Few figures in global motorsport have made as much of an impact as Penske, 85, who receives the award that was created to recognise the handful of very special individuals who have not only contributed a massive amount to the sport during a long career, but who will also leave a lasting legacy.
For some people, Penske’s accomplishments in motorsport are evident in the statistics. Team Penske has scored 17 Indy car championships, 18 Indianapolis 500 victories, and a total of 231 Indy car wins. Across the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, Penske cars have amassed 10 championships, three Daytona 500 triumphs and 219 wins.
The Mooresville, N.C-based squad’s latest titles in both INDYCAR and NASCAR have come in 2022, thanks to Will Power and Joey Logano, respectively, and this was also the year in which the team pushed past the staggering benchmark of 600 victories.
2022 NASCAR champion Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford (left) and team owner Roger Penske
Photo by: Barry Cantrell / NKP / Motorsport Images
Penske has won in pretty much every category into which he’s ventured. The team’s original talisman, Mark Donohue, not only scored Penske’s first Indy 500 win but also dominated Trans-Am and Can-Am. John Watson helped ensure Penske’s brief period in Formula 1 yielded glory, while there have also been great sportscar successes – the Daytona 24 Hours in 1969 with a Lola T70, LMP2-class wins and an overall Sebring 12 Hours triumph with the Porsche RS Spyder, and most recently IMSA championships with Acura.
In Australia’s Supercars series, Team Penske, Dick Johnson Racing and Scott McLaughlin combined to take multiple titles before McLaughlin transitioned to INDYCAR, where after just one season, he became a winner. This proves the depth of McLaughlin’s talent but also shows that despite owning both the INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2020, Penske is a competitor who keeps his team sharp and who still recognizes prodigious potential.
In 2023, the revived sportscar arm of Penske partners with Porsche once more. Given the heritage of both marques, no one would be surprised if a Porsche Penske Motorsport-run 963 is first past the checkered flag at Le Mans or Daytona, or eventually takes championship honors in the WEC or IMSA.
Roger Penske (right) with Rick Mears
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Rick Mears, who won four Indy 500s and three INDYCAR titles for Penske and as an adviser remains with the team…
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