On Wednesday, Andretti Global unveiled two prominent NASCAR executives as part of a major restructuring following Michael Andretti’s departure from his position. Doug Duchardt and Jill Gregory have been appointed to important roles within the company, which now oversees the former Andretti operations.
Duchardt has taken on the role of chief performance officer for motorsports at TWG Group, which is the new oversight body for all assets previously associated with the Andretti brand. His extensive experience in the racing industry includes various leadership roles with different race teams, as well as with General Motors.
Gregory joins the team as the chief operating officer of a TWG subsidiary and president of Andretti Global. Previously, she held the position of vice president and marketing officer at NASCAR, and she has experience running the Sonoma Raceway. Both executives were introduced in a team meeting at the Andretti race shop in Indiana, although attire and context were kept private as TWG plans to announce its leadership publicly next week.
TWG Group itself is the investment enterprise created by Mark Walter, who serves as the CEO of Guggenheim Partners and is the principal owner of both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the famed Premier League soccer club Chelsea. Partnering with him is Dan Towriss, who began his motorsport journey as a sponsor for Andretti and assumed an ownership role with Andretti Global last year. Towriss is currently the majority owner of the Andretti race teams and heads the motorsports division of TWG Global, which will be formally named in the upcoming restructuring announcement.
Duchardt’s prior experience in NASCAR includes a notable stint as team president of Spire Motorsports, and he has also worked extensively with Chip Ganassi Racing, where he was chief operating officer across several programs. His background includes a lengthy tenure at Hendrick Motorsports, and he commenced his career with General Motors. In his new capacity, he will manage all of TWG’s motorsport ventures, which include collaborations with Spire—whose ownership Towriss recently acquired—and Wayne Taylor Racing, a partnership formed while Andretti was still actively involved.
While current Spire Motorsports owner Jeff Dickerson continues to oversee operations, Duchardt’s role will be supported by Bill Anthony, vice president at Spire, and Todd Mackin, head of Spire Holdings. Meanwhile, Gregory will lead the racing subsidiary of TWG with a special focus on Andretti Global’s IndyCar team, the IndyNxt program, and the Formula E team. She will succeed J-F Thormann, the longtime president of Andretti Global, who is transitioning to head driver development, following a long-standing relationship with Michael Andretti.
Before joining Andretti Global, Gregory held the position of executive vice president and chief marketing and content officer at NASCAR, where she directly managed various crucial functions including marketing, communications, and diversity initiatives. She previously directed NASCAR’s Charlotte-based operations and was also involved in significant marketing roles at Bank of America and Sprint Nextel. Most recently, she has been working as a consultant for Andretti Global, contributing her expertise as they move into a new chapter.
