Arrow McLaren SP has appointed Taylor Kiel to the position of president, with Kiel stepping up from his previous role as managing director, Competition. The new position will see Kiel oversee operations of the whole company, including both the competition and commercial sides of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES team.

Kiel, a native of Indianapolis, joined the organization as a junior mechanic in 2007 after graduating from Indiana University, back when Arrow McLaren SP was a championship-winning Indy Lights team owned by Sam Schmidt. Since then, he has grown alongside the team, learning every step of the way.

“This is the next natural step for Taylor and for the evolution of the team,” said Arrow McLaren SP co-owner Sam Schmidt. “I’ll never forget him showing up to the shop 14 years ago, without any tools, looking for a job in racing. He started pushing a broom and has excelled in every position from mechanic to car chief to INDYCAR team manager and now president, learning and applying knowledge from some of the best in the industry. We are incredibly proud of the leader he has become.”

In 2020, Kiel led Arrow McLaren SP to a top-five finish in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with Pato O’Ward.

“I want to thank Sam and (co-owner) Ric (Peterson) for giving me the opportunity to lead this team at a higher level,” Kiel said. “Last year we showed our ability to grow and improve as a team, both competitively and commercially. This year we continue our journey towards becoming one of the top INDYCAR teams, on and off the track.”

Arrow McLaren SP will field two full-time entries in the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season: the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet driven by O’Ward, and the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet piloted by Felix Rosenqvist, with Juan Pablo Montoya joining the team for the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Kiel will remain the strategist for the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, continuing to guide O’Ward on track during race weekends.