Kevin 'Rocket' Blanch retires; Nick Allen named IndyCar tech director

Kevin “Rocket” Blanch retired effective immediately, ending a 36-year association with IndyCar and a streak of 555 consecutive races. His departure formalized IndyCar’s transition in technical officiating as the series implements a new officiating structure.

Blanch joined IndyCar staff in 2003 and served 23 years as technical director. He remained on through the creation of IndyCar Officiating and the Independent Officiating Board to help complete the Month of May, including the Indianapolis 500, before stepping down.

He began his motorsports career as a crew chief with Panther Racing, spending more than six seasons in that role and helping produce two championships, 11 victories and five pole positions. At IndyCar he led post-qualifying and post-race technical inspections, overseeing compliance with safety, aerodynamic and chassis regulations.

Blanch was widely respected in the paddock and organized an annual mechanics’ party that distributed an estimated $600,000 in donated merchandise over seven years.

IndyCar named Nick Allen as Blanch’s successor. IndyCar said it hired Allen in January; some outlets reported February. Allen will assume the technical director duties and run post-qualifying and post-race inspections.

Allen was the NTT IndyCar Series technical inspection manager after roughly 20 years as a race team mechanic and chief mechanic, including time as an Andretti Global crew chief from 2014 through this year.

IndyCar described the change as a personnel transition intended to provide continuity in technical leadership, and IndyCar President Doug Boles praised Blanch’s role in guiding the sport’s officiating through the first half of the season. The announcement formalizes a leadership change amid recent scrutiny following failed Indianapolis 500 inspections.