Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ retooling of its technical and commercial staff this offseason continues with confirmation on Wednesday of several new hires.
Todd Malloy, formerly of Chip Ganassi Racing and Billy Vincent, formerly of Team Penske, are the key additions from a technical standpoint.
Malloy will be the team’s new technical director. Allen McDonald had been with SPM but has since gone to Ed Carpenter Racing this offseason.
Malloy’s extensive 21-year career includes an Indianapolis 500 win (2011 with Dan Wheldon) and CART championship (2003 with Paul Tracy) and experience at Team Green, Player’s-Forsythe Racing, RuSPORT, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and Bryan Herta Autosport before shifting to Ganassi for the last three years. Malloy worked with both Tony Kanaan and Charlie Kimball last season.
Vincent will be a new crew chief for the SPM operation, having had a long run at Team Penske.
There a number of other staff additions including Eric Pinkham (Vice President, Partner Strategy, and formerly of CSM Sport & Entertainment), Norm Hornitschek, Chris Nash and Joey Curotto (added to the team’s traveling crew) and Sherry Hall (Accounting & Travel Coordinator).
SPM’s next test with the Honda-powered 2018 Dallara universal aero kit comes with James Hinchcliffe at Phoenix next month. Hinchcliffe will partner his countryman Robert Wickens for “Team Canada” next year.
On another note, RACER.com reported on Tuesday the proposed Calmels Sport with SPM effort for the team’s third car at next year’s Indianapolis 500, meant to feature French driver Tristan Gommendy, is uncertain to materialize.
As NBC Sports has heard that rumor as well over the last several weeks, if that were to fall through, it’d mean a prime extra Indianapolis-only seat would become available.