Jeff Belskus Continues To Steer IMS, IndyCar In Right Direction

Belskus Pleased With His First Three Months As IMS Corp. President & CEO

IMS and Izod IndyCar Series constituents are "comfortable" with new IMS Corp. President & CEO Jeff Belskus "mainly because he was quickly able [to] offer a sense of calm and a 'business as usual' approach to the issues faced by the track and the league," according to John Oreovicz of ESPN.com. Belskus said his first three months on the job have "gone as well as anyone could expect it to go." Belskus said he and former IRL and IMS CEO Tony George "have a good working relationship and I'm happy about that." Belskus: "I'm still spending a lot of time learning the lay of the land in some respects. It's been a great learning experience so far and I feel good about the way it has gone." Oreovicz noted Belskus' long association with IMS Corp. "gave him an insider's view of the workings of the company, a huge advantage over hiring an outsider to take over the notoriously private family business." However, a "bigger adjustment has been required in terms of managing and being the public face of the IRL." One of the "toughest tasks he already dealt with was cutting staff by approximately 40." But the IndyCar Series got a "huge boost in early November" when it signed its title sponsorship deal with Izod. Belskus said, "Getting the right (title sponsor) was important. We spent a lot of time talking about 'fair value' and what the series is worth. We're very excited about being associated with Izod, a brand that we feel good about" (ESPN.com, 12/17).

END OF THE ROAD: The IRL and Just Marketing Int'l have agreed not to renew their contract beyond '09. JMI, a motorsports-specific agency based in Indianapolis, has been acting as the sales agency for the IRL for nearly the last three years. The agency and the IRL will continue to work together on sales opportunities when they involve a JMI client, but they will not extend the formal relationship that had JMI representing the league (Michael Smith, SportsBusiness Journal).