Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles has experienced "highs and lows, to be sure," during his three years running IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, according to Curt Cavin of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Attendance gains at IMS "sit alongside IndyCar's event scheduling troubles," and for the $90M "being invested in track facilities, the series' bottom line remains a work in progress." Even last summer’s Rolling Stones concert was a "mixed bag," as for all the "coolness in attracting the iconic band, hosting it didn’t go as planned." During Miles' tenure, there has been "considerable staff turnover both at IMS and IndyCar, and the objection to his shortening of IndyCar's schedule has been loud." The result of recent IndyCar executive moves is "still being judged, but Miles is pleased with the leadership structure." Miles said that he "will put it 'up against anybody for anything.'" He added of IndyCar, "The place is bringing more people out and more people are paying to be there. We’re getting better at giving them a better experience, and that is great for the brand, for positioning, and the vitality of the community and the company." But Cavin wrote not all "has gone well outside the track." Miles noted a "botched handling of the crowd ingress" for the '13 Indianapolis 500, which "came six weeks after the Boston Marathon bombing." Miles: "That really hurt us when we’re trying to improve the customer experience." Miles said of improved TV numbers, "(Low TV ratings) were viewed as an acute problem for us, a really serious crisis three years ago. We’re not satisfied, but we’ve shown we can make real progress." Cavin also noted event turnover during Miles' tenure has been "immense, with the discontinuation of six venues" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/24).
