Penske and Porsche Reflect on Their 60-Year Partnership

Long-Term Relationship

Roger Penske is an iconic name in the world of motorsports, dedicating virtually his entire life to that venture. Today, Penske is a mere 85 years of age, but he hasn't retired like most of us do by that point in life. Rather, he's still going strong, running a massive transportation company and a successful racing outfit. However, what some may not be aware of is the fact that Penske has spent a whopping 60 years in a cozy relationship with Porsche, too.

Photos: Porsche

Way Back

Today, Porsche Penske Motorsport is set to race a pair of Porsche 963 hybrid prototypes in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's new GTP class in 2023 and is already competing with two cars in the FIA World Endurance Championship. But Penske's relationship with Porsche actually began back in 1958, when he purchased a 550 RS.

Photos: Porsche

Successful Start

For the next six years or so, Penske was quite successful on the track, racking up wins in the SCCA President’s Cup in 1960, 1962, and 1963, as well as being named Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1961. However, in 1964, he decided to retire to pursue his business ventures rather than continue to nurture his driving career.

Photos: Porsche

Second Career

Following that major pivot in terms of career choices, Penske truly hit his groove, earning wins with drivers behind the wheel of the 550 RS, 718 RSK, RS60, and RS61. However, he soon took a multi-year break from Porsche before coming back home in 1970.

Photos: Porsche

Start of Something

"We had a great run during that time," Penske said. "For me personally, I enjoyed driving Porsche race cars. The first Porsche I raced was the 550 RS and we competed with that car in 1958 and into ’59. Our first win with Porsche came at the Springtown Hill Climb in April of 1959. We liked what we could do from a performance standpoint and that gave us the confidence to continue to build with Porsche. I believe I had 28 race wins in my career behind the wheel of a Porsche, and it really marked the start of a strong partnership together."

Photos: Porsche

The Roaring 1970s

Fielding, the 917-10 and 917-30, Penske went on to win consecutive SCCA Can-Am championships in the early 1970s before graduating to win the title in the first season of the International Race of Champions with Mark Donahue behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 Carrera RSR.

Photos: Porsche

Ambitious Effort

Decades later, Porsche and Penske are still winning races together, and have set their sights on something even more ambitious - racing a grand total of four cars at the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans - one of the few major events that Penske hasn't claimed at least one victory at. But given the history between these two entities, we imagine that this will be his best shot to do that to date.

Photos: Porsche

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