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NASCAR makes personnel changes to competition executive team

Food City 500 - Practice

BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 15: View of the NASCAR logo during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 15, 2014 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

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NASCAR announced six personnel changes to its competition executive team on Tuesday.

The changes include the promotion of Elton Sawyer to vice president of officiating and technical inspection, and the addition of John Probst in the role of managing director of competition and innovation.

Sawyer, who comes from being the managing director of the Camping World Truck Series, will oversee multiple areas of NASCAR including inspection/officiating; officials training and development; and the events and transportation groups. He will continue to report to Scott Miller, senior vice president of competition.

Probst joins NASCAR after serving as technical director for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, a role he held previously at Red Bull Racing. Probst also spent more than 11 years as engineering supervisor at Ford Motor Company. His role with NASCAR will include oversight of several competition and innovation projects.

The other changes include:


  • Brad Moran has been named managing director of the Truck Series, replacing Sawyer. Moran served a similar capacity over the NASCAR Touring Series.
  • Brandon Thompson will become senior director of touring series, transitioning into Moran’s former role. Thompson joined NASCAR in 2012 and his roles have included the coordination and administration of weekly race activities.
  • George Grippo will join the competition team as managing director of competition technology and timing & scoring. He provided oversight of NASCAR Productions’ Technology Field and Media Operations department as its managing director since September 2013.
  • Jusan Hamilton will become manager of racing operations & event management. He joined NASCAR in 2012 before transitioning full-time in 2013 to its Integrated Marketing Communications operation.

“With today’s announcement, NASCAR has aligned the Competition department to meet the ever-changing and challenging needs of a highly competitive sports landscape,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, in a press release. “We’re delighted to see the growth of a number of our colleagues throughout the company, as well as welcoming a new one with a long history in the industry.”

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