Roger Penske

As an entrepreneur, Roger Penske began his career by buying old cars, fixing them up, and then selling them for a profit. This began his love for cars and was his entry-way into the racing industry. He began his racing career in 1958 and by 1960 was Sports Illustrated’s Driver of the Year. Just 5 years later Penske retired from racing but began his own racing company, Penske Racing. Their first major race came in 1969 at the Indianapolis 500, and in just three years they won the event with Mark Donohoe driving. The following year, 1973, Penske Racing won their first NASCAR race. Ever since, Penske Racing has operated in both NASCAR and IndyCar Series, running cars with some of the best drivers in history. Penske’s first Daytona 500 win finally came in 2008 with Ryan Newman driving. Throughout his career in motorsports, Penske has been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, and the Auto Racing Hall of Fame.