Autosportradio.com 2021 Show guest on July 10th…
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Guest…
Doug Boles, President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Behind the scenes, on center stage and everywhere in between, works the president of IMS and Zionsville resident, Doug Boles. Fervently leading the colossal team of individuals that are required to manage this extraordinary and historic venue, Boles must find a balance between his duty to the track as well as to his family. This feat Boles has been able to manage only with the support of his wife and their four sons.
Life, Work Balance
“Finding balance is the biggest challenge that I have,” Boles said. “I am fortunate that my house is full of people that are as passionate about this place [IMS] and this sport, as I am. It would be really hard if I went home to people that were like, ‘Oh, here he goes again’. The hardest part in balancing all this is when I get home because my family wants to talk about my day and sometimes, the last thing you want to do is talk about your day. I’m like, ‘I want to talk about your day’. For me, I’m so passionate about it too so I’m going to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until they tell me to leave at some point in time. For over four years now, every Monday, the assistant pastor at College Park where we go to church is a really good friend of mine and we get together and pray for each other and make sure that we don’t get too wrapped up in it [our vocations] and forget our family, our faith and the things that are important.”
Boles acknowledged his wife, Beth, and her ability to keep Boles on task back at the home front.
“The great thing about my wife, Beth, if she sees me in a spot where I shouldn’t be or I’m forgetting something, or the kids need this or that- she’s right there telling me,” he said affectionately. I’m reminded that this is my job and the most important thing that I’m involved in, are the lives that are at home-my family.”
Boles carries that philosophy over to his work and his team. Leading by example, he tries to instill the importance of a healthy life, work balance.
“I tell my team that they have to balance it,” Boles said. “It’s one thing when we’re in the three weeks of May that are really intense but outside of that, I tell them that they need to go home and see their families-it [work] will be here tomorrow. The whole team is as passionate about the place and it’s easy to get caught up in the fact that the 102nd running of the Indy 500 is just days away and we’ve got to be ready.”