The Captain at the wheel: Penske's journey from driver to dynasty

©TheCahierArchive

Racing legend Roger Penske turns 87 today, but don't expect the Captain to take his foot off the gas anytime soon.

Before he became motorsport's most prolific team owner and a walking conglomerate in the automotive world, Penske was a burgeoning young racer who acquired his credentials in sports car racing.

But a foray into single-seater racing was the next logical step that led to Penske racing twice as a privateer in the US Grand Prix in 1961 and 1962, the young hopeful finishing among the top ten on both occasions.

In the picture here-above by Bernard Cahier, Penske is onboard his Lotus-Climax at the non-championship Mexican GP that took place at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in 1962.

In 1965, on the verge of the big time, Penske surprisingly hung up his helmet to devote focus his efforts on building his business empire on and off the track.

In the late sixties, Penske Racing initiated its owner's remarkable legacy - with the help of the late driver-engineer Mark Donohue - while Roger's entrepreneurship flourished.

The rest is history as they say. But today, the Captain - who became in 2019 the proud owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series - can still be found on most Sundays standing tall on a pitwall somewhere, surveying his team and drivers, devising race strategies and getting the job of winning done.

Penske, not just a racer, a motorsport Monolith!

©BrianSpurlock

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.