Hall of Fame

An outstanding Sports Car racer in his own right, Roger Penske (DOB: February 20, 1937) built the most successful team in motorsports history. And much of the credit for this feat can be based on the advice his father Jay gave him as a youngster: “Effort Equals Results.”    
Encouraged as a teenager to become an entrepreneur, Penske bought old cars, fixed them up and then sold them at a profit more than 30 times during a 10-year period.  But another moment proved to be a sign of things to come when he and his father made the trip from their Cleveland, Ohio, home to the 1951 Indianapolis 500 where 14-year-old Roger got his first exposure to top-level motorsports; an endeavor that would one day be a major part of his life.  
In 1958, Penske made his first Professional start at the old Marlboro (MD) Motor Raceway in an old Bob Holbert Porsche RS.  Then the talented young driver – who in 1959 earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – won the 1960 Sports Car Club of America F-Modified title in a Porsche RSK.
After attaining DuPont sponsorship, Penske won his first Professional race on the old 1.5mile Vineland (NJ) Speedway Road Course in his red No. 6 Telar Special “Birdcage” Maserati on April 9, 1961.  He then won three consecutive SCCA national events on his way to becoming
D-Modified National Champion and Sports Illustrated named him “SCCA Driver of the Year.”  
Penske also won: 1961’s Kimberly Cup as the SCCA’s Most Improved Driver; SCCA DModified national titles in 1962-1963; and, three (1960 and 1962-1963) SCCA President’s Cups for his “driving ability, competitiveness and success in the National Championship Runoffs.”  And he finished eight (1961, No. 6 Cooper-Climax)) and ninth (1962, No. 14 Lotus 24-Climax) in the FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York.
In 1962 Penske made international headlines when he won the Los Angeles Times Grand
Prix at Riverside (CA) International Raceway and two other major races in California and Puerto Rico with his cutting-edge, aluminum-bodied, open-cockpit red No. 6 Zerex Special Sports Car – a machine that he built from a wrecked Cooper-Climax T53 Formula-1 race car.   
He also won the final USAC Road Racing Championship in 1962 and the 1963 NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Riverside 250 in Ray Nichels’ black No. 02 Pontiac Catalina.   In addition to his efforts on these shores, Penske raced in Europe in 1963 – at the 24 Hours of Le Mans where he co-drove the North American Racing Team’s Ferrari 330 TRI/LM with Pedro Rodríguez and when he drove NART’s Ferrari 350 GTO to fourth in the GT 3.0
Class and eighth overall at the Royal Auto Club’s Tourist Trophy Race in Goodwood, England.
Penske then closed-out his driving career in 1964 with the unprecedented feat of winning all three races at Nassau’s Speed Weeks in the Bahamas using Jim Hall’s Chevy-powered Chaparrals (Governor’s Trophy and Nassau Trophy races) and his own Grand Sport Corvette Roadster (Tourist Trophy).
There was, though, one other chance for Penske to race as in 1965 Clint Brawner wanted him to take his Indy 500 Rookie Test in one of the Dean Van Lines Specials.  But he opted to focus on his business commitments and EMPA Hall of Famer Mario Andretti got the ride and it launched his legendary career.    
With race-car driving now behind him Penske concentrated on running his first Chevrolet dealership in Philadelphia, and with hard work and a well-thought-out business plan his Penske Automotive Group developed into the second largest dealership group in the world.
However, Penske did not forsake his interest in auto racing as in 1966 he formed Penske Racing in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, with EMPA Hall of Famer Mark Donohue as his driver.  Then, over the years, this then-small operation grew to Team Penske (2014), a major force in national and international motorsports.
Penske also owned the 2-mile Michigan (1972-1999) and California (1997-1999) Speedways and the old 1-mile Nazareth (PA) Speedway (1986-1988) and had interests in the 1-mile North Carolina Motor Speedway and 1.5-mile Homestead/Miami Speedway.  And by 2007 his INDYCAR, NASCAR and Sports Car teams were based in a 424,000-square-foot building (with a state-of-the-art wind tunnel) on a 105-acres complex in Mooresville, North Carolina.  
Penske has always used motorsports as a business tool and in 1969 he founded Penske Corporation, an international business enterprise headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  As chairman, Penske oversees a retail automotive, truck leasing, transportation logistics and professional motorsports concern that has “built its brand” to employ 70,000 people and manage businesses with consolidated revenues of more than $32 billion operating in over 3,660 worldwide locations.
Because of his motorsports, business communities and civic involvement, Penske was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honor – by President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on October 24, 2019. Penske then added to his exceptional résumé on Nov. 4, 2019, when the Hulman Company board of directors unexpectedly entered into an agreement to be acquired by Penske Corporation.  And Penske Entertainment – a subsidiary of Penske Corporation – acquired all the principal assets of the Terre Haute, Indiana-based company, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and IMS Productions on Jan. 6, 2020.

Team Penske Indy 500 Winners

Team Penske Indy 500 Pole Winners

(19 – All-Time Record)
1977: Tom Sneva, 198.884 mph               1994: Al Unser Jr., 228.011 mph
1978: Tom Sneva, 202.156 mph               2003: Helio Castroneves, 231.725 mph
1979: Rick Mears, 193.736 mph               2006: Sam Hornish Jr., 228.985 mph
1981: Bobby Unser, 200.546 mph            2007: Helio Castroneves, 225.817 mph
1982: Rick Mears, 207.004 mph               2009: Helio Castroneves, 224.864 mph
1986: Rick Mears, 216.828 mph               2010: Helio Castroneves, 227.970 mph
1988: Rick Mears, 219.198 mph               2012: Ryan Briscoe, 226.484 mph
1989: Rick Mears, 223.885 mph               2019: Simon Pagenaud, 229.992 mph
1990: Emerson Fittipaldi, 225.301 mph 2024: Scott McLaughlin, 234.220 mph+
1991: Rick Mears*, 224.113 mph                                                 *Not the fastest qualifier.
+New Track Record

Team Penske Open-Wheel National Championships

(23 – All-Time Record)

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Championships

2012 – Brad Keselowski (No. 12 Miller Lite Dodge)
2018, 2022 and 2024 – Joey Logano (No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang)

1. “Rookie of the Year” – Austin Cindric  (No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang)
2. – Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Discount Tire/Menards Ford Mustang) 2012, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Car Owner – Roger Penske

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Championships

2010 – Brad Keselowski (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge)
2020 – Austin Cindric (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge)
2013-2015, 2017 and 2020-2021 Car Owner – Roger Penske
 

Team Penske Road Racing Championships

1968-1969, 1971-1972 and 1976 Trans-Am Series – Mark Donohue (Chevrolet Camaro & AMC Javelin)

1. Can-Am Series – George Follmer (No. 6 Porsche 917)
2. Can-Am Series – Mark Donohue (No. 6 Porsche 917)

2006-2007 American Le Mans Series – Prototype LMP2 (Porsche RS Spyder) 

1. IMSA SportsCar – Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya
2. IMSA SportsCar – Helio Castroneves, Ricky Taylor and Alexander Rossi

2020 IMSA SportsCar – Team and Manufacturer  (Acura ARX-05 DPI)
2024 IMSA GTP – Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr (No. 7 Porsche Penske 963) 
2024 IMSA GTP – Team and Manufacturer (Porsche Penske 963) 
2024 FIA World Endurance – Andre Lotterer, Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre (No. 6 Porsche Penske 963)

Team Penske Rolex 24 Victories

1969 – Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons (No. 6 Lola T70 Mk.3B Chevrolet)
2024 – Felipe  Nasr, Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell and Josef Newgarden (No. 7 Porsche Penske 963) 2025 – Felipe Nasr, Laurens Vanthoor and Nick Tandy (No.7 Porsche Penske 963)

Team Penske Daytona 500 Victories

2008 Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge)
2022 Austin Cindric (No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang)

Overall Team Penske Performance Through 2024

Race Victories: 646               Pole Positions: 697               National Championships: 47

Team Penske Notes

1. In 2024, Team Penske won IMSA GTP, FIA World Endurance Championship and NASCAR Cup Series Championships, with the NASCAR Cup Series title coming in a 1-2 finish with Champion Joey Logano (5,040) and runner-up Ryan Blaney (5,035) separated by just 5 points..

1. In 2024, Kévin Estre won the pole for the FIA World Endurance Championship 24 Hours of Le Mans with the red and white No. 6 Penske Porsche 963 Hypercar with a lap of 3 minutes 24.634 seconds.

1. In 2024, Josef Newgarden started third in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet and became the first repeat winner of the Indianapolis 500 since Helio Castroneves won in 2001 and 2002 for Team Penske. Newgarden also earned the record-extending 20th victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for Team Penske.

1. In 2024, Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Pennzoil “Yellow Submarine” Dallara/twin-turbocharged Chevrolet V-6 won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 with a new track record average four-lap speed of 234.220 mph.  And by doing so, he led Team Penske to only the second front-row sweep by one team in the history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” with teammates Will Power starting second and Josef Newgarden starting third.  Team Penske first achieved the feat in 1988, with Rick Mears on the pole (in the No. 5 “Yellow Submarine” Pennzoil Penske PC17/Chevy Indy V-8), Danny Sullivan starting second and Al Unser third.  This was also the record-extending 19th Indianapolis 500 pole for Team Penske.

1. Will Power’s 2022 NTT INDYCAR Championship and Joey Logan’s 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship made Roger Penske the first team owner to hold both of those prestigious championships at the same time.  

1. Josef Newgarden’s 2023 Indy 500 victory and Ryan Blaney’s 2023 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 triumph at Charlotte (NC) Motor Speedway made Roger Penske the first car owner to win both of the major America events of Memorial Day Weekend.  And Newgarden’s win was the first for Penske at IMS since he purchased the Speedway.

1. On Sept. 16, 2018, Brad Keselowski’s NASCAR Cup Series 400 win at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the No. 2 Autotrader Ford Fusion was Roger Penske’s 500th victory as a car owner in all forms of motorsports.

1. Roger Penske has competed as a team owner at the Indianapolis 500 since 1969.  However, in a highly unusual situation, none of his cars qualified for the 1995 race. 

1. Team Penske’s 29 victories at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway include: 19 Indy 500s; two in NASCAR Racing on the 2.5-mile oval (2018 Brickyard 400 and 2012 Xfinity 250); and, eight on the 2.439-mile Infield Road Course: five wins in the INDYCAR Grand Prix (2015-2019); two in International GT Challenge Racing (October 2020); and, one INDYCAR 85 (August 2021).

1. “The Captain” expanded his motorsports endeavors with Dick Johnson Racing to form DJR Team Penske (DJRTP) in the Virgin Australia Supercar Championships (2015-2020) and the team earned 56 wins, 62 poles and six championships – three owner’s titles (2017 and 2019-2020) and three driver’s titles with Scott McLaughlin (2018-2020) in red, white and yellow Shell V-Power Ford Mustangs.

1. Roger Penske entered Formula 1 Racing as a team owner with Mark Donohue in 1971 but John Watson scored the team’s only F1 victory at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix in the Ford Cosworth DFV V-8-powered No. 28 Penske PC4 001.  However, due to racing commitments in the USA, Penske’s Formula 1 efforts ended after 1976.