Verizon IndyCar Series race director Beaux Barfield will leave his post after a three-year stint, in order to take on a full-time role as IMSA race director, per sources to MotorSportsTalk. Further news from IMSA has followed later Friday afternoon.

Barfield took over the role in 2012, coming in after prior race director Brian Barnhart’s stint ended at the conclusion of the 2011 season. He had previously served as race director of the IMSA-sanctioned American Le Mans Series from 2008 through 2011, and had prior stewarding experience in Champ Car, Atlantic, Trans-Am and USF2000.

Upon Derrick Walker’s appointment as INDYCAR’s president of competition and operations in June 2013, Barfield was no longer the primary voice for IndyCar race control and officiating. Instead, Walker has served as the voice for any questions related to these topics.

A statement from INDYCAR supplied to its teams reads as follows:

INDYCAR would like to thank Beaux Barfield for his contributions to the Verizon IndyCar Series during the past three seasons and we wish him all the best as he assumes his new position with IMSA. INDYCAR’s on-track product showcases extremely competitive and compelling racing and we look forward to identifying a race director that will take the Verizon IndyCar Series to an even higher level starting in 2015.

While Barfield moved to IndyCar, Paul Walter took over the role of ALMS race director in 2012, did both ALMS and the GRAND-AM Rolex Series in 2013 and has been race director of IMSA’s unified TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014.

Barfield replaces Walter in the role for the last two TUDOR Championship races of 2014 and into 2015.

Where IndyCar goes from here remains to be seen. Barnhart is still on staff; he filled in for Barfield at the 2013 Toronto doubleheader race weekend.

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On the IMSA side, here is the release issued Friday afternoon. Barfield isn’t the lone appointment here:

As the 2014 inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship prepares for its two final races and plans for the 2015 season take shape, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) today announced a number of enhancements to its competition department. IMSA adds motorsports veterans Simon Hodgson and Beaux Barfield to key leadership positions while establishing key new roles for existing IMSA competition officials Scot Elkins, Paul Walter and Mark Raffauf.

Hodgson, a native of the United Kingdom, brings more than 25 years of experience in motorsports to his new position as IMSA’s Managing Director, Racing Operations. Hodgson’s experience includes positions in Formula 1, IndyCar and IMSA / GRAND-AM, where he most recently served as general manager of Wayne Taylor Racing’s championship-winning Prototype team.

Hodgson will oversee all racing operations functions, such as race directors, series platforms, competition administration, member services, track services and logistics. He will report to IMSA President and COO, Scott Atherton.

Elkins, who has served in an executive role with IMSA since 2008, becomes Managing Director, Technical Regulations. He will oversee the technical aspects of all IMSA-sanctioned series, with a primary focus on the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda. Those aspects include Adjustment of Performance (AoP), technical regulations, homologation, technical staff and technical inspection.

He also will continue to represent IMSA for all international technical meetings with groups such as the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club l’Ouest (ACO), and will continue to lead IMSA’s development in collaboration with the ACO and FIA of all aspects of the new TUDOR Championship Prototype (P) class car set to debut in 2017. Elkins will continue to report to Atherton.

“The addition of Simon to our senior leadership team and the redefinition of Scot’s responsibilities put IMSA in a very strong position domestically and abroad,” Atherton said. “Simon comes in with a wealth of relevant industry experience and has earned the respect of virtually everyone with whom he has come in contact throughout his very successful and diverse career.

“Likewise, Scot maintains a strong voice in defining technical regulations that shape the future of our sport here in the U.S., Europe and around the world. He has developed solid relationships with his international counterparts, which are vital to the long-term success of the technical rules that will govern and unify professional endurance sports car racing.”

Hodgson joins the company at its Daytona Beach headquarters on Monday, Sept. 8 and both he and Elkins assume their new responsibilities immediately.

Barfield tapped as new IMSA Race Director

Beginning with upcoming 2014 events at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on Sept. 19-20 and the season finale Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, veteran official Beaux Barfield will become Race Director for the TUDOR Championship and Continental Tire Challenge. Barfield served in the Race Director role of the IMSA-sanctioned American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón from 2008 through 2011. He most recently was Race Director for the IndyCar Series from 2012 to 2014.

Barfield will be responsible for race direction and race control staff for all TUDOR Championship and Continental Tire Challenge events.

With the addition of Barfield, Paul Walter moves into the role of Director, Racing Operations. His responsibilities will continue to include the development of all event schedules and supplementary regulations, as well as the IMSA Rule Books and related updates. Walter also will serve as the Clerk of the Course and have an active role in competition-related matters.

Long-time IMSA and GRAND-AM competition leader Mark Raffauf has been named IMSA Director, Series Platforms. He will have day-to-day oversight of all IMSA series platforms, including the TUDOR Championship, Continental Tire Challenge, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda, Ferrari Challenge, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin and Lamborghini Super Trofeo.

Barfield, Walter and Raffauf will report to Hodgson.

“These enhancements to our leadership structure will enable us to maximize the strengths of each of these individuals and our entire IMSA competition team,” said IMSA CEO Ed Bennett. “I am pleased to add Simon to our team, welcome Beaux back into the IMSA family and congratulate Scot, Paul and Mark on their new positions. All of them are proven professionals who will play important roles in the continued growth and development of IMSA now and into our bright future.”

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