1/24/2008
USAC Names New President, Senior VP of Racing Operations
The Board of Directors of the United States Auto Club (USAC) has appointed Kevin Miller as CEO and president of USAC, and Jason Smith senior vice-president of racing operations. “USAC is excited to start a new era with Kevin and Jason on board,” said Johnny Capels, USAC Chairman. “Kevin brings a proven track record of business success and marketing passion to USAC. His leadership will be the foundation for the next 50 years of our organization. Jason has a great history with USAC that I am confident will meld successfully with Kevin’s vision. It is a team I am excited about.”
Miller has spent the last 23 years at Chrysler, with his most recent role as a Senior Manager of Brand Strategy, Performance Parts and Motorsports. His performance background began at age 14, as he spent many nights in a neighbor’s garage helping to prepare a sprint car. This early racing influence propelled Miller to earn an automotive degree at Western Michigan University. He began a career with Mopar upon graduation.
Miller’s background and passion helped to broaden Mopar’s involvement beyond drag strips into oval track racing. He led the development of Mopar’s initial V8 aluminum block, which today can be found powering many USAC teams.
In 2002 Kevin led an initiative to relaunch the Mopar brand, which included building strong brand ties to Tony Stewart Racing, Don Schumacher Racing and Oakley. “I am thrilled at the opportunity presented to shape the future of USAC and solidify their leadership position in grassroots open wheel racing across America,” said Miller. “USAC has the heritage, brand, teams and drivers that define true passion in racing today.”
Jason Smith has devoted his entire professional career to the racing industry. After receiving his Bachelors Degree in Economics from Anderson University he began working for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) at what is now known as O’Reilly Raceway Park. While with NHRA, Smith worked extensively in event coordination and marketing. In 1998 he joined USAC, serving as the National Series Coordinator. In 2005 he formed the Premier Racing Association.
USAC was formed in late-1955, replacing the American Automobile Association as the National auto racing sanctioning body. In the ensuing 52 years, USAC has sanctioned virtually every form of motorsports, from quarter-midgets to Formula One, including a 42-year term as the sanctioning body for the Indianapolis 500-Mile race. In those 52 seasons, more than 7,500 events have been presented in nearly every state in America, plus events in Japan, Argentina, Italy, England, Canada and the Bahamas. USAC also provides professional testing and seal of approval programs for major automotive manufacturers.
For information, visit
www.usac.com.