![]() ![]() “I am just so excited for him because I know how much he loves this place and he will always keep the best interests of this place at heart,” Rick Mears, who won all four of his Indy 500s driving for Penske, told AP. Mark Donohue picked up the first of Penske’s 18 Baby Borg trophies, and that record number is displayed outside the Pagoda Penske’s spot isn’t marked by his name, just the number 18. This Friday marks the 50th anniversary of Penske’s first Indy 500 victory as a car owner. “We have to lead in a way that’s going to get 25-year-olds excited about the Indianapolis 500.” “Roger has a great balance of understanding how do you protect the history and tradition of the speedway - the things that were special to him when he first came here in 1951 - but also a great understanding that if we are going to continue generations beyond ours, we have to begin changes,” Boles said. Sustainability initiatives have been taken to make the 500 a more environmentally friendly event, and the Snake Pit party zone in the infield returns for the first time since 2019 with musical acts geared toward a younger demographic. and Myles Rowe in lower divisions in Penske’s quest to get a Black driver into the Indy 500 field. A year ago, he backed the effort of an all-female team to ensure a woman was in the 2021 field, and he’s currently supporting both Ernie Francis Jr. Penske is also aware of evolving technology, changing times and a new generation of fans. “He sees this as a treasured property that he’ll do anything to protect.” “He doesn’t look at the speedway purely as a balance sheet,” said three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti. Penske refers to the fans who will begin pouring through the gates on Friday’s “Carb Day” as his “guests.” Every initiative is done to create a pleasant experience for those attending a Penske party. He used an opportunity when this place was closed during the pandemic to make this place better and it energizes everyone because he’s an energized leader.” “He has been an amazing steward through an unbelievably difficult time that he didn’t know he was going to get when he bought the speedway. “Roger is an unbelievably focused person on details and execution,” Boles said. Staffers are accustomed to receiving calls at all hours of the day - even an unexpected office drop-in - as Penske wants the facility perfect. ![]() Treat them like they are yours.”ĭoug Boles, the president of IMS, said Penske has been working triple-time to prepare for Sunday. ![]() As Penske walked through the Pagoda Plaza, he called over to the man polishing the Chevrolet Corvette pace cars on display. Penske is now 85, and on Wednesday, a drizzly day off at the speedway before the festivities get into full swing, “The Captain” was surveying every corner of the media center with a maintenance worker taking notes as he trailed behind. You don’t get any credit for what you did last year. “We had a business plan and we were counting on over 200,000 people at our first 500,” Penske told AP. The pandemic has prevented Penske from turning any sort of profit - he’s pumped more than $30 million beyond the purchase price into bringing the speedway grounds up to his standards - and despite operating in the red, Penske has no regrets. ![]()
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