Anton Hulman "Tony" George (born December 30, 1959) is the former President and CEO of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and
Hulman & Company, serving from 1989 to 2009. He was also formerly on the Board of Directors of both entities. He founded the
Indy Racing League and co-owned
Vision Racing. Many commentators, such as Gordon Kirby, suggest that George's actions at the head of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and in creating the IRL to rival the then-dominant
CART led to a sharp decline in popularity of
open-wheel racing in the United States as it split the fanbase, and gave a significant boost to the national popularity of
NASCAR.