RacingNation.com

Team Penske Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

Roger Penske greets media during breakout sessions at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Roger Penske greets media during breakout sessions at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Charlotte, N. C. – Team Penske is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a gala banquet at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte. The HOF has been richly decorated with cars, trophies and photographs that trace key moments that have contributed to the team’s success story. Eight IndyCars, stock cars and a sports car are on display with Mark Donohue’s No. 66 Indianapolis 500 winning car and Rusty Wallace’s Dodge serving as centerpieces in the main dining room.

Key trophies on display are the Borg-Warner trophy from Indianapolis, the J. Harley Earl from Daytona along with Sprint Cup and Verizon IndyCar Series championship trophies won by the acclaimed team.

The guest list for the banquet is said to number 1,200 with 42 former and present Team Penske drivers accepting invitations.

During the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour, team owner Roger Penske, drivers Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and retired drivers Rusty Wallace and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears greeted the media.

“Racing has given me the opportunity to compete on a worldwide stage. It shows execution and that we can handle adversity,” Penske said. “We have to communicate and there’s no doubt the partnerships I have been able to generate for my businesses have been amazing. Without racing, I would never have had the connections in the automobile business, which is the heart of our company.”

Regarding race day, he commented, “I get the same thrill each race day because we are there for one reason, and that is to win.”

While Team Penske has amassed hundreds of victories and numerous championships, Penske said one of his biggest disappointments was failing to qualify f or the 1995 Indianapolis 500 after dominating the race the previous year.
A race he would have liked to have won was the 24 Hours of LeMans, but he may be willing to give it a shot in the future. “I have a full plate right now,” he noted.

Looking ahead, Penske said he’s focused on the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. “We will need to execute and with us finishing first and second in 2015, you can’t do any better than that,” he said. “(Simon) Pagenaud learned a lot last year, and I dialed Helio (Castroneves) out of the race last year. The aero packages are pretty well sorted out and with last year’s qualifying confusion worked out, we should be ready.

“We are preparing our cars for Indianapolis right now, and it would be special to win the 100th 500. If I could win two in a row, it would be amazing. After all, we won the 50th Daytona 500, so it would be pretty special to win Indy again.”

At the golden-anniversary banquet, the stories will long be remembered and the friendships made or renewed will be forever remembered.

Team Penske’s records and accomplishments may well never be exceeded, as the powerful organization has set the standards for success and excellence.

Share Button