Aug. 3, 2023
Longtime medical director for IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and a self-described adrenaline junkie, Geoffrey Billows, M.D., knows a lot about working under pressure.
“Anybody whose specialty is emergency medicine and says they aren’t an adrenaline junkie probably isn’t being truthful with themselves,” he joked. “You never know what’s walking in the door next, it’s always different and you have to be ready for the worst possible thing—it just takes a different kind of person.”
Billows, assistant professor emeritus of clinical emergency medicine at IU School of Medicine, got his start with motorsports and mass gathering medicine during his residency when he volunteered at the IMS Infield Care Center during racing events. He quickly developed a passion for motorsports medicine and has been involved with the IndyCar Series in varying roles since 1995.
As medical director at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2007 until his retirement in Nov. 2022, Billows oversaw all medical care provided on the property for events throughout the year. He was also responsible for driver evaluation and treatment, as well as emergency spectator care. Billows traveled extensively with the IndyCar Series to races throughout the United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan and Australia.
“It's a pleasure and a privilege to get to take care of the racing community—not only the drivers, but also the team members, families and those who work for the speedway and IndyCar,” Billows said.
Accustomed to life in the fast lane, Billows unexpectedly had to slow down when he was diagnosed with parotid salivary cancer in November 2020. The rare and aggressive cancer diagnosis came right as his daughter was about to deliver his first grandchild.
“My world came crumbling before me when I heard those words—it’s like somebody just kicks you in the gut,” he said. “I was devastated.”
Billows’s treatment has included multiple surgeries, a brutal course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy over the last few years. His recent scans have been clear. He is now on maintenance immunotherapy infusions under the care of Greg Durm, M.D., a physician-scientist at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. And now Billows and his wife, Tammy, are enjoying time with their growing family with three grandchildren.
Billows’s impact on IU School of Medicine and IndyCar is undeniable. He established the IU School of Medicine’s motorsports medicine fellowship, the first program of its kind. Besides providing medical care to drivers and spectators on race weekends, Billows worked tirelessly with IndyCar officials and the American Medical Response (AMR) Safety Team to enhance driver safety in motorsports, becoming a respected global leader in the field.
Even though Billows is now retired, he’s still getting plenty of time at the track. He enjoyed his first Indy 500 this spring as a spectator in more than 30 years, and he’s working part-time on the IMS medical team—including practice and qualifying day for the upcoming INDYCAR race. But these days are about balance and enjoying life for Billows.
Billows will be watching from the stands on Saturday, Aug. 12, as Marcus Armstrong drives the No. 11 IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center “Research Cures Cancer” racecar at the Gallagher Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
