DAYTONA BEACH, FLA — NASCAR announced today the promotion of Doug Gonder to series director of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series. He previously served as assistant series director under Cherie Putnam, who retired at the end of last season.
Gonder, a London, Ontario native, first joined NASCAR as an official in 2012 focusing on technical inspection, including pit road, templates, car and engine. He was promoted to assistant series director in 2022. Prior to joining NASCAR, Gonder worked as an official in the ARCA Menards Series and at Delaware Speedway, where he started his career as a race official in 2005.
“Doug is a trusted figure among competitors in the garage and is the perfect choice to lead the NASCAR Pinty’s Series into the future,” said Tony Spiteri, general manager of NASCAR Canada. “His relationships and technical experience are invaluable as the series continues to grow, welcoming new competitors, new racetracks and new fans.”
In addition to Gonder’s promotion, NASCAR also announced the 2023 series competition leadership structure. Longtime series official Sam Putnam has been promoted to technical director. Mike Hennink, who has been with the series since its inception, will serve as supervisor of officials. Rob Sharpe returns as race director, a position he’s held since 2019. Stephanie Azevedo returns for her sixth season as series coordinator.
The 2023 NASCAR Pinty’s Series season opens this Saturday with the NTN Ultimate Bearing Experience 250 at Sunset Speedway. All series races will stream live on TSN’s new subscription based, streaming platform, TSN+ and FloRacing in the United States. Tape-delay broadcasts will air on TSN and RDS2 in Canada.
Contact: Caitlin Patrick / NASCAR Pinty’s Series / cpatrick@nascar.com
