Yesterday, Will Power delivered to Roger Penske his 17th Indy 500 win as a team owner, but when did it all start for 'The Captain' and his crew?
Team Penske's maiden triumph at the Brickyard came in 1972, with Mark Donohue at the wheel of an immaculate customer McLaren M16/B.
The race was actually led for 138 laps by Donohue's team mate, Gary Bettenhausen, a highly experienced oval racer. A water leak put him out of contention however and handed the lead to Jerry Grant. The latter pitted for a new tyre and fuel on lap 188 in teammate Bobby Unser’s pit - a mistake for which he would later be disqualified.
Donohue led only the final 13 laps of the race, but that was all it took to have his face engraved on the coveted Borg Warner Trophy and initiate Penske's successful run at Indianapolis.
