PWC to Utilize Race Steward Committee

Photo: John Dagys

While this weekend’s Nissan Grand Prix of Texas sees a record grid for the Pirelli World Challenge season-opener, it also marks the first event run under the command of new personnel in Race Control.

Geoff Carter, who served as PWC’s Competition and Race Director, has been replaced by a committee of race stewards for 2015, including new Competition Director Marcus Haselgrove, Chief Driving Steward Brian Till and the continuing Series Chief Steward, Pat di Natale.

According to Haselgrove, the shakeup in Race Control procedure was influenced on the success of other series that have utilized committee-based systems in recent years.

“I don’t want a system where one person can hold the others to ransom,” Haselgrove told Sportscar365. “We basically work there as a panel, we have our input and you’ll probably still hear Pat di Natale’s voice come across [the radio].

“Everyone’s got unique skill sets. My skill set comes from the technical background. We’ve got Pat, who has been a steward from the rules and organizational side, and we’re now obviously bringing in [Brian Till] as a driver steward.”

Haselgrove, di Natale and Till led this morning’s drivers’ meeting, which largely served as a refresher course on rules and procedures, but also emphasized on driving standards, with input from the former open-wheel and sports car driver turned TV broadcaster.

“Each person is looking at incidents from their particular area of expertise,” Haselgrove added. “I really need an experienced person from the driving world and also with the broadcast [experience], [Brian’s] ability to bring his ideas and the rules and regulations to the drivers too.

“This is a key part in the driver meetings. If you have a drivers meeting, and if some of these people aren’t paying attention, then we have more incidents than we need.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John