FanHouse Tony George

Penske Racing's Ryan Briscoe needed every inch of the Kentucky Speedway top groove Saturday night to pull out a win over winless Ed Carpenter in the Meijer Indy 300, though that's not what people will remember.

The biggest story won't be Briscoe's triumphant return to victory lane in 2009 or how narrowly close the Tony George-owned Vision Racing team with Carpenter came to winning his first career race in some 94 tries.

Instead, the racing that the IRL IndyCar Series had become known for seemed to return with a bang in the hills of Sparta, Ky., thanks to a few rule changes for the series.

This time it's official. As of July 1, Tony George is out as CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Instead he'll focus his efforts on the Indy Racing League and will continue on as member of the board of directors of the Speedway and the family's Hulman & Company.

George's mother, Mari Hulman George, made the announcement Tuesday. It comes four weeks after several news outlets, including FanHouse, reported the move was imminent -- only to have George deny the reports then.

"[George] has decided that with the recent unification of open-wheel racing and the experienced management team IMS has cultivated over the years, now would be the time for him to concentrate on his team ownership of Vision Racing with his family and other personal business interests he and his family share," Hulman George, the IMS' chairwoman of the board, said, while also praising her son's "leadership and direction."

Refuting multiple reports, Tony George, 49, said Wednesday he remains Chairman of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

After multiple news outlets ran reports (which FanHouse covered) that George may have been voted out, George and his mother Mari Hulman George released a statement Wednesday confirming that there was a Board of Directors meeting Tuesday night, but denying reports that George was voted out as Chairman of the famous 100-year-old Speedway.