Dr. Eric Jacuzzi, a key figure involved in the Gen 7 car, has announced that he is departing NASCAR after nearly 13 years.
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Dr. Jacuzzi, the vice president in vehicle performance, announced the news with a post on his LinkedIn profile. He confirmed that this is not a retirement; instead, he is taking a break before moving onto his next chapter.
"Bittersweet but after almost 13 years at NASCAR it's time for something different. Last officials hard card for me," he wrote in a post showing a hard card sitting on the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro.
"Cannot thank my colleagues and everyone who believed in me enough. We did some amazing things and I hope I left the sport better than when I found it.
"I had some amazing teammates who I could not have done any of it without. Especially want to thank TotalSim US for all of their help in so many different projects over the years. Looking forward to a little time off and preparing for my next adventure..."
A graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, Dr. Jacuzzi later earned his PHD from the North Carolina State University.
He joined NASCAR in 2014 as an aerodynamics engineer, and he began working his way up the company chart while continuing to focus on vehicle performance.
He became the director of aerodynamics in 2018 and then managing director of aerodynamics and vehicle performance in 2021. He became the vice president of vehicle performance in 2023 as NASCAR prepared for the second year of the Gen 7 car.
Dr. Jacuzzi remained in this role while focusing on the Cup Series car's performance on a variety of tracks, something that has been a hot topic during the Gen 7 era.
The longtime employee also played a pivotal role in a milestone for the sport. He was a key member of the team that brought the modified Gen 7 car to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023.
Now that Dr. Jacuzzi is stepping away from NASCAR, a new person will move into a leadership role. Chris Popiela, the managing director of aerodynamics, will play a pivotal role in replacing Dr. Jacuzzi.
