless IRLzOD series. 2011 DEATHBLOW is beginning TODAY!
CART (still dead twice) had better ratings than the IRL/Indycarzod....in fact, well over 150% higher. What happened?
How much more evidence is needed to point out what an absolute FAILURE the IRL was, and what a daunting task 2011 will be to make it popular in mind of the fans? Yet we have disciple telling us it's all good? Bwahahhaha.
Hey Defender that would be TWICE!! I know you love that word.
Chief it is the Most Important Race in History because its unlikely success or imminent failure will determine whether or not Tiny d can celebrate 101
If Tony hadn\'t snorted away a significant portion of his brain function, he would have caught on to the fact that he could have used bankruptcy laws to save the Family 700 million dollars
He must NOT be allowed to be involved in the sport again, EVER.
I guess there are just more and more folks that just don't get it.
Maybe that is what he does not get.
What once was great, is now of much smaller stature. Defined now more as a charming, Americana regional curiosity on a Sunday morn once a year, than a monumental "largest single-day sporting event in the world". Still a Midwestern "Mardi Gras" to be sure, but wait! Why so many Brazilian's, Australian's, Japanese, and Europeans, in the John Cougar Mellencamp-sound tracked, aw shucks, sycamore-treed Crossroads of America on this red, white, and blue, sunny Spring time day of memory? How does that fit with the BBQ ribs and bucket of chicken, as the "MEN" hurtle their machines across the great race track? The Men? Men named Simona and Danica. Polish on their toenails, not grease under their fingers. This is Indy?
And so the sport and the event is a victim of numerous things, not the least if which is confusion, a sense of being out of place anymore, and a population that is not really interested in cars and races much anymore and certainly could care less about a Swedish woman or a diminuitive Brazilian dancer driving around in cars perceived to be "driving themselves" so technically-advanced are they the actual race driver is a non-hero, expensive toy purchaser from a wealthy background.
The Indy 500 of today is very much a nostalgia-based event, more akin to the Kentucky Derby or the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Steeped in tradition and once a mighty moment annually, but now relegated to lower-tier, ah here we go, it's that time of year again, time to trot 'er out for another one, gathering of fwere and fewer people, who care less and less about the actual sport, but gather at the struggle of letting go off the staid old traditions they have clung to for life. And that is ok. It has its place. But not at the top. No more. Not by a long list.
Tony George has no insight, only ego, he is a megalomaniac who couldn't survive as a decision maker in a private company for a year...he is very fortunate to have a family who has enough money to continue to support and reward his ineptitude. The family ought to be forced to hire Robin Miller to sit on the board as well, as the representative to be the voice of open wheel racing fans. In the meantime, all you can hope for is that the family will keep Tony as far away from IMS as possible.