INDIANAPOLIS - Derrick Walker was the man in charge of ushering in the Verizon IndyCar Series' new "aero kit" era.
On Thursday, Walker ushered himself right out of the line of fire, announcing that he will resign from his role as IndyCar's president of operations and competition as of Aug. 31.
Walker, a longtime IndyCar team owner who joined the sanctioning body in an official capacity in mid-2013, had a full plate of responsibilities for the open-wheel sanctioning body, including managing the schedule and rulebook and serving as the series' point man when dealing with its engine manufacturers and other suppliers.
In that last role, Walker bore responsibility for the less-than-smooth introduction of this year's highly anticipated "aero kits" - wings and other bodywork designed and produced by Chevrolet and Honda for a standard central Dallara chassis.
Insufficient testing of the new components led to several problems, peaking at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May when several cars got airborne in unrelated single-car crashes. The problem was resolved prior to the race, but the method of resolution led to dissatisfaction in the Honda camp and produced unease in the series' relationship with its manufacturers.
Another untested aero specification used at Auto Club Speedway resulted in the return of pack racing and complaints from teams and drivers that Walker and IndyCar management were not listening to their concerns.
The rancor and divisive atmosphere in the IndyCar paddock was likely a factor in Walker's decision to leave.
Mike Hull, managing director of Chip Ganassi Racing, believes that universal support within the paddock is the key to success for Walker's successor.
"IndyCar racing is trying to find its way presently," Hull said. "Everybody has an opinion and nobody wants to support the system. "Until we can get buy-in from everybody in the paddock, no matter who does that job, it's going to be difficult for them to do it."
"I hadn't heard he was leaving but I was saddened by that," Hull added. "Derrick Walker is 'us' - he has enormous passion for IndyCar racing. He's the kind of guy who puts his heart and soul into this thing and he has for years.
"I'm disappointed that a person who represents all of us with a lot of integrity in a positive way has decided to step down."
Penske Racing president Tim Cindric also praised Walker's contributions to the sport in a leadership role. Walker's first job in IndyCar racing was with Penske, where he rose to the position of team manager before working for Porsche and ultimately founding his own team.
"He certainly brought credibility to the position, and commanded respect for things he accomplished and his knowledge of the business," Cindric said. "He worked with extremely competitive teams and engine packages and he found some parity there. That's a difficult task, and he had to navigate those waters. He's had to manage that, along with the competition side of it, and that's no easy thing.
"He helped IndyCar get to this point and I commend the job he's done getting those things in place."
Managing aero kit competition, a concept which was championed by former IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, turned out to be the biggest challenge of Walker's tenure.
Heavily hyped over the past year, the aero kits had a disappointing debut on the St. Petersburg street course, where the rough-and-tumble action exposed the fragility of the add-on components and littered the track with debris.
At Indianapolis, three Chevrolet cars got inverted while running in low-drag qualifying trim. IndyCar quickly mandated that all cars qualify in race specification, much to the dissatisfaction of Honda, which argued that it was left out of the discussion.
Then at Auto Club Speedway, cooler than expected temperatures and lower tire wear than expected combined to create pack-style racing. Several drivers, notably IndyCar Series championship leader Juan Pablo Montoya and Will Power of Team Penske, were highly critical of IndyCar management for mandating an aero spec that created pack racing.
Walker was at the center of that storm, and Ganassi's Hull believes that the level of discontent on public display at Fontana may have contributed to Walker's decision to depart.
"When a guy like Derrick, who sees and understands the long-term needs of the sport and has the passion for it is stepping down, it's really difficult to find quality to replace him," Hull said.
"Under the present circumstance, we've got to work hard to make this thing more positive so that somebody will take the reins and make it happen."
When series race director Beaux Barfield departed after the 2014 season, IndyCar struggled to find a suitable replacement. Brian Barnhart eventually returned to a role he left behind in 2011, in part because no one else stepped forward to take the job.
Although Walker was not directly involved in Race Control, the committee system he devised and supervised came under fire this year after a series of controversial calls and non-calls, including a non-call of an obvious safety violation when Graham Rahal pulled out of his pit at Auto Club Speedway with the fuel hose still attached to his car.
Rahal was not penalized during the race, which he went on to win.
Cindric was highly critical of Walker and IndyCar for not making changes to lessen the possibility of a pack race at Fontana, as well as the committee-driven decision-making process in Race Control.
But Cindric realizes that despite his perceived shortcomings, Walker will be a difficult man to replace - especially when trying to get a group of team owners to try to come to a consensus.
"Obviously it's going to be difficult to fill the role and replace someone of his experience, who's been there and done that," Cindric said. "That's the bigger question.
"It all depends on how things are structured," he added. "We need someone who can get up speed quickly and understand the current lay of land and what things need to be done prior to next year. There are competitive teams and manufacturers, which presents some challenges, and that's not an enviable position to be in when it comes to decisions that need to be made. It takes someone like Derrick, who has the passion to endure those rough days."