An email sent out on October 17th to riders and alumni announced Hank Duncan’s resignation as Little 500 Race Director. The news broke on Monday, the first day of the Fall Series events which Duncan had been at the forefront of organizing. Riders and fans, left with mixed thoughts, were told of the news by newly appointment President of IU Student Foundation, Trent McGee.

Duncan expressed that while “there were not many things that [he] would leave this position for,” his offer to be the Bicycle and Pedestrian coordinator for the City of Bloomington is one he cannot refuse. “I want to get into urban planning. I want to designs cities around people, not cars, ” Duncan said. His new position with the City will enable him to, “grow cycling, commuters […] those who roll and walk” across the city.

While this came as a surprise to riders and fans, acting IUSF Director Trent McGee assured riders that business would continue as normal. “The search for the new race director will begin immediately,” McGee said in an email. “The goal is to have the selected candidate in place for the 2023 spring races.” Until the position is filled, McGee says he will handle any official race director needs. 

Trent McGee and his team at IUSF have put into place a strategy for the new director search, and have placed the goals of the Little 500 in the forefront of the search process. “I’m not just looking at traditional routes,” McGee said, but instead, “doing a thorough search with student involvement to make sure we find the right next Race Director”. McGee and the search committee will look for someone involved within the cycling community across the nation and those whose goals align with the goals of the Little 500 community. 

For the remaining two weeks Duncan is director, he will continue his involvement with day-to-day tasks and activities. “As I’m phasing out, we have our Fall Cycling Series going on right now, which is the peak of our fall semester,” Duncan said. “So, as much as I want to take a backseat, this is what we’ve been preparing for for months now.” Duncan is working closely with McGee and the team at IUSF to ensure McGee is trained in understanding of the responsibilities associated with the role of Director until the position is filled. 

While Duncan will not be Race Director at Indiana University for much longer, his previous experience as director and being a part of a race team from 2015-2019 will not stop him from supporting the Little 500 and its community for the upcoming years. He expressed that while there will be a natural step-back due to his new position, “I will still be around, especially for Spring Series events, the race and […] who knows what comes next.”