DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Roger Penske’s greatness as a team owner in the Indianapolis 500 is unmatched. He is the winningest team owner in Indy 500 history with 15 wins in the “World’s Greatest Race.” He is also the most successful team owner in IndyCar history with 13 IndyCar Series National Championships and 26 total national championships in various forms of racing including NASCAR and Sports Car.
Penske is also the all-time winningest team owner in IndyCar victories with 174 wins counting USAC, CART and the Verizon IndyCar Series and is the defending championship-winning team owner after Will Power won the 2014 IndyCar championship.
Team Penske also has 223 poles including 17 poles in the Indianapolis 500 – both records.
When Brad Keselowski won the 2012 NASCAR Cup title Penske became the only team owner to have won championships in both IndyCar and NASCAR.
On Sunday, Penske won his second Daytona 500 as driver Joey Logano drove to victory in NASCAR’s biggest race with IndyCar’s most successful team owner especially at the Indianapolis 500.
“Well, these are the two greatest races here in the United States,” Penske said when asked to compare the two accomplishments. “Just to say that we competed for as many years as we have, both at Indy and Daytona, is something that I'll never forget.
“Today the competition, racing for an OEM here, which is important, and the sponsors, this race has gotten bigger and bigger. To me, it's pretty special.
“Obviously, I'd love to win both these races in the same year. You set those kind of goals for yourself.
“But today the Indy 500 is in May and the Daytona 500 is today. Overall I think these are two great accomplishments.”
Great accomplishments, indeed.
The Indianapolis 500 represents over 100 years of the greatest drivers, teams and team owners in auto racing history. The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s showcase event and features cars racing on the high-banks of the impressive Daytona International Speedway.
Penske has found a way to win both, but instead of taking credit, he defers to the team.
“I get many of the laurels,” Penske admitted. “When it really come down to the facts, it's all about the people that have joined the team for so many years that have brought us this success, it's the young drivers we just talked about, it's the young mechanics, people that have come across the country to work on our team, thumbed their way across that worked their way up to be key people.
“When you look at auto racing, all these guys came from a different background. They just didn't walk in at the top of this sport. You cannot as a driver, you can't as a car owner, and you certainly can't as an engineer or chief mechanic. You have to build it.
“That's what we've been able to do from Nationwide to the Cup side, the Trucks. Those guys are the future leaders over the wall for us.
“It's the people. Whether it's at Indy or here, I think it takes the same formula.”
That formula for success was apparent in NASCAR’s biggest race and is on display every year at the Indianapolis 500.
Penske is a master but there is one win that eludes him – the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“That would be something special,” Penske admitted. “That's something that has gotten away from us. We've gotten close a couple times. I'm going to have a talk with these guys on my right and the ones that aren't here.
“Jeff Gordon seems to have the combination there. Maybe when he retires, we'll have a chance
“That would be real special.”
Roger Penske showed just how special his team is with another big victory at Daytona but the formula for that success has been part of his IndyCar program at the Indianapolis 500 for a very long time.
“Well, to win this race at all is something special,” Penske said. “Obviously the Indy 500 has meant a lot to me. But to win this race after coming up short in the past is so very special.”