Team Penske, which owns more Indy car wins (178) and Indianapolis 500 victories (16) than any team in the sport’s history, unveiled plans for the year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary in motorsports in 2016.
“Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Team Penske” will be a multi-faceted program that includes media and fan engagement, sponsor partnerships, special events and more. The commemoration kicks off Jan. 20 with a gathering of current and past Team Penske drivers in all disciplines in Charlotte, N.C., and will include a special Team Penske exhibit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum to debut in February in conjunction with the 100-day countdown to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
Those numbers include 93 wins and one championship in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
The history of Team Penske in NASCAR, which began at the 1972 Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway when Mark Donohue finished 39th, will be honored at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.
The museum exhibit will include cars from various racing series from 1966 to the present and rarely seen artifacts and trophies from the Team Penske archives.
Its opening on Jan. 20 coincides with the Sprint Cup Media Tour.
Another exhibit focused on Team Penske will debut in February at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum 100 days before the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May. That display will feature cars representing each Team Penske driver’s first win at IMS and other vehicles, artifacts and trophies from Penske’s 50 years of racing.
“We are very proud of all Team Penske has accomplished over the last 50 years. The celebration of our 50th Anniversary is truly a credit to the hard work, preparation and execution of our teams over the years,” said Roger Penske in a team release. “The 2016 season will be a special one in our history as we have the opportunity to reflect back on our heritage while continuing to produce and win at a high level each week on the race track.”
Penske didn’t compete in NASCAR on a regular, yearly basis until 1991 with Rusty Wallace, but its first win came in 1973 with Donohue. The team’s first and only Sprint Cup title to date would not come until 2012 with Brad Keselowski. In 2015, Joey Logano gave the organization its second Daytona 500 victory.
The IMS museum display will not only feature cars representing each Team Penske driver’s first win at IMS, but will also include vehicles, artifacts and trophies from Penske’s rich motorsports history.
“We are very proud of all Team Penske has accomplished over the last 50 years,” team owner Roger Penske said. “The celebration of our 50thanniversary is truly a credit to the hard work, preparation and execution of our teams over the years. The 2016 season will be a special one in our history as we have the opportunity to reflect back on our heritage while continuing to produce and win at a high level each week on the racetrack.”
Beginning as Roger Penske Racing in 1966, competing in sports car and endurance events, Team Penske has grown into one of the most successful racing teams – and sports teams – in the world. The team won its class in the 24 Hours of Daytona in its first start and since then Team Penske has produced a combined 424 wins, 487 pole positions and 28 national championships.
The anniversary program also includes an exhibit at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte and inductions into the newly formed Team Penske Hall of Fame – a yearly honor that will be made eligible to current and former drivers and employees who have made a significant impact on the team and its history.
An extensive media plan will bring many of the historic races, drivers, team members and pivotal moments of Team Penske’s past back to the forefront through interviews and features. A special Team Penske 50th Anniversary logo has been created and the team will celebrate the anniversary all year long on its social media channels, utilizing the #Penske50 hashtag. Many team partners will incorporate special car paint schemes to commemorate the anniversary throughout the racing season.
