From the 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena to the 2005 Ford GT40, Roger Penske’s museum which sits in Phoenix, Arizona, is perhaps a treasure trove of cars, trophies, and racing history. Throughout his impressive 47-year-long journey in the arena of NASCAR and IndyCar, the “Captain” has carefully curated an array of race memorabilia that speaks daintily of his racing past.
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There used to be a time when Mr. Penske had to sell his cars off to obtain the money to finance the upcoming season. But since the mid-60s, he has catalogued over 20,000 pieces of racing relics. Today, his museum flaunts an eye-catching lineup of carefully preserved cars, including the 1977 Penske PC-5 and a replica of the 1963 Pontiac Catalina, which Penske drove to the victory lane in the 1963 NASCAR Riverside 250.
The Penske Racing Museum also displays a number of his Indy 500-winning cars, the star of which is probably the 1985 March Ford that was driven by Danny Sullivan en route to his victory in the 1985 Indy 500. For any motorsport enthusiast, the museum is quite an attractive place to visit, solely because of the amenities that it provides.
The Turn 4 Cafe is located just on the 2nd floor of the same building. The visitors can enjoy a scrumptious meal inside the cafe while gazing at the display of Penske’s race-winning trophies or, carry their platter over to the mezzanine, where they can enjoy looking at the test track and the Land Rover off-road course.
IndyCar and NASCAR heritage of Team Penske
It all started in 1968 when Team Penske and veteran racer Mark Donohue made their IndyCar debut in two USAC-sanctioned road races. The following year, the team appeared for the first time in the prestigious Indianapolis 500, where Donohue recorded a seventh-place finish and won the title of “Rookie of the Year”. Needless to say, there was no looking back for Penske after that.
Donohue drove his machine to a P2 finish in the 1970 Indianapolis and got his team its first championship win in the Pocono 500, back on July 3, 1971. Donohue also got his team its first Indianapolis 500 victory in 1972, recording an average speed that remained unbeaten for several years to follow. Since then, Team Penske has become a powerhouse in their IndyCar ventures, recording about 235 race wins, close to 300 poles, and numerous National Championships.
The team made its NASCAR debut the same year Donohue got Penske his first Indianapolis 500 triumph. In 1977, the Ford team collected four wins through the hands of the legendary Bobby Allison. Two years later, Rusty Wallace made his NASCAR debut in 1980 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in a Penske Ford.
However, the team went on a decade of hiatus from the world of NASCAR, only to return in 1991 and form the ‘Penske Racing South’ racing team, with Wallace and a trusted Penske business associate Don Miller as the co-owners. After that, for 16 consecutive years, Wallace won at least one NASCAR race each season.
The years 2010 and 2012 were especially significant for the team when Brad Keselowski got Mr. Penske his first Xfinity Series and Cup Series championship, respectively. Today, with able drivers like Joey Logano and the reigning Cup champion Ryan Blaney, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Team Penske is bound to attain greater heights of success in the days to come.
