Arrow McLaren SP has appointed Brian Barnhart as its new general manager and elevated Gavin Ward to the overarching role of racing director. With the moves, AMSP has parsed and redistributed the responsibilities of former president Taylor Kiel; the team tells RACER it will not backfill Kiel’s role.

“This leadership team has decades of racing success, with each bringing their own expertise to the group which will be a differentiator for the team as we grow to a three-car lineup in 2023 and continue to build on our heritage in the sport,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. “Gavin has made a solid impact in the few short months he’s been with the team, and we welcome Brian and the years of IndyCar experience he brings to the team.”

Barnhart will focus on the operational side of AMSP, with hiring of additional employees and the construction of the team’s new facility among the responsibilities assigned to the former IndyCar Series president.

“I’m excited to join McLaren Racing as General Manager for Arrow McLaren SP,” said Barnhart, who will continue working on Alexander Rossi’s timing stand. “The team has made incredible strides in challenging the top teams for the championship over the past two seasons. AMSP is full of talent, from their drivers to the mechanics and every position in between, and I’m honored to join them.”

Under the team’s new managerial structure, Ward will lead all aspects of AMSP’s competitive endeavors and oversee Max Neyron, the team’s director of operations along with director of performance Nick Snyder and competition director Billy Vincent.

“I’m honored to step into this role and work alongside the other leaders to continue elevating Arrow McLaren SP and our competitiveness on the track. Max, Nick, Billy and I have worked really well together this past season, so we already have established an impressive baseline that will lead to a smooth start for 2023,” Ward said. “I’m really excited to see what the team will do and welcome Brian to the team as well.”