Team Penske currently fields three entries in the IndyCar Series: the No. 2
Hitachi Dallara/
Chevrolet driven by
Josef Newgarden, the No. 3
Dallara/
Chevrolet driven by
Scott McLaughlin, and the No. 12
Verizon Dallara/
Chevrolet driven by
David Malukas. Among the team's most notable former drivers are four-time
Indianapolis 500 winners
Al Unser,
Rick Mears, and
Hélio Castroneves. At the
2024 Indianapolis 500, Team Penske claimed its record 20th victory in the prestigious event. The team has also secured the IndyCar Series championship 16 times. The open-wheel division of Penske Racing was based in
Reading,
Pennsylvania from 1973 onward. During the Formula One and CART eras, the team's cars were constructed in
Poole,
Dorset,
England, which also served as the base of the Formula One operation. On October 31, 2005, Penske Racing announced that, following the conclusion of the
2006 IRL season, it would consolidate its IndyCar and NASCAR operations at its facility in
Mooresville,
North Carolina. However, due to severe flooding in Pennsylvania in 2006, the relocation to Mooresville occurred earlier than originally planned.
IndyCar history Early days 's car at the
2010 Indianapolis 500 's Penske Indy car Team Penske's involvement in IndyCar racing dates back to 1968, when
Roger Penske first entered the series with a
stock block-powered
Eagle chassis driven by
Mark Donohue. The team made its debut at the
Indianapolis 500 in 1969, where Donohue earned the title of Rookie of the Year. In 1971, Donohue delivered Team Penske's first IndyCar victory at the
Pocono 500, and the following year, he secured the team's first
Indianapolis 500 victory in May 1972. In 1978, Penske - alongside
Pat Patrick,
Dan Gurney, and several other prominent team owners - co-founded Championship Auto Racing Teams (
CART). This new sanctioning body was formed in response to ongoing disputes with USAC, and it governed what were then commonly referred to as Champ Cars or IndyCars. As of August 11, 2025, Team Penske has achieved: • 20
victories in the Indianapolis 500 The partnership began successfully, highlighted by
Gil de Ferran's victory at the
2003 Indianapolis 500. However, performance began to decline in 2004, with the team achieving only two race wins, five pole positions, and three fastest laps, a noticeable drop from the previous year. This decline was attributed in part to driver errors and on-track incidents. In 2005, the team experienced a modest resurgence, securing three wins and two pole positions, though overall performance remained below expectations compared to earlier seasons.
Honda engines (2006–2011) On October 31, 2005, it was announced that Team Penske would end its engine partnership with
Toyota and switch to
Honda, signing an initial five-year agreement. This marked a renewed collaboration, as Penske had previously worked with Honda engines during the 2000-2001 CART Champ Car seasons. Following the announcement, the team confirmed
Hélio Castroneves and
Sam Hornish Jr. as its official race drivers. Despite Honda's status as a single engine supplier in IndyCar at the time, Penske received
de facto factory support, with engines delivered directly from Honda's racing divisions in Japan and the United States, along with tuning assistance from
Ilmor Engineering in
Plymouth,
Michigan. The partnership began strongly in 2006, as
Sam Hornish Jr. won both the
Indianapolis 500 and the
IndyCar Series championship. The Castroneves-Hornish Jr. pairing remained intact for
2007. The second year of the Honda partnership showed initial promise, with the team contending for both the
Indianapolis 500 and the season championship. However, a series of driver errors and on-track incidents resulted in only two race victories, and the team failed to secure any major titles - its first such outcome since 2005. On November 9, 2007,
Sam Hornish Jr. announced his move to the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the 2008 season, driving full-time with Team Penske. Four days later,
Ryan Briscoe, who had previously competed in Champ Car and the
American Le Mans Series, was announced as Castroneves's new teammate. The 2008 season began slowly for Team Penske. However,
Castroneves managed five top-four finishes, including two second-place results.
Briscoe took time to adjust to the team and car setup, but ultimately earned his first IndyCar victory at the
Milwaukee Mile, while Castroneves claimed a win at
Infineon Raceway. Castroneves narrowly missed winning the
2008 championship, finishing second to
Scott Dixon after the final round at
Chicagoland Speedway. In
2009,
Verizon Wireless joined
ExxonMobil (then McLaren's fuel and lubricant partner) as an associate sponsor. The team introduced a third car, the No. 12, driven by
Will Power, initially as a substitute for
Castroneves. The entry featured primary sponsorship from Verizon and Penske Truck Rental. The
2010 season marked Team Penske's fifth year with Honda and the first time since 1994 that it fielded a three-car full-time lineup, with
Will Power joining Castroneves and
Briscoe full-time. The team started the year strongly, winning the first three races. Power emerged as a championship contender, but a suspension failure at the season finale in
Homestead-Miami dashed his title hopes. Penske concluded the season with nine wins, thirteen pole positions, and six fastest laps, most of which were achieved by Power. On November 12, 2010, Team Penske confirmed that it would end its Honda partnership after the
2011 season, switching to
Chevrolet engines for 2012. In the final year of the Honda era, the driver lineup of
Castroneves,
Briscoe, and
Power remained unchanged. The team lost
ExxonMobil as a sponsor (who moved to
Stewart-Haas Racing in
NASCAR), with
Shell and
Pennzoil becoming Penske's official motor oil partners. The 2011 season began with two early wins for Power, including his first career oval victory at
Texas Motor Speedway. Heading into the final round at
Las Vegas, Power trailed
Dario Franchitti by 18 points. However, on lap 11, Power was involved in a tragic 15-car accident that claimed the life of
Dan Wheldon, the defending
Indianapolis 500 winner. The race was cancelled in Wheldon's honor, and the championship standings reverted to their pre-race positions, awarding Franchitti his third consecutive and fourth overall title. Team Penske ended the 2011 season with six victories, all by Will Power, while Castroneves and Briscoe failed to win a race.
Return to Chevrolet engines (2012–present) For the
2012 IndyCar Series season,
Roger Penske announced Team Penske's return to
Chevrolet engines, receiving full factory backing from
General Motors. As part of this renewed partnership, the team benefited from free engines supplied formally by
Ilmor Engineering - in which Penske holds a stake - and Chevrolet, along with access to official Chevrolet team vehicles, financial support, and technical personnel stationed at the team's
Mooresville,
North Carolina base. Penske dominated the early part of the 2012 season, winning four consecutive races.
Hélio Castroneves claimed victory in the season opener at
St. Petersburg, followed by
Will Power winning at
Barber,
Long Beach, and
São Paulo. Although
Ryan Briscoe struggled throughout the year, he managed a win at
Sonoma. Power, however, came up short in the championship after a crash in the
season finale. Briscoe left the team following the season to pursue other opportunities. In
2014, after finishing runner-up in the championship three consecutive times (2010–2012),
Will Power finally clinched the
IndyCar Series Championship, adding another title to Team Penske's legacy. The
2015 season began strongly, with
Juan Pablo Montoya winning the
opening race - his second with Penske since returning from
NASCAR in 2014. Teammates
Will Power,
Hélio Castroneves, and new signing
Simon Pagenaud finished 2nd, 4th, and 5th respectively. Power won at the
Grand Prix of Indianapolis, and Montoya captured his second
Indianapolis 500 victory shortly after, once again finishing ahead of Power. Despite a strong campaign, Montoya lost the championship to
Scott Dixon on a tie-breaker in the final race. Team Penske dominated the
2016 season, finishing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the final standings.
Simon Pagenaud capped off the year with a commanding victory and secured his first IndyCar title, becoming the ninth Penske driver to do so. It marked Team Penske's 14th championship, and their second in three years following Power's 2014 win. In
2017, Penske signed
Josef Newgarden from
Ed Carpenter Racing. Newgarden quickly delivered, winning the championship that year and again in
2019, giving the team back-to-back titles. Meanwhile,
Will Power and
Simon Pagenaud claimed back-to-back
Indianapolis 500 wins in
2018 and
2019 respectively. In
2020, although Penske drivers won more races than any other team, they missed out on both the
Indianapolis 500 and the
IndyCar championship, with Newgarden unable to defend his title against
Dixon. The
2021 season saw Team Penske expand to four full-time entries, introducing
Scott McLaughlin, a three-time
Supercars champion and former
DJR Team Penske driver. This marked the first time since
Rick Mears in 1978 that Penske signed a driver without any open-wheel racing experience. 2021 proved challenging - McLaughlin needed time to adapt, while all three former champions (
Power,
Newgarden,
Pagenaud) endured their least competitive seasons with Penske. Power and Newgarden each had potential wins slip away due to mechanical failures at
Detroit and
Road America, and Pagenaud's best finish was third place. The team's performance at the
Indianapolis 500 was also disappointing: none qualified in the top 15, Power was nearly bumped from the grid, and Pagenaud's late charge to third was the team's best result. One highlight was Penske's technical partnership with
Paretta Autosport, an all-female-operated team fielding
Simona De Silvestro at the
2021 Indy 500. While De Silvestro failed to finish, she qualified for the race in the final grid spot thanks to a Penske-prepped chassis. Despite struggles, McLaughlin was named both IndyCar Rookie of the Year and Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, while Newgarden finished runner-up in the championship for a second straight season. For the
2022 season,
Simon Pagenaud departed for
Meyer Shank Racing, and Team Penske returned to a three-car lineup. Although the team again faced challenges at the
Indianapolis 500, their overall performance improved significantly, winning four of the first seven races and nine overall. McLaughlin claimed his first IndyCar win at
St. Petersburg, while Power and Newgarden both led the standings during the season. Ultimately,
Will Power secured his second championship title at the season finale. In
2023, Team Penske returned to victory at the
Indianapolis 500, with
Josef Newgarden winning the 107th running and becoming the first American winner since 2016. Despite this milestone, the rest of the season was underwhelming: only one driver finished in the top three in the standings, the team claimed just one road course win, and
Will Power went winless for the first time in 16 years. In
2024, controversy hit when
Josef Newgarden was disqualified from his win at
St. Petersburg due to illegal ECU software manipulation, allowing push-to-pass during restarts - explicitly against regulations. It was the first time Penske had a win stripped since
Al Unser Jr.'s
1995 Portland victory. Unlike that instance, Penske did not appeal, and team president
Tim Cindric received a multi-race paddock ban. Despite the scandal, the team rebounded with a strong start: all three drivers secured wins in the first seven races, and
Josef Newgarden went on to win his second consecutive
Indianapolis 500, making him the first back-to-back winner since
Hélio Castroneves. The victory marked Team Penske's 20th Indianapolis 500 triumph, solidifying their legendary status in the sport.
1994 PPG IndyCar World Series The 1994 IndyCar World Series Championship marked one of the most dominant performances by any team in the history of American open-wheel racing. Under
Roger Penske's leadership, the team not only found the key to winning but also discovered a way to outpace and outclass the competition throughout the season. Powered by the revolutionary
Penske PC-23 chassis paired with the
Ilmor-Indy V8 engine, Penske's lineup of
Al Unser Jr.,
Paul Tracy, and
Emerson Fittipaldi dominated the field. Across 16 races, the team amassed an incredible 12 wins, 10 pole positions, and 28 podium finishes, asserting near-total control of the championship battle. The season's defining moment came at the
78th Indianapolis 500, where Penske introduced the radical and controversial Mercedes-Benz 500I engine. Exploiting a loophole in the regulations designed for stock-block pushrod engines - such as the
V-6 Buicks - the 500I featured an increased displacement of 650 cm3 and an additional 10
inches (4.9
psi/33.8
kPa) of turbo boost. This translated into a power output of at least 900
horsepower, with rumors suggesting it exceeded 1,000 hp, granting Penske an overwhelming advantage in qualifying and race pace. Penske secured the pole position and the outside front row with their cars, dominated by the efforts of
Al Unser Jr. and
Emerson Fittipaldi. In the race, the duo controlled the field, with Unser Jr. ultimately taking the win after Fittipaldi clipped the wall exiting Turn 4 with 16 laps remaining, relinquishing the lead. Remarkably, only rookie
Jacques Villeneuve finished on the lead lap alongside Unser Jr. This dominant season saw Team Penske sweep the major titles: • Drivers' Championship: Al Unser Jr. • Constructors' Cup: Penske PC-23 • Manufacturers' Cup: Ilmor-Indy V8 engine However, the following year proved difficult; in 1995, Penske failed to qualify any cars for the
Indianapolis 500, marking a surprising downturn after such dominance.
Drivers -
Honda at the
2007 Indianapolis 500 ,
Hélio Castroneves, and
Roger Penske at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Miller Lite Carb Day in 2009 •
Mark Donohue (1968–1975) •
David Hobbs (1971) •
Gary Bettenhausen (1972–1974) •
Gordon Johncock (1972) •
Mike Hiss (1972, 1974) •
Bobby Allison (1973, 1975) •
Tom Sneva (1975–1978) •
Mario Andretti (1976–1980) •
Rick Mears (1978–1992) •
Bobby Unser (1979–1981) •
Bill Alsup (1981) •
Kevin Cogan (1982) •
Al Unser (1983–1989) •
Johnny Rutherford (1984) (injury replacement) •
Mike Thackwell (1984) (injury replacement) •
Danny Sullivan (1985–1990) •
Geoff Brabham (1989) (injury replacement) •
Emerson Fittipaldi (1990–1996) •
Paul Tracy (1991–1994, 1996–1997) •
Al Unser Jr. (1994–1999) •
Jan Magnussen (1996) (injury replacement) •
André Ribeiro (1998) •
Alex Barron (1999, 2003; 2003 as injury replacement) •
Gonzalo Rodriguez (1999) (killed at Laguna Seca Raceway) •
Tarso Marques (1999) (injury replacement) •
Gil de Ferran (2000–2003) •
Hélio Castroneves (2000–2020) •
Max Papis (2002) (injury replacement) •
Sam Hornish Jr. (2004–2007) •
Ryan Briscoe (2008–2012) •
Will Power (2009–2025) (legal replacement, 1 race; two other races in No. 12 in 2009, full-time 2010–25) •
A. J. Allmendinger (2013) •
Juan Pablo Montoya (2014–2017) •
Simon Pagenaud (2015–2021) •
Oriol Servia (2016) (injury replacement) •
Josef Newgarden (2017–present) •
Scott McLaughlin (2020–present) •
David Malukas (2026–present) •
Note: This does not include
Greg Moore, who in mid-1999 signed a contract with Penske Racing to join the team for the 2000 season. Moore was killed in a crash on Lap 10 of the
Marlboro 500 at the
Auto Club Speedway in the last race of the 1999 season while in his last race for
Forsythe Championship Racing. Castroneves, who had been driving for Hogan Racing, which shut down after the 1999 season, was tapped to fill that seat.
Sponsorship Marlboro, the iconic cigarette brand, began its sponsorship of Team Penske at the
1989 Indianapolis 500 and served as the primary sponsor for all Penske IndyCars starting in 1991. This partnership helped define the team's identity through the 1990s and early 2000s. However, due to the
Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which restricted cigarette advertising by name, Team Penske announced in late 2005 that Marlboro branding would no longer appear on their cars. Despite this, the cars continued to sport the distinctive Marlboro red and white color scheme, similar to how the
Scuderia Ferrari and
McLaren Formula 1 teams maintained Marlboro-inspired liveries while removing explicit branding. By 2007, the
IndyCar Series cars displayed only Team Penske insignia, removing Marlboro logos as well as sponsorship mentions from
Mobil 1, although the familiar color scheme remained as a visual homage to the long-standing Marlboro partnership. The formal end of the Marlboro relationship came in 2010, when
Philip Morris USA discontinued its association with Team Penske after 19 years. Following this, the team adopted a new black and white livery with red trim, reflecting their new primary sponsor,
Verizon Wireless. This updated design resembled the style of the
McLaren Formula One team's black-silver livery from
1997 to
2005, which had similarly reflected their
Mercedes-Benz engine partnership and
West cigarette sponsorship. ==NASCAR==