Kirk Dooley became director of INDY NXT by Firestone this past April, overseeing all operations and competition for INDYCAR’s developmental series. The series prepares drivers, engineers, and other team personnel for the flagship NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

For the Indiana native, taking the role was like coming home. Dooley had been INDYCAR chief of staff in 2015–2016 and then became director of event operations at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2016. He left INDYCAR in 2020 to become chief operating officer of the Skip Barber Racing School. There, in addition to helping expand business operations, he managed a four-car race team that won the 2021 SRO TC class championship and placed second in the TCA Class during the team’s inaugural season. Most recently, Dooley was the owner of Indianapolis-based Torque Lab, which provides engine management software and racing services to performance shops and race teams.

Dooley entered the motorsports industry after a 24-year career in the US Marine Corps, which he left as second-in-command of Marine Forces Special Operations Command. His passion for motor racing started long before his military career. As a young boy visiting his grandparents in Liberty, Indiana, Dooley could hear the dirt track racing nearby on Saturday nights.

“We finally attended a race, and I became gripped by the speed and noise,” he recalled for PRI. He later dove into the world of fast cars with a 1994 Ford Mustang Cobra into which he admitted investing “an embarrassing amount of money” to engage in drag racing, autocross, and road racing.

“That led to the same in motorcycles, then back to cars, and it continued to grow from there,” he added.

PRI: Your civilian career history is all racing. How did you get your start in this industry?

Dooley: When it came time to retire from the Marine Corps, I decided to make my new profession in the racing industry. I believe that there are a lot of very translatable skills between fast-paced and complex missions within special operations and the dynamic high stakes world of racing.

PRI: You have extensive experience with major racing organizations. Does anything about managing INDY NXT stand out as a particular challenge?

Dooley: One challenge and core goal is evolving INDY NXT by Firestone from a traditionally pay-to-play series into a more commercially sustainable championship, and to help teams and drivers be less reliant on their own budgets. This may take some time, but the potential is there. Interest from new teams and high-caliber drivers continues to grow. We have the integrated support of INDYCAR, strong partnerships in Firestone, and we’re on TV like never before. Fox Sports will show every INDY NXT race live on FS1 or FS2, and INDYCAR Live is rapidly growing in international markets, giving the series unprecedented exposure. We are bullish that the combination of circumstances will elevate the series in a way that will further attract top driver talent and stakeholders alike and help improve the economic models...

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