Speedway Steward
Doug Boles is exactly who you hoped he would be. President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar, the 25-year Zionsville resident has an easy demeanor, engages in friendly banter and speaks with a level of passion and confidence that could only be found in someone who says five hours of sleep a night is the perfect amount — midnight to 5 a.m. is just fine, he says.
He’s also funny. One of Boles’ favorite things to do outside of work, other than hiking and snowboarding, is attending USAC sprint car races and critiquing the food from the concession stands.
“There’s nothing more delightful than sitting in a grandstand and watching those races, and of course observing what food they’re offering,” he says.
His pick, most often, is a cheeseburger.
During the other 19 hours of the day, Boles and his wife, Beth, can be found around Zionsville at some of their favorite restaurants like Noah Grant’s, The Tipsy Mermaid or getting food to go from The Friendly Tavern, especially when his parents are in town. A coffee lover, he’s also a frequent visitor at all the local Zionsville shops.
When Boles and his wife began looking for a house in the late 1990s, Zionsville was simply one option on the map. It did not take long before it felt like the right one.
“We sort of fell in love with the area,” Boles says. “Where we live is a little north of town so you get the benefit of the Zionsville community but you also get the nature around it. There’s just a peace about it. We’ve always loved being here.”
A few years ago, after their sons had grown up and moved out, the couple briefly wondered whether it was time to leave. Maybe somewhere warmer. Maybe somewhere new. Their children quickly ended the conversation.
“Our boys said you can’t go anywhere,” he says. “This is where we do Christmas.”
Instead of moving, the couple renovated the house and stayed put. Boles says even if they had moved, it likely would have been somewhere else in town.
Part of the appeal is practical. Zionsville sits just far enough outside Indianapolis to feel quiet while still being close to everything: downtown, the airport, I-65 and IMS.
But convenience is not what keeps him there; it’s that the charming brick street maintains the small-town feel in the middle of a big-city market.
“Often I think the mayor of Zionsville is a little like the president of the Speedway,” Boles says. “Both are guiding something that’s special because of its history, but you also have to make sure it’s ready for the next decade or the next century.”
And with preparation comes long days and nights.
“My wife will tell you I don’t really stop working,” he says.
That pace partly reflects the expectations of his boss, Roger Penske, whose global companies employ tens of thousands of people. It also reflects Boles’ own relationship with the sport. Motorsports was not simply a career choice. It was a lifelong interest he refused to give up.
He reminds young people of that often.
“If you’re passionate about something, don’t give it up,” he says. “You may not end up working in it, but the minute you quit you don’t even have the opportunity.”
His early years were far from glamorous. One of his first racing jobs involved cleaning restrooms at a track then called Indianapolis Raceway Park; he would do anything to get into the sport.
Even now, Boles says the work rarely resembles what fans imagine. Race day for him is not spent watching cars circle the track.
“I never get to see any racing,” he says with a laugh. “You’re solving problems and trying to make the experience better for people and celebrating wins with your team — and making sure to celebrate other people’s wins, too.”
That focus on fans traces back to his own childhood. Boles attended his first Indianapolis 500 with his father when he was 10. The memory remains vivid.
“I still think about that morning walking in with my dad,” he says. “If I could go back and tell that 10-year-old what was going to happen later in his life, he wouldn’t believe it.”
Even after years in the role, he says he still feels a sense of disbelief when he drives through the gates each day.
“I’m just really blessed to do what I do,” Boles says. “The Speedway has such an amazing history. For however long I’m fortunate enough to have this job, I try to remember that it’s really about the fans and how we make the experience better for them.”
