MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Gavin Ward has been elevated to Team Principal at Arrow McLaren and 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner and 2004 NTT IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan has been named the team’s Sporting Director.
Arrow McLaren made the announcement on October 2 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
Brian Barnhart, who joined the team last year and will continue as General Manager, will report to the Team Principal overseeing the business operations and administration of the team, including strategic partnerships and special projects.
“Last year at this time, the team went through significant changes and growth, and we had to move fast to recruit and stay ahead of preparation for the upcoming season,” Ward said. “We’ve used the last several months as an opportunity to observe our ways of working—where we’re strong and where we need to be better.
“I’m excited for these changes. This team has great characters and a ton of talent, and this is all about leaning into people’s strengths and allowing the team to run fast and effectively.”
Kanaan’s title is also changing from Special Advisor to Sporting Director, joining the existing leadership team to have a more present role beyond race weekends. In this role, the former driver will work closely with the drivers, help build and strengthen partner relationships and serve as a resource for the team to stay performance focused on its day-to-day work.
“My role as special advisor was really an opportunity for me to test the waters of being on the other side of a team—as a leader and no longer a driver,” Kanaan said. “I was able to observe how the team is run, make suggestions on where we can improve and help with the commercial side of the team. I found out quickly that this side isn’t too bad. I really like it actually and thought I have more to contribute in the day-to-day, outside of just race weekends.
“I’m looking forward to this new role where I will be more engrained with the team, having unique experience to contribute and make Arrow McLaren even better.”
The team grew by 40 percent last off-season and will be in its second year under Ward’s leadership for the 2024 IndyCar Series season.