Veteran Reporter Cavin Named Vice President of Communications
INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Oct. 7, 2016) – INDYCAR announced today that Curt Cavin has been appointed vice president of communications. Cavin, currently an Indianapolis Star sportswriter who has covered motorsports for three decades, will join INDYCAR on Oct. 24.
“Curt is already a leading voice on the Verizon IndyCar Series and the best candidate to share the speed, excitement and drama of the sport,” said CJ O’Donnell, Hulman Motorsports chief marketing officer. “Curt will enhance our ability to share the compelling stories of our drivers and thrilling action on track. His skills and experience will complement the efforts of our strong existing communications team and will further the progress the series has seen in the past three seasons.”
In collaboration with Mike Kitchel, INDYCAR director of communications, and Brian Simpson, INDYCAR digital/social media manager, Cavin will lead INDYCAR’s public relations, media relations and digital media efforts. INDYCAR is the sanctioning body for the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires developmental stepladder.
Among Cavin’s responsibilities will be advancing national media coverage of INDYCAR and expanding editorial content published through IndyCar.com and social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. INDYCAR’s communications and digital teams have driven substantial growth in recent years and Cavin will be charged with increasing that year-round media engagement and social activation to further the growth of the Verizon IndyCar Series.
“I can’t wait to bring my multimedia experience covering motorsports and other national sporting events to the talented team already in place at the Verizon IndyCar Series,” Cavin said. “I am looking forward to building upon the momentum generated by the series this year.”
A Franklin (Ind.) College graduate, Cavin joined The Indianapolis Star in 1987, spending nearly 30 years with Indiana’s largest newspaper. He has been a key contributor to the daily print product, while also becoming a leader at IndyStar in providing multimedia content and social media strategies. His racing blog became a regular feature on IndyStar.com in 2001 and he authored both editions of IndyStar’s “100 Years, 500 Miles” book celebrating the Indianapolis 500’s centennial anniversaries.
While best known for his INDYCAR coverage, Cavin is a former Indiana University sports beat writer whose versatility made him a key contributor to the newspaper’s coverage of the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, and Butler University basketball. He covered two Super Bowls and five Final Fours in addition to 29 consecutive Indianapolis 500s and all of NASCAR’s Brickyard 400s at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Cavin is in his ninth year co-hosting “Trackside,” an INDYCAR-centric radio show along with NBCSN reporter Kevin Lee originating from WFNI-1070 AM in Indianapolis. For 13 years he was a motorsports analyst for WTHR, the Indianapolis NBC TV affiliate, and he has been a longtime contributor to Autoweek, a Detroit-based magazine.
Cavin also is the founder of the Carb Night Burger Bash, a free fan charity event now a staple of the Indianapolis 500 weekend. In its nine years, The Burger Bash has donated nearly $200,000 to Central Indiana programs.
Sources: Mike Kitchel/Verizon IndyCar Series PR