Former IndyCar president Jay Frye joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) Racing have appointed Jay Frye as their new president following his departure from IndyCar.

Confirmed:

• Frye will report directly to team ownership, which includes US talk show legend David Letterman
• He will oversee the team’s operations in both IndyCar and the IMSA SportsCar Championship
• RLL Racing also confirm departure of chief operating officer Steve Eriksen

Context:

Frye was replaced as IndyCar president by Doug Boles less than three weeks before the start of the campaign, which was a surprising move after ten years in the role. According to reports, neither side agreed on the future direction of the series’ next car, which led to an irreparable rift.

IndyCar’s loss is RLL Racing’s gain, though, as the team gains an experienced executive with detailed operational knowledge of the series itself. The team sits on the periphery of the championship, unable to consistently challenge the bigger outfits and saw star driver Christian Lundgaard poached by Arrow McLaren before the start of this season.

Comment:

“First, I would like to thank Steve Eriksen for all of the work he did for us, particularly at a critical moment in time for the company, and we certainly wish him the best in his next endeavour,” said Bobby Rahal, team co-owner with David Letterman and Michael Lanigan.

“I’m very pleased to have Jay Frye join the team as president of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. I’ve known him since his arrival on the IndyCar scene in 2013 and have spent a lot of time with him and think highly of his character and his passion for the sport. I look forward to working with him in the future to take RLL to the place we all want it to be.”

Frye added: “Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has a tremendous history of success, both on and off the track. I am very proud to be joining the dedicated and talented team of people at RLL. RLL has the foundation, infrastructure and an incredible commitment to continue being successful well into the future.”

Coming next:

This will be the first time that Frye has been involved in a motorsport team’s operations since he was general manager of the former Red Bull Nascar team between 2008 and 2011. He will be tasked with hitting the ground running and ensuring a quick turnaround in RLL Racing’s fortunes. The outfit is one of the more productive teams on the sponsorship front in IndyCar but lost a big deal with Hy-Vee at the end of last season. Frye’s substantial contact base should help bolster the team’s portfolio with more major partners.

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