Team Penske facts for kids
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| Owner(s) | Roger Penske (Penske Corporation) |
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| Principal(s) | Jonathan Diuguid (IndyCar, WEC, IMSA) Michael Nelson (NASCAR) |
| Base | Mooresville, North Carolina |
| Series | IndyCar Series NASCAR Cup Series IMSA SportsCar Championship FIA World Endurance Championship |
| Race drivers | IndyCar Series: 2. Josef Newgarden 3. Scott McLaughlin 12. Will Power Cup Series: 2. Austin Cindric 12. Ryan Blaney 22. Joey Logano WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: 6. Matt Campbell Kévin Estre Mathieu Jaminet 7. Felipe Nasr Nick Tandy Laurens Vanthoor FIA World Endurance Championship: 5. Julien Andlauer Michael Christensen Laurens Vanthoor 6. Matt Campbell Kévin Estre Laurens Vanthoor |
| Manufacturer | IndyCar: Chevrolet NASCAR: Ford WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Porsche FIA World Endurance Championship: Porsche |
| Career | |
| Debut | IndyCar Series: 1968 Telegraph Trophy 200 (Bowmanville) Cup Series: 1972 Winston Western 500 (Riverside) Xfinity Series: 1997 Kenwood Home & Car Audio 300 (Fontana) Craftsman Truck Series: 1996 Craftsman 200 (Portland) ARCA Racing Series: 2000 Flagstar 200 (Michigan) |
| Latest race | IndyCar Series: 2021 Honda Indy 200 (Mid-Ohio) Cup Series: 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race (Phoenix) Craftsman Truck Series: 1996 GM Goodwrench/AC Delco 300 (Phoenix) ARCA Racing Series: 2016 AnywhereIsPossible 200 (Pocono) |
| Drivers' Championships | Total: 44 USAC: 9 IndyCar Series: 6 CART: 9 Cup Series: 5 Xfinity Series: 2 IMSA (DPi): 2 WEC (Hypercar): 1 ALMS (LMP2): 3 VASC: 3 Can-Am: 2 USRRC: 2 |
| Indy 500 victories | 20 (1972, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 |
| Race victories | IndyCar Series: 243 Cup Series: 152 Xfinity Series: 81 |
| Pole positions | IndyCar Series: 305 Cup Series: 143 Xfinity Series: 74 |
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Team Penske is a famous American professional auto racing team. It used to be called Penske Racing. The team competes in several top racing series, including the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Team Penske started racing in 1966 and has since competed in many different types of motorsport, like Formula One, Can-Am, and Trans-Am. Over the years, Team Penske has won more than 500 races and over 40 championships. The team is part of Penske Corporation and is owned by Roger Penske.
Contents
IndyCar Series Racing
Team Penske currently has three cars in the IndyCar Series. These are the No. 2 Hitachi Dallara/Chevrolet driven by Josef Newgarden, the No. 3 Dallara/Chevrolet driven by Scott McLaughlin, and the No. 12 Verizon Dallara/Chevrolet driven by Will Power. Some of their most famous past drivers include Al Unser, Rick Mears, and Hélio Castroneves, who each won the Indianapolis 500 four times. Team Penske achieved its 20th victory in the prestigious Indianapolis 500 race in 2024, which is a record! The team has also won the IndyCar Series championship 16 times.
The IndyCar part of Penske Racing was originally based in Reading, Pennsylvania, starting in 1973. Later, in 2005, the team decided to move all its IndyCar and NASCAR operations to its facility in Mooresville, North Carolina. This move happened a bit earlier than planned because of bad flooding in Pennsylvania in 2006.
IndyCar History Highlights
Early Days of IndyCar
Team Penske began its IndyCar journey in 1968 with Roger Penske entering the series. Their first driver, Mark Donohue, was named Rookie of the Year at the Indianapolis 500 in 1969. Donohue gave Team Penske its first IndyCar win in 1971 at the Pocono 500. The very next year, in May 1972, he won the team's first Indianapolis 500.
In 1978, Roger Penske and other team owners helped create Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). This new group was formed because of disagreements with the existing racing body, USAC. CART then became the main organization for what were known as Champ Cars or IndyCars.
Over the years, Team Penske has achieved amazing things in open-wheel racing. They have won the Indianapolis 500 a record 20 times and earned 18 pole positions (starting from the very front) at that race. They have also won over 200 open-wheel races across different series like USAC, CART, and IRL. The team has secured 29 victories in 500-mile races and won 13 open-wheel championships.
Engine Changes and Successes
In 2001, Team Penske returned to the Indianapolis 500 after a five-year break. They used Oldsmobile engines at first. Later that year, Roger Penske announced that the team would switch completely to the IRL IndyCar Series in 2002, with support from Chevrolet engines.
From 2003 to 2005, Team Penske used Toyota engines. This partnership started well, with Gil de Ferran winning the 2003 Indianapolis 500. However, their performance dropped a bit in 2004 and 2005, partly due to driver mistakes.
In 2006, Team Penske switched to Honda engines, signing a five-year deal. This was a successful move! In 2006, Sam Hornish Jr. won both the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship.
In 2009, Verizon Wireless became a sponsor. The team also added a third car, driven by Will Power. The 2010 season was great, with Team Penske running three full-time cars for the first time since 1994. They won the first three races, and Will Power was a strong contender for the championship.
In 2011, Team Penske announced they would switch back to Chevrolet engines for 2012. In their last year with Honda, Will Power won six races. The season ended sadly with a big accident at the final race, which led to the death of driver Dan Wheldon. The race was cancelled, and the championship was awarded based on earlier results.
Return to Chevrolet Engines (2012–Present)
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Team Penske returned to Chevrolet engines in 2012, getting full support from General Motors. This partnership brought them free engines and technical help. Penske had a strong start to the 2012 season, winning four races in a row. Hélio Castroneves won the first race, and Will Power won the next three.
In 2014, after finishing second three times, Will Power finally won the IndyCar Series Championship, adding another big title to Team Penske's collection.
The 2015 season started well, with Juan Pablo Montoya winning the first race and then the 2015 Indianapolis 500. In 2016, Team Penske was incredibly dominant, with their drivers finishing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the championship. Simon Pagenaud won the title, making it Team Penske's 14th championship.
In 2017, Josef Newgarden joined the team and quickly won the championship that year, and again in 2019. Will Power and Simon Pagenaud also won back-to-back Indianapolis 500s in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, even though Penske drivers won more races than any other team, they didn't win the Indianapolis 500 or the championship.
The 2021 season saw Team Penske add a fourth full-time car for Scott McLaughlin, a champion from the Supercars series. It was a challenging year as McLaughlin adjusted, and the other drivers had less competitive seasons. However, McLaughlin was named IndyCar Rookie of the Year.
In 2022, Team Penske went back to a three-car lineup. They won nine races overall, and Will Power secured his second championship title.
In 2023, Josef Newgarden won the 2023 Indianapolis 500, bringing the team another victory at this famous race. However, the rest of the season was not as strong.
In 2024, there was a controversy when Josef Newgarden was disqualified from a win due to using unauthorized software. Despite this, the team bounced back. All three drivers won races in the first part of the season, and Josef Newgarden won his second straight 2024 Indianapolis 500, making him the first driver to do so in many years. This victory was Team Penske's 20th at the Indianapolis 500, cementing their legendary status.
1994 IndyCar World Series Dominance
The 1994 IndyCar World Series was one of the most dominant seasons ever for a racing team. Team Penske, led by Roger Penske, was incredibly fast and won almost every race.
Their cars, the Penske PC-23 chassis with the Ilmor-Indy V8 engine, were unbeatable. With drivers Al Unser Jr., Paul Tracy, and Emerson Fittipaldi, the team won 12 out of 16 races, earned 10 pole positions, and finished on the podium 28 times.
A key moment was the 1994 Indianapolis 500. Penske introduced a special Mercedes-Benz 500I engine that was very powerful, rumored to have over 900 horsepower. This gave them a huge advantage. Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi started from the front row and controlled the race. Unser Jr. eventually won after Fittipaldi had a small crash.
Team Penske won all the major titles that year: the Driver’s Championship (Al Unser Jr.), the Constructor’s Cup (Penske PC-23), and the Manufacturer’s Cup (Ilmor-Indy V8 engine). However, the next year was very different; in 1995, Penske surprisingly failed to qualify any cars for the Indianapolis 500.
Famous IndyCar Drivers
Many talented drivers have raced for Team Penske in IndyCar:
Mark Donohue (1968–1975)- Tom Sneva (1975–1978)
- Mario Andretti (1976–1980)
- Rick Mears (1978–1992)
- Bobby Unser (1979–1981)
- Al Unser (1983–1989)
- Danny Sullivan (1985–1990)
Emerson Fittipaldi (1990–1996)
Paul Tracy (1991–1994, 1996–1997)- Al Unser Jr. (1994–1999)
- Gil de Ferran (2000–2003)
- Hélio Castroneves (2000–2020)
- Sam Hornish Jr. (2004–2007)
Ryan Briscoe (2008–2012)- Will Power (2009–present)
Juan Pablo Montoya (2014–2017)
Simon Pagenaud (2015–2021)- Josef Newgarden (2017–present)
Scott McLaughlin (2020–present)
Team Sponsorships
The cigarette brand Marlboro sponsored Team Penske from 1989, becoming the main sponsor for all Penske IndyCars in 1991. This partnership was very well known.
However, due to new rules about cigarette advertising, Marlboro's name no longer appeared on the cars after 2005. The cars still kept the famous red and white colors, like a tribute to the long partnership. By 2007, even the Marlboro logos were removed, but the color scheme remained.
The official partnership with Marlboro ended in 2010. After that, Team Penske changed its car colors to black and white with red trim, reflecting their new main sponsor, Verizon Wireless.
NASCAR Racing
Team Penske also has a very successful history in NASCAR. They have won multiple championships and major races in the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series.
Sports Car Racing Adventures
| Founded | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Roger Penske |
| Team principal(s) | TBA |
| Current series | FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship |
| Former series | Rolex Sports Car Series, United States Road Racing Championship, Can-Am, Trans-Am series, American Le Mans Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship |
| Current drivers | Dane Cameron Emmanuel Collard Felipe Nasr |
| Drivers' Championships |
7 ('06, '07, '08 ALMS, '72, '73 Can-Am, '67, '68 USRRC) |
Team Penske has a rich history in sports car racing, competing in various series over the years.
Trans-Am Series Success
Team Penske first raced in the Trans-Am Series with a blue Sunoco 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. They won the series championships in 1968 and 1969. Later, Penske switched to a red, white, and blue American Motors-backed AMC Javelin, which helped American Motors win a title in 1971.
Can-Am Series Dominance
Penske Racing entered the Can-Am Series in 1966. In 1972 and 1973, Penske partnered with Porsche and dominated the series. George Follmer won in 1972, and Mark Donohue had an amazing season in 1973 with the powerful Porsche 917/30 car.
Endurance Racing Achievements
A Lola T70 Mk IIIb car entered by Penske surprisingly won the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona. In 1971, Roger Penske rebuilt a Ferrari 512 M car, making it very fast with special features like a quick refueling system. This car was very competitive in races like the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Victories
In 2005, Team Penske partnered with Porsche to race in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with the new Porsche RS Spyder. They had a successful debut, finishing first in their class. In 2006, Penske's cars won seven class victories and an overall win at Mid-Ohio, securing the LMP2 team championship. They continued their success in 2007, winning eleven class victories and eight overall victories.
IMSA Racing Return
Team Penske returned to sports car racing in 2017, partnering with Acura for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. They raced two Acura ARX-05 DPi cars. In 2019, Team Penske won the drivers' championship with Juan Pablo Montoya and Dane Cameron. They won again in 2020 with Hélio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor.
Penske later returned to endurance racing and IMSA in partnership with Porsche for the new LMDh regulations. In 2023, they were the only team to race the Porsche 963 at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Porsche 963 Partnership
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In May 2021, Porsche announced they would return to the FIA World Endurance Championship with Team Penske running their factory team. They planned to race two new Porsche 963 cars in both WEC and IMSA for the 2023 season. To get ready for WEC, Penske raced an Oreca 07-Gibson in the LMP2 class during the 2022 season.
Formula One Racing
| Base | Poole, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Roger Penske |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Engines | Ford |
| Entrants | Penske, F&S Properties, ATS, Interscope Racing |
| First entry | 1974 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1977 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 41 |
| Race victories | 1 |
| Constructors' Championships | 0 |
| Drivers' Championships |
0 |
| Points | 23 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
Penske also competed in the Formula One World Championship as a car builder from 1974 to 1977, and as a factory team from 1974 to 1976. Even though the cars were built in England, the team raced under an American license. Penske is one of only two American car builders to have won a Formula One race (not counting the Indianapolis 500).
In 1971, Penske sponsored a McLaren car at the Canadian Grand Prix, where Mark Donohue finished on the podium. Penske returned three years later, in 1974, with their own team and car, the Penske PC1.
In 1975, Roger Penske raced a full season with the PC1. Sadly, Mark Donohue crashed during practice for the Austrian Grand Prix and later passed away from his injuries.
For the 1976 season, Penske signed a sponsorship deal with Citibank and raced a new PC3 car for driver John Watson. This car later became the more competitive PC4, which allowed Watson to achieve two podium finishes. Then, at the Austrian Grand Prix, the team won their only Formula One race. This was the last time an American-licensed car builder won a Formula One race. At the end of that year, Penske decided to leave Formula One to focus on IndyCar racing.
Supercars Championship Involvement
In 2015, Team Penske entered the Australian Supercars Championship, buying a large share in Dick Johnson Racing. The team was known as DJR Team Penske. They raced a single Ford Falcon FG X in 2015.
In October 2015, DJR Team Penske announced they would have two cars in 2016. For the 2017 season, Scott McLaughlin joined the team. DJR Team Penske won the Teams Championship in 2017. The following year, Scott McLaughlin won the 2018 Drivers Championship. In 2019, he won his second Drivers Championship, setting a record with 18 race wins. He also won his first Bathurst 1000 race with co-driver Alex Premat. In October 2020, Penske sold its share back to DJR Team Penske.
Indianapolis 500 Statistics
Team Penske holds the record for the most Indianapolis 500 victories, with 20 wins.
In 1972, Mark Donohue secured Penske's first Indianapolis 500 victory. In 1979, Rick Mears won the race from pole position.
One of Penske's most talked-about wins was in 1981, when Bobby Unser won. There was a big argument about how he passed other cars under a yellow flag, but after a long appeal, his victory was confirmed.
Rick Mears won again in 1984. The next year, new Penske driver Danny Sullivan won his first Indianapolis 500. In 1987, Al Unser stepped in as a temporary replacement driver and ended up winning the race.
The 1988 Indianapolis 500 was a huge success for Penske Racing. Their drivers, Sullivan, Unser, and Mears, started from the front row and led almost all of the race's 200 laps. Mears won that year. In 1991, Mears won his fourth Indianapolis 500.
In 1994, the Penske team, with drivers Al Unser Jr., Paul Tracy, and Emerson Fittipaldi, led most of the race thanks to a powerful new engine. This engine was later banned, which surprisingly led to Penske Racing not qualifying any cars for the 1995 Indianapolis 500.
After a break from 1996 to 2000, Penske returned to the Indianapolis 500 in 2001. Rookie Hélio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran led most laps, giving Penske Racing a 1-2 finish. Roger Penske said this win was the most important after the disappointment of 1995.
In 2002, Castroneves won his second straight Indy 500. There was some debate about the finish, but his win was upheld. In 2003, Gil de Ferran won his first Indy 500 before retiring. Since then, Penske Racing has continued to win the Indy 500 in 2006, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2024.
Penske Racing Museum
The Penske Racing Museum opened in 2002 in Scottsdale, Arizona. It's a two-story museum that displays about 20 important Penske Racing cars from different eras. You can also see trophies, artwork, engines, and other cool items from the team's history. The displays change regularly, but the museum mainly focuses on the team's big wins in the Indy 500 and NASCAR.
Championships and Major Wins
Team Penske has won many championships and major races across different series.
IndyCar Series Champions
- 1977: Tom Sneva
- 1978: Tom Sneva (2)
- 1979: Rick Mears
- 1981: Rick Mears (2)
- 1982: Rick Mears (3)
- 1983: Al Unser
- 1985: Al Unser (2)
- 1988: Danny Sullivan
- 1994: Al Unser Jr.
- 2000: Gil de Ferran
- 2001: Gil de Ferran (2)
- 2006: Sam Hornish Jr.
- 2014: Will Power
- 2016: Simon Pagenaud
- 2017: Josef Newgarden
- 2019: Josef Newgarden (2)
- 2022: Will Power (2)
Indianapolis 500 Victories
- 1972: Mark Donohue
- 1979: Rick Mears
- 1981: Bobby Unser
- 1984: Rick Mears (2)
- 1985: Danny Sullivan
- 1987: Al Unser
- 1988: Rick Mears (3)
- 1991: Rick Mears (4)
- 1993: Emerson Fittipaldi
- 1994: Al Unser Jr.
- 2001: Hélio Castroneves
- 2002: Hélio Castroneves (2)
- 2003: Gil de Ferran
- 2006: Sam Hornish Jr.
- 2009: Hélio Castroneves (3)
- 2015: Juan Pablo Montoya
- 2018: Will Power
- 2019: Simon Pagenaud
- 2023: Josef Newgarden
- 2024: Josef Newgarden (2)
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Wins
- 2018: #7 Acura ARX-05 with Hélio Castroneves / Ricky Taylor
- 2019: #6 Acura ARX-05 with Dane Cameron / Juan Pablo Montoya (3 wins)
- 2020: #7 Acura ARX-05 with Hélio Castroneves / Ricky Taylor (4 wins)
- 2023: #6 Porsche 963 with Mathieu Jaminet / Nick Tandy (2 wins)
- 2023: #7 Porsche 963 with Matt Campbell / Felipe Nasr (1 win)
- 2024: #7 Porsche 963 with Dane Cameron / Matt Campbell / Felipe Nasr / Josef Newgarden (1 win)
- 2024: #6 Porsche 963 with Mathieu Jaminet / Nick Tandy (2 wins)
- 2024: #7 Porsche 963 with Dane Cameron / Felipe Nasr (1 win)
NASCAR Cup Series Champions
- 2012: Brad Keselowski
- 2018: Joey Logano
- 2022: Joey Logano (2)
- 2023: Ryan Blaney
- 2024: Joey Logano (3)
NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion
- 2010: Brad Keselowski
- 2020: Austin Cindric
Daytona 500 Victories
- 2008: Ryan Newman
- 2015: Joey Logano
- 2022: Austin Cindric
Supercars Champions
- 2018: Scott McLaughlin
- 2019: Scott McLaughlin (2)
- 2020: Scott McLaughlin (3)
See also
In Spanish: Team Penske para niños
