Roger Penske founded Team Penske in 1966 and set off on the path to ascend to the zenith of motorsport. Derek Daly, who had first-hand experience working with the motorsport legend, revealed the priceless gift that Penske had given him before getting behind the wheel of a Penske IndyCar.
Daly is a retired racing driver and has raced in both F1 and IndyCar. While his career in the American series was not filled with massive accolades, he got the chance to drive Al Unser's championship-winning Team Penske IndyCar.
His experience began with receiving the Penske coin, a coin that Roger Penske gave to every member of the team, and he revealed the importance of it. He recalled:
"Thirty one years ago I received a Penske coin. I was track testing Al Unser Jr’s championship winning Penske Indycar when Dan Lugenbuhl (Penske exec) handed it to me. He explained that Roger likes to give every new employee a coin in their first pay packet, and he wanted me to have one before I drove his race car." [via Derek Daly's LinkedIn]
The Irishman further wrote:
"The expression minted on one side is something he learned from his Dad: Effort equals Results. Roger has encoded that expression into all employees and race team members ever since. When I was handed the coin, the expression was encoded into me, and my response was to do the best possible job while behind the wheel of the championship winning Team Penske Indycar."
Team Penske has won 236 races and a massive 17 IndyCar National championships, as well as 20 wins at the series' premier event, the Indy 500. Roger Penske has headed the operations since day one.
Roger Penske revealed how Team Penske has been so successful
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Team Penske has its branches flared out in various directions. On top of NASCAR, the American outfit also has a FIAWEC (World Endurance Championship) side and the 87-year-old is responsible for the team's growth. Subsequently, reflecting on Team Penske's progress at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, Roger Penske said:
"At Team Penske, our greatest asset is our human capital; the knowledge and experience of our team, along with the continuity and commitment with our partners creates our competitive advantage. To be associated with the Borg-Warner Trophy is amazing and so special for us, because we know the hours and hours of dedication that goes into it." [via Forbes]
On the other hand, Chip Ganassi Racing has been hosting the IndyCar champion for the past two years. Alex Palou is the reigning champion and is the second driver ever to have won the championship in succession. He is aiming to complete the three-peat at winning the elusive drivers' title in the 2025 season.