UPDATE: IndyCar confirms organizational changes
Brian Barnhart, IndyCar's embattled competition president, has been asked to leave his position, SPEED's Robin Miller reports. Miller reports that Barnhart has been removed from his current position and will no longer be involved in the management or officiating of races, although he will be kept on the IndyCar payroll.
Barnhart drew wide and sometimes vociferous criticism during the 2011 season, peaking during a chaotic New Hampshire race when he made the decision to restart the race in damp conditions, resulting in a multi-car wreck. He later took full responsibility for the incident and was defended by IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, who said he was "100-percent supportive" of his president of race operations.
SPEED reports said Barnhart has been offered to stay on the payroll as president of operations but will no longer have anything to do with the officiating or managing of series races.
In addition, commercial president Terry Angstadt is understood to have been removed from his post and replaced by Mark Koretzky, who served as IndyCar's business development director in 2011. Angstadt has held his position since 2007. He and Barnhart are the final two remaining links to Tony George's Indy Racing League.
Potential replacements for Barnhart include American Le Mans Series race director Beaux Barfield and Grand-Am champion (and former IndyCar driver) Scott Pruett.
IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard was unavailable for comment, but hinted that changes in race control could be on the horizon when he said during the race weekend at Infineon Raceway that the whole rulebook would be up for evaluation at year's end.