AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Josef Newgarden’s challenge came shortly after winning the IndyCar-opening Desert Double at Phoenix Raceway, which pairs Roger Penske’s open-wheel series with NASCAR for the first-ever doubleheader on an oval.
His win in IndyCar’s first race since 2018 at Phoenix gave Team Penske a sweeping championship, the same weekend as the organization kicked off its season-long celebration of 60 years in motorsports. Roger Penske’s six drivers competed in two series at the same track, interacting and cheering each other on, eager to make their boss proud.
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“It would be very disappointing if the cup players couldn’t deliver on their promises,” Newgarden said after Saturday’s win. “We had to go first. It worked out. Now you have to apply the pressure.”
He didn’t let up during a dinner with his Penske Racing partners later that night, with Newgarden continuing to trash-talk fellow NASCAR teammates Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric and Joey Logano. Then Newgarden wore a Blaney shirt and sat in his pits on Sunday, cheering on Blaney as he won the Cup Series and swept Phoenix. In addition to his two race wins, David Malukas won the IndyCar pole position and Logano won the NASCAR race pole position.
Newgarden, Malukas and Scott McLaughlin all celebrated with Blaney in victory lane.
“Joseph put the pressure on us. He said, ‘If you don’t do this on Sunday, this weekend is going to be ruined,'” Blaney said. Advertisement
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Moments like these inspire Penske employees to work hard to make their bosses proud. Penske, which turned 89 last month, has been building championship-contending teams and setting the industry standard for excellence for more than five decades.
Penske was an aspiring racing driver but gave up that career in 1965 to focus on his business career. However, he did not leave motorsport, launching the sports car project the following year, laying the foundation for his racing empire.
He now drives in NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA Sports Car and World Endurance Championship series. Penske has won a record 20 Indianapolis 500s and three Daytona 500s, and in January won the Rolex 24 at Daytona for the third consecutive year.
Team Penske has racked up more than 650 major race wins and 48 championships across multiple series. Over the past decade, 20 championships have been won, including 14 consecutive seasons of winning at least one series title.
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He owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series, a role that makes him the promoter of the Indianapolis 500 and responsible for the IndyCar schedule. He owns the Detroit Grand Prix and last year added the Long Beach Grand Prix, America’s most prestigious street racing event, to his portfolio.
This year, Penske is partnering with Jerry Jones to host the inaugural IndyCar race in Arlington, Texas, and the series plans to host the Freedom 250 race in Washington, D.C., in August, an event endorsed by President Donald Trump.
He needs the early-season races to close the traditionally long gap between the IndyCar season opener and the second race, which sometimes doesn’t happen for three weeks or more. This year, he opened the season with a record-breaking four-race schedule in March, setting the momentum for IndyCar.
As a result, he shared the Phoenix oval with the NASCAR team over the weekend, the first time the former rivals have shared an oval. NASCAR and IndyCar did team up on road courses after Penske purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2020, but that doubleheader failed to spark enthusiasm in Phoenix.
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It culminated in a new feat in Team Penske’s history: the first time his IndyCar and NASCAR teams won on the same weekend at the same track.
“As most people know, Roger Penske does this to win races. That’s what he loves to do,” said NASCAR team president Michael Nelson. “To give him something he’s never accomplished before and for him to win in two different series, it means the world to all of us.”
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AP Racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
