The first time that the name Penske was spotted on a NASCAR track was in 1972 when Mark Donahue drove an AMC (American Motor Corporation) Matador at Riverside Speedway. Since then, that name has reached victory lane 147 times and won the Cup Series title five times.
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Several great drivers have been a part of this glorious journey undertaken by team owner Roger Penske. Who is the greatest of them all? One can argue that Joey Logano, the driver who has brought home three championships, is.
And he might be. But to declare him so without properly pitching him against the icons of Team Penske would be a grave dishonor to their legacy. Currently driving for a team that he co-owns, Brad Keselowski is the first name that comes to mind.
He was one of Penske’s longest-serving drivers and raced for the team in 435 races between 2009 and 2021 with a victory count of 34. Notably, he also won the 2012 championship.
On this day in 2012, Brad Keselowski won his first career Cup Series Championship! pic.twitter.com/nJlsjSr57B
— Nascarpixtures (@Nascarpixtures) November 18, 2024
Rusty Wallace raced under the banner between 1991 and 2005. He won 37 races and came incredibly close to grabbing the title on a couple of occasions. Fate just didn’t play ball with him. A valiant participant in crafting Team Penske’s legacy nonetheless.
Logano’s current teammate Ryan Blaney has been a key player for the outfit as well. He has secured 12 wins across 254 starts and won a championship (2023). Ryan Newman, with 13 victory lane visits, was another strong driver.
He raced an overall of 296 races for the team between 2002 and 2008. Others like Kurt Busch and Bobby Allison have been crucial to the organization’s success as well. And that brings things to the reigning champion, Logano.
How Joey Logano transformed Team Penske into a powerhouse
The first criterion by which race teams are judged is the number of trophies that they have in their cabinet. Without Logano, Team Penske would have just two Cup Series championships as compared to the five now. The #22 driver joined the fold in 2013 after getting fired by Joe Gibbs Racing.
He clicked right off the bat and began contending for titles. He secured his first in 2018 and his second in 2022. He now reigns high as the most victorious driver for the team with his third championship coming in 2024. He has started 432 races under the banner and won 34.
As iconic as the others who’ve driven for Roger Penske are, Logano is the one who has captured the limelight the most, and with reason and performance to back it up. At just 34 years of age, the driver still has a long way to go before calling for retirement.
It is hard to argue against the Connecticut native being the greatest driver on the team if we look at the numbers alone. Despite his polarizing personality or the fact that his 2024 championship bid kickstarted after Alex Bowman’s Round of 8 disqualification, Logano reigns supreme at the top of the Penske castle.
