• Porsche West Broward

Heritage

The strength of Porsche in racing has been steady for nearly 50 years. Highlights of the sensational Porsche racing heritage along with some Penske Racing history are documented in this timeline.

Porsche West Broward in Davie FL
Porsche Early Days

Roger Penske–Early Days

Businessman, racer, visionary, Roger S. Penske is all three. A native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Penske began racing at the age of 19 while he was studying Industrial Management at the prestigious Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. After driving a Corvette at the Marlboro Driving School in Virginia and amateur road races, he bought a Porsche RS for competition in SCCA events and quickly made his name.

1958

Roger Penske drives his first official race in the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) National in Maryland

1961

The Porsche RS61 driven by Bob Holbert and Roger Penske for Hubert Brundage/Brumos Racing of Jacksonville, finishes 5th overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring race and first in the sports class under 1600 cc, completing 199 laps. The only cars that finished ahead of it were Ferraris.

Penske wins Sports Illustrated magazine's "SCCA Driver of the Year" award.

1962

Penske wins the Riverside California Grand Prix and Pacific Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, California, two of the most prestigious sports car races in the world.

1964

During the Bahamas Speed Week of 1964, Penske wins the Nassau Tourist Trophy, beating out some of the top drivers, while his win in the Governor's Trophy race establishes his reputation as one of the world's best racers.

1965

Penske announces his retirement from a successful driving career to concentrate on his growing business interests. During this year, Penske purchases a Chevrolet dealership in Philadelphia.

1966

Not willing to get out of racing entirely, Penske forms Penske Racing and Team Penske and continues to build his racing team with driver Mark Donahue.

Penske Racing campaigns a Lola T-70 sports car for Mark Donohue in the SCCA Can-Am (Canadian-American Challenge Cup) and USRRC road racing series. Donohue earns the team's first major victory in the USRRC

Porsche 70s-80s

1971

Penske and Donohue help develop the turbocharged version of the Porsche 917.

Porsche announces it will hire Penske to run its 917 in the prestigious Can-Am series. It was this relationship, and the corresponding Penske Porsche success, that left a lasting imprint on American road racing history.

Penske Racing makes its Formula One debut with Donohue in the Canadian Grand Prix. Donohue makes an impressive debut with a third-place finish driving the Penske-run McLaren M19 in the rain at Mosport.

1972

Donohue captures Penske Racing's first Indianapolis 500 victory in a McLaren Offenhauser.

Penske makes his NASCAR debut at Riverside, California, with Donohue driving an AMC Matador.

Penske runs the factory Porsche 917-10 in the Can-Am Series and George Follmer wins the championship after Donohue is injured in a testing accident.

1973

Donohue records Penske's first NASCAR victory at Riverside in the Winston Western 500. Donohue captures the inaugural International Race of Champions all-star series title, and dominates the Can-Am Series in route to the circuit's championship in the updated Porsche 917-30.

1974

Penske Racing's PC-1 Formula One car makes its debut with Donohue driving in the Canadian Grand Prix.

Brian Redman takes the Penske 917/30 to a second place finish behind the Shadow Chevrolet of Jackie Oliver at Mid-Ohio.

During this year, Chuck Stoddard makes a significant decision to purchase all available Porsche 356 parts from around the world and expand his mail order business worldwide.

1975

Donohue sets the World Closed Course Speed Record – 221.160 mph – at Talladega in the Porsche 917-30. One week later Donohue is fatally injured in a March 751 Formula One car while practicing for the Austrian Grand Prix.

Porsche 1990-2005

1990's

With Penske's Indy car program continuing its remarkable production, with drivers like Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser Jr. and Paul Tracy, the team's NASCAR squad begins to develop a winning formula.

1991

Penske Racing South is created and Penske re-enters NASCAR with driver Rusty Wallace and sponsor Miller Brewing Company. Wallace wins the IROC championship.

1992

Hans J. Wichter becomes president of SIC after having been its Service Manager for 15 years. Wichter maintains the SIC name and vision of Stoddard by continuing the 48 year old tradition of making the service and parts department the backbone of the company.

1996

Due to the split between CART and the Indy Racing League, this is the first year that Penske Racing does not enter a car in the Indianapolis 500 since its first entry in 1969.

2000

Baker was the SCCA T1 National Champion in the Porsche 996 C2.

2001

Team Penske first competes in the Indy Racing League and joins the series full time the following season. Penske Racing flourishes as a full time, three-car NASCAR operation with Wallace, Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman leading the way on the track.

2004

SIC ownership returns to the USA through the efforts of Bruce Schwartz.

Porsche Heritage Contemporary

2005

Porsche sets the stage to make a comeback in sports car racing in the United States and chooses Penske Racing to run in the LMP2 class of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

The Porsche RS Spyder makes its successful debut at the ALMS season final race at Laguna Seca. The "Porsche Junioren" factory drivers Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr, finish 1st in LMP2 Class and 5th Overall in the 4 Hour Endurance Race.

2006

The Penske Porsches take center stage winning immediately, including victories at Mid-Ohio finishing 1-2 ahead of Audi (competing in a higher classification) and the annual Petit Le Mans, a 10-hour showcase event held at Road Atlanta.

Penske Motorsports fields two LMP2 Porsche RS Spyders in the American Le Mans Series. The Penske cars combined to win seven class victories and the overall win at Mid-Ohio.

Penske Racing wins the LMP2 team championship.

2007

Penske Motorsports fields two LMP2 Porsche RS Spyder Evos in the American Le Mans Series. Penske's two cars combined for eleven class victories and eight overall victories during the twelve race season.

Penske wins the LMP2 team championship.

2008

Penske starts out the season with an overall win in the 12 Hours of Sebring. This is Porsche's first overall win in the race since 1988 in a Porsche 962.

2009

The #6 and #7 ALMS teams are used for Penske's #12 Indycar, driven by Will Power in 5 races.

The team announces in late 2009 that the ALMS teams will be dissolved and turned into the new #12 Verizon sponsored IndyCar for Will Power to run full-time in 2010.

2010

In his first year with the team, Brad Keselowski captures Penske Racing's first NASCAR championship as he earns the Nationwide Series crown behind five wins, six poles a record 26 top-five finishes.