Many citizens are apparently confused about the nature of Terry Angstadt's job with the Indy Racing League. He is a salesman, and no more. His performance is measured by the cash flows generated by the deals he cuts. The following is what we shall deem the de facto job description for Angstadt. Technically, he has additional responsibilities, but the ones that really matter to his supervisors are below.
- Sell IRL events to race promoters
- Sell league and series sponsorships to corporations
And that pretty much does it.
The business culture at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has space available for only two activities: sales and operations. Strategy is incorrectly believed to be the mere combination of the two. Marketing is confused with public relations and promotion. A big Rolodex is the assumed driver of successful sales. Facilities and events management - operations, both - are institutional strengths.
The abstractions above are necessary if citizens are to recognize the constraints that limit the capabilities of IRL management. Terry Angstadt is said to oversee marketing, but this is not true. Marketing, as any undergraduate business student can tell you, begins with the Four P's, the first of which is "Product". For example, Procter & Gamble, a firm that seems to know something about marketing, calls its top decision-makers Product Managers. Conversely, at the IRL, product belongs to the Operations Division, which might or might not choose to consult Angstadt when considering product development issues.
That is why the Republic does not seek the heads of either Terry Angstadt or Brian Barnhart. Both men seem to work hard at the jobs they were hired to do. IndyCar Racing's management problems are - and going back to AAA, have always been - structural and cultural, not personal.
These unfortunate circumstances, however, seem to cause Angstadt to speak in frequent banalities, vacuities and inconsistencies. This induces much chafing among the citizens.
It happened again today, and in a national newspaper, no less. Analysis is forthcoming.
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