ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Thousands of spectators lined the east and west sides of Woodward Avenue on a late Thursday afternoon – smart phones at attention for snapping photos – as pace cars representing Team Penske’s record 16 Indianapolis 500 victories formed a uniform line.

With seven Indianapolis 500 winners included in the collection of current and former Team Penske Indy car and stock car drivers behind the wheels, the sun-splashed parade on the opening day of the Woodward Dream Cruise was a quick-moving and burnout-turning 20-mile excursion.

“This is like a family reunion,” said Al Unser, who joined another four-time Indy 500 winner, Rick Mears, along with his brother Bobby and son Al Jr. -- who combined for another five Indy 500 triumphs -- in the salute to speed. “And I’m not talking about just the Unser family, but I consider this the Penske family.”

From team owner Roger Penske taking the pole position in the 1972 442 Hurst Oldsmobile convertible that commemorates the team’s first Indy 500 win with driver Mark Donohue to the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 that paced the field for Team Penske’s most recent win at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” with Juan Pablo Montoya in May, the first-ever unification of all the cars and the star-studded lineup of drivers was a unique tribute to the historic race and annual Metro Detroit summer event.

"This is a cool deal," said Mears, who drove the 1991 Dodge Viper (the year of his final '500' win). "This is my style of driving now." 

Also along for the ride were three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, 2006 winner Sam Hornish Jr. and ’03 winner Gil de Ferran, first-year Verizon IndyCar Series team member Simon Pagenaud, NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace and current Team Penske NASCAR drivers Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.

“Each one of these cars has a special place in Team Penske history, along with each of these men that have meant so much to our organization,” Penske said. “To have the drivers in the pace car that they won the Indy 500 with is pretty special and I’m thankful that everyone could make it. The Indianapolis 500 is such a unique event and it is an honor to be able to share these wonderful cars from our victories at Indianapolis, and the great stories that go along with them.”

Many stories were being swapped pre- and post-cruise between the drivers about their favorite 500 Mile Race memories and the importance of the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race next May. Penske will mark 50 years in auto racing in 2016.

“When you drive for Team Penske, there is a lot of cool stuff you get to do,” said Pagenaud, who drove the 2002 50th anniversary Chevrolet Corvette C5 on Woodward Avenue. “All these years, all these wins, all these backgrounds are all together. It makes you realize that you’re part of something really special.

“To have 16 wins in the Indy 500 is just incredible to even say that number. I’m not a big number guy, but obviously with a team like this with such history, you do think about it. It would be the biggest achievement in my career to win the 100th Indy 500.”

In its 20th year, the Woodward Dream Cruise rekindles the years when the thoroughfare that connects the northeast suburbs to downtown Detroit was a hub for weekend cruisers. On Aug. 15, more than 1.5 million people will again raise their smart phones to snap a sampling of the 40,000 vehicles from around the globe taking part in the parade.

"The Woodward Dream Cruise is a great event for the City of Detroit. You don’t need an entry blank, you don’t need to go through inspection. All you have to do is bring your car and go have fun,” Penske said.

The pace cars will be displayed throughout the weekend at the Art Van Furniture store location on Woodward Avenue, between 13 and 14 Mile Roads in Royal Oak.