Roger Penske
Roger Penske (born February 20, 1937 in Shaker Heights, Ohio) is the owner of a very successful automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive related businesses.
He also is one of the corporate directors at General Electric and was chairman of Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan. He is a graduate of Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
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[edit] Penske family
Roger Penske has five children with wife Kathy: Roger Penske Jr, Gregory Penske, Jay Penske, Mark Penske, and daughter Blair Penske.
[edit] Racing career
Starting in 1958, Penske purchased, raced and sold race cars, and was very successful both financially and on the track.
By 1960, he was a well known race car driver (Sports Illustrated Driver of the Year), winning prestigious races until 1965, when he retired as a driver, to concentrate on the business of owning and running a successful race car team.
His team first competed in the Indianapolis 500 in 1969, winning that event 14 times between 1972 and 2006, and their first NASCAR win was in 1973. His teams have won many races in the subsequent years. He closed his European-based Formula One business in 1977. In 1982, he became the Chairman of the Penske Truck Leasing business.
Penske Racing now operates a NASCAR team comprising Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman. They also operate an Indy Racing League team composed of Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish, Jr. Previously, they ran cars in the CART series that included some of the best drivers of the time, including Gary Bettenhausen, Tom Sneva, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Al Unser, Jr., Emerson Fittipaldi, Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan, Paul Tracy and Gil de Ferran.
[edit] Racing awards
- In 1998, Penske was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
- He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1995.
[edit] Business Interests
- Penske Racing - Marlboro Team Penske (IRL), Penske South (Nascar), Penske Motorsports (ALMS)
- United Auto Group - (UAG:NYSE - a 40+% stake) 151 United States Car Dealerships and 101 International Car Dealerships
- Penske Automotive Group - Owns and operates automobile dealerships in California.
- Penske Truck Leasing - Joint venture with GE Equipment Management
- Penske Logistics - Transportation Logistics
- VM Motori S.p.A. - Owns 51% stake and 49% DaimlerChrysler Group. , Truck-Lite, and Davco (transportation component manufacturing).
- Truck-Lite - Lighting Manufacturer for Heavy trucks (18 Wheelers)
- QEK Global Solutions - QEK Global Solutions is a provider of a wide range of integrated support services to vehicle manufacturers, their tier-one suppliers, and other businesses outside the automotive sector.
- Davco - Manufacturer of Class 8 Heavy Duty Diesel powered truck fuel/heater water separators and filter systems.
- Ilmor - Engine builder
- Deer Valley Ski Resort - Deer Valley Ski Resort
