Penske Racing Team
Roger Penske is not only the most recognizable name in American motorsports, but a man who commands respect in the international racing community as well. The "Captain" has been racing and winning in the United States since 1958 and has scored victories in every series where he has competed. With 22 national championships, including 12 in Indy car racing, Penske Racing has often been referred to as the "New York Yankees of motorsports."
Roger Penske was one of America's most successful young road racers before electing to retire from driving in 1965 to focus on his first business - a Philadelphia Chevrolet dealership. However, racing remained a key element in Penske's overall business plan. He fielded Corvettes in the 1966 endurance races at Daytona and Sebring prior to joining forces with driver Mark Donohue to campaign a Lola T70 in the USRRC and Can-Am sports car series. Penske Racing quickly found success with Donohue, winning two consecutive USRRC championships and three SCCA Trans-Am titles.
More than 30 years after winning at the highest levels of sports car racing, Penske returned to its roots late in the 2005 season, announcing an LMP2-class effort with Porsche in the American Le Mans Series. The squad had a remarkable homecoming, capturing the class championship with Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr in '06 before again earning titles in '07 and '08 with teammates Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas. Proven winners Busch and Newman led the charge for the Penske Racing NASCAR program in 2008 with Hornish Jr. joining the mix for his first full season of stock car racing. Highlighted by a dramatic 1-2 finish in the Daytona 500 with Newman securing Penske's first win in the "Great American Race" and Busch finishing a close second, the team added to the Penske Racing tradition of excellence.
Castroneves and new comer Ryan Briscoe both had stellar seasons for the Team Penske IndyCar Series team in 2008. Each driver scored a pair of victories and Castroneves battled Scott Dixon for the series title down to the final lap of the season before finishing a close second in the championship. On the sports car side, Penske Racing claimed its third consecutive ALMS championship in 2008. Bernhard and Dumas drove a Porsche Riley Daytona Prototype for the team in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in 2009. In '09, David Stremme joined the teamis NASCAR Cup Series lineup alongside Hornish and Busch, who earned two wins and finished fourth in the Chase for the Cup Series title. Rising NASCAR star Justin Allgaier ran the team's first full Nationwide Series season with new partner Verizon Wireless, and Allgaier captured series Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
Briscoe, Castroneves and newcomer Will Power enjoyed their share of success in the 2009 IndyCar Series. Briscoe won three races and finished third in a very tight championship battle, while Castroneves scored two wins, including his third victory in the Indianapolis 500. Power joined the team in a part-time role and he proved very productive as he won at Edmonton and finished inside the top-10 in all six of his starts. The 2010 season looks to be one of the most exciting campaigns yet with Brad Keselowski joining the team for full-season efforts in both the Cup and Nationwide Series. Heill team with Busch and Hornish at the Cup Series level and with Allgaier in the Nationwide Series. Castroneves and Briscoe also return to pursue the IZOD IndyCar Series crown for Team Penske, while Will Power will compete full-time in 2010 to give the team a potent three-car lineup.
Penske Racing Team Video
