NASCAR shuffles Canadian Pinty's Series leadership structure

Earlier this week, NASCAR announced the promotion of Doug Gonder to serve as series director of the Pinty’s Series. He previously served as assistant series director under Cherie Putnam, who retired at the end of last season.

Gonder, a native of London, Ontario, first joined NASCAR as an official in 2012 focusing on technical inspection, including pit road, templates, the car and engines. 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 race tracks and new fans.”

In addition to Gonder’s promotion, 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, which features a record 14-race slate and its most diverse schedule, opens this Saturday at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario.

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.