He is the most successful owner of the Indianapolis 500 with 19 victories. He developed one of the most successful teams in Ind圜ar Series and NASCAR racing. Penske continued racing until 1965, when he retired as a driver, to concentrate on his first Chevrolet dealership in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rookie Mario Andretti stepped in for Penske to take that test. He never ran the Indianapolis 500: he was offered a rookie test at Indianapolis with the Dean Van Lines team, but turned it down. He competed in two Formula One Grands Prix and won a NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model race at Riverside in 1963. Sports Illustrated named him Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year in 1961. Penske made his first professional racing start at the now-abandoned Marlboro Motor Raceway in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Penske's first racing venture was in hillclimbing, but then ran road course racing in Porsches. He graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1955 and is a 1959 graduate of Lehigh University, where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. As a teenager he bought older cars, repaired them and sold them at a profit from his family's home in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, Jay, was a successful corporate executive for a metal fabrication company and encouraged his son to become an entrepreneur. Penske was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, in 1937. Penske is also a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. Penske is the founder and chairman of the Penske Corporation, a holding company for his various businesses. Penske is most known for his ownership of Team Penske, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ind圜ar, and other auto racing-related businesses. Roger Searle Penske (born February 20, 1937) is a retired American professional auto racing driver and businessman. "It's amazing to be here today…Winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom is very special, and to me it means more than any business success or motor sports trophy.Penske in front in the pits during the Ind圜ar Long Beach Grand Prix 2019ġ994 Indy 500 winning Penske PC23 driven by Al Unser Jr. "It's a wonderful honor to receive this award," said Penske during the ceremony that included his brother, his five children and his wife Kathy. Penske’s passion and unrelenting drive have established him as a business and motorsports icon."ĭuring the presentation ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Thursday afternoon President Trump reflected on Penske's many accomplishments in racing, in business and in community service. Penske built and led Team Penske into the most successful motorsports team in history. Penske built his one car dealership into Penske Corporation, a leader in global transportation services. “Guided by his father’s favorite phrase, ‘effort equals results,’ Mr. Penske is a well-known American success story," said the White House statement on the presentation of the award. The Presidential Medal of Freedom Award is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, which may be awarded by the President to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. Watch live coverage as President Trump awards the Medal of Freedom to motorsports icon Roger Penske.
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