Doug Boles to oversee Indy NXT as Director Richard Buck axed within 3 months of joining

Richard Buck, Indy NXT’s former director who was signed by Penske Entertainment to lead the American open-wheel ladder series, has split ways with the series after a short three-month tenure. According to Racer.com, Indy NXT parted ways with its former director on February 25, 2025.

Newly appointed IndyCar President Doug Boles along with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Vice President Jason Penix will overlook the Indy NXT series while Penske Entertainment finds a suitable replacement for Richard Buck.

Richard Buck was appointed as the Indy NXT Director on December 10, 2024, after Levi Jones parted ways with the ladder series. Buck has been working in motorsports since 1979 and has worked alongside many IndyCar drivers and for multiple teams.

Buck worked as the crew chief for Provimi Racing and Alex Foods Racing in the early 1980s. He then worked with Penske Racing (now Team Penske) as a crew chief for over a decade before becoming a team manager and race strategist at PPI in the late 90s.

He then moved to work in the world of stock racing, before returning to Indy NXT as the director of the series. Penske Entertainment spent multiple months in the off-season to find a suitable replacement for Levi Jones.

However, according to the reports, the Indy NXT team owners weren't content with Richard Buck, suggesting the former director was an ill fit for the role as the communication gaps between the teams and the series grew during his tenure.

As a result, Richard Buck was relieved of his duties, giving both the ladder series, and the former director time just in time before the 2025 Indy NXT season goes into full throttle.

Doug Boles replaced Jay Frye as the IndyCar President

Roger Penske's corporation Penske Entertainment has been on a roll with the changes being made at its ventures in the recent few months. Initially, Tim Cindric, the Team Penske boss stepped down from the role of seeing the everyday operations of the team. The announcement of Jay Frye being replaced by Doug Boles shortly followed suit.

Doub Boles at the 103rd Indianapolis 500 - Legends Day - Source: Getty

Doug Boles, who's been serving as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway President since 2013, was chosen to also serve as the IndyCar President. Speaking about the appointment, Boles said:

“Racing is in my DNA, and no form of racing resonates more personally and strongly with me than the NTT IndyCar Series. I’m honored to lead the amazing team at IndyCar, and I truly believe the future is bigger and brighter than ever for our sport and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

Other changes were also made to the senior management roles as Mark Sibla was promoted to Senior Vice President of IndyCar Competition & Operations. Kyle Novak, Alex Damron, and Louis Kissinger were also promoted to new roles.