Roger Penske’s purchase of INDYCAR, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions from Hulman & Company was one of the biggest “shock” stories of the past 50 years.
When the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season begins with the March 15 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the series will be under the guidance of the most successful team owner in major auto racing history.
The news came as a stunner to Andretti Autosport star Alexander Rossi.
“I was very surprised, like everyone was,” Rossi told NTT INDYCAR Mobile while on his way to Mexico to compete in next weekend’s Baja 1000. “I don’t think anyone saw that coming. It was pretty amazing in this sport to keep it under wraps.
“I think the Hulman-George family and Hulman & Company did a phenomenal job getting the Indianapolis 500 to the level that it was and the level that it is. I can’t think of anyone better to buy the whole shebang. Roger Penske is at the top of that list. His success explains it all; what he has been able to accomplish as an individual in the sport and a team owner is phenomenal. He understands what the sport and the teams need to succeed.”
Rossi is one of Acura Team Penske’s endurance drivers in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Series. He will compete as an additional driver in the three endurance races on the schedule, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring and Motul Petit Le Mans in 2020.
That has given the Andretti Autosport driver an inside look at what is known as “Penske Perfect.”
When Penske announced he was making the purchase from Hulman & Company, he wanted stakeholders to come up with a Top 10 list of what they would like to see happen in the NTT IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway to make them more successful and elevate them to the next level. Rossi has some thoughts.
“The big priorities for all of us is to have more races, more teams, more manufacturers; that is all part of the process and the goals of what I would assume for the new ownership,” he said. “To be quite frank, I missed the conference call that Roger had to explain his short and long-term goals because I was testing his Acura Sports Car at Daytona that day.
“I would like to share some of my thoughts with him before the season starts.”
Rossi is one of the bright young stars of the NTT IndyCar Series, along with Team Penske driver and two-time NTT IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden.
In 2019, Penske celebrated his 50th anniversary at the Indianapolis 500 and since then, he has become the winningest team owner in the race's history with 18 victories and 16 NTT IndyCar championships.