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Donahoe New Lights VP of Tech Operations

Donahoe will be responsible for all technical related aspects of the Indy Lights championship in the new, full-time position. He will be based in ARS headquarters in Troy, Michigan, where he began work earlier this week.

"The PPG-Dayton Indy Lights Championship has grown to the point where we need full-time attention paid to the various technical and on-track areas of the series on a year-round basis," Bailey said. "Gary brings the necessary technical qualifications to fill this new position as well as valuable management experience in the motorsports industry. His background in running a major racing team will also give him a first-hand appreciation for the needs and concerns of our competitors. It is great to have someone with Gary's expertise and ability on the Indy Lights team."

Donahoe, who is the first full-time technical manager in the 13-year history of ARS/Indy Lights, will work closely with series' sanctioning body Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and serve as the primary technical contact with the series for participating racing teams and drivers.

"I am very happy to be joining Roger Bailey and the staff at the PPG-Dayton Indy Lights Championship," Donahoe said. "Indy Lights has developed into a successful series and I look forward to working with ARS, CART and the racing teams in continuing the growth and professionalism of the championship. Indy Lights was conceived with the concept of offering the drivers and teams a car/engine combination that will allow then to gain experience and show their driving and tuning skills in an 'even playing field' with their competitors. I now have a tremendous opportunity to administer the technical operations on a full-time, year-round basis which will assure the teams that this party will continue."

Donahoe worked with Gurney and AAR for the last 14 years and served as team manager since 1990 He started with the team as a crew chief in 1984 and played a key role in winning the 1987 IMSA GTO driver and manufacturer championships. He was voted IMSA Technician of the Year in 1990, a year after the AAR moved up to IMSA's premier GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) division. The team went on to capture two IMSA GTP sports car racing championships (1992 and 1993) and won both the 24 Hours of Daytona and a second consecutive 12 Hours of Sebring in 1993. The 1993 victories were part of a record streak of 17 straight IMSA GTP wins which AAR recorded between June 16, 1992 and June 28, 1993.

Recent activity for Donahoe at AAR included the management of the team's entry into PPG CART Indy car competition over the last two seasons with drivers PJ Jones and recently retired Juan Manuel Fangio II. Donahoe was also responsible for the AAR/Toyota Indy car testing program undertaken in 1994 and 1995.

In other staff announcements, second-year ARS employee Pat Secor has recently been promoted to office manager and accounting assistant. Secor will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ARS headquarters office in Troy and will assist ARS Controller Mike Wanstreet on a regular basis.

The "Official Development Series" of CART, the PPG-Dayton Indy Lights Championship is internationally recognized as a drivers final stop on the way to the top of the North American motorsports ladder. In addition to Jones, Indy Lights graduates racing in the PPG CART World Series include Paul Tracy (1990 champion), Bryan Herta (1993 champion), Greg Moore (1995 champion), Andre Ribeiro (1994 Rookie of the Year), Adrian Fernandez (1992 Rookie of the Year), and Gualter Salles. FAngio also raced and won in the series in the late 1980s.

Courtesy of Indy Lights Public Relations

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