O'Gara Joins INDYCAR as Vice President of Competition, Race Engineering

Veteran motorsports executive and longtime race team engineer Mike O'Gara takes on senior technical leadership role for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 4:22am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting an INDYCAR race scene broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of bold primary colors, conceptually representing the technical advancements and high-energy of open-wheel racing.INDYCAR's new technical leadership aims to drive innovation and safety in the series' future as it builds on growing popularity.Long Beach Today

INDIANAPOLIS - Veteran motorsports executive and longtime race team engineer Mike O'Gara has been named vice president of competition, race engineering for INDYCAR. In this role, O'Gara will serve as the senior technical authority, leading all aspects of vehicle performance strategy, race engineering and technical governance across the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone. He will also be charged with defining and driving INDYCAR's long-term technical roadmap, research and development initiatives, and the development of next-generation technologies, including the new 2028 NTT INDYCAR SERIES race car.

Why it matters

O'Gara's appointment to this critical leadership position comes at an important time for INDYCAR as the series looks to build on its growing popularity and focus on the future of open-wheel racing in North America. His extensive experience leading championship-winning programs across INDYCAR, IMSA and the World Endurance Championship will be invaluable as INDYCAR works to enhance competition, innovation and safety initiatives.

The details

O'Gara, 54, assumes his new role after over 30 years of experience in motorsports, including the last 12 years in executive leadership at Chip Ganassi Racing. During his time at Ganassi, O'Gara established the team's Cadillac endurance program and contributed to NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships with Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, as well as Indianapolis 500 victories with Marcus Ericsson and Palou. Prior to his work with Ganassi, O'Gara held roles as the director of operations at Sarah Fisher Racing and as a race engineer at Chip Ganassi Racing and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

  • O'Gara's new role with INDYCAR was announced on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
  • The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 19.

The players

Mike O'Gara

A 54-year-old veteran motorsports executive and longtime race team engineer who has been named vice president of competition, race engineering for INDYCAR.

J. Douglas Boles

The president of INDYCAR, who stated that O'Gara's experience and engineering acumen will make a substantial impact on the series' competition and engineering team.

Chip Ganassi Racing

The race team that O'Gara has worked for in executive leadership over the past 12 years, contributing to championships and Indianapolis 500 victories.

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What they’re saying

“I am thrilled to take this next step in my career and honored to join INDYCAR in this critical role for the series. This is truly an exciting time for the sport with a new car on the horizon and the opportunity to build on a growing focus and interest in INDY NXT.”

— Mike O'Gara

“Mike's vast experience in motorsports will make a substantial impact to INDYCAR's competition and engineering team. It is clear that his impressive list of accomplishments, engineering acumen and proven knowledge of building high-performance teams and operations have the respect of the INDYCAR paddock and will continue be a real asset for our sport in this new role.”

— J. Douglas Boles, INDYCAR President

What’s next

O'Gara will begin his new role with INDYCAR immediately, with his first major event being the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19.

The takeaway

O'Gara's appointment to this senior technical leadership position at INDYCAR comes at a pivotal time for the series as it looks to build on its growing popularity and focus on the future of open-wheel racing in North America. His extensive experience and engineering expertise will be invaluable as INDYCAR works to enhance competition, innovation and safety initiatives across both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the INDY NXT by Firestone ladder series.