The news is STILL rattling off the walls here at the 2019 SEMA show. When it was announced on Monday morning that Roger Penske had purchased IndyCar AND the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the racing world was immediately abuzz. How? Why? Tony George really sold it all? What the heck was he going to do with it? How much did he pay for it? Is he going to change a lot of stuff? Can this really save the IndyCar series? Is this a conflict of interest? The guy is 82 how long is he going to try and run the show for?
Those and about 50 billion other questions were asked and continue to be chirped by the assembled masses here. Several of those questions have been answered by the AP’s Jenna Fryer in this piece that takes us inside the deal, through the timeline of events, and ultimately to the biggest day in the history of American open wheel racing.
For obvious reasons, we think that this is an amazing thing and a great thing. Penske loves The Speedway like nowhere else, and like no-one else on Earth. The guy has won at it more than anyone, he has effectively made it his life’s work to dominate there. Additionally, he has made as significant an investment in American motorsports has in one shot at any time in history. Estimates on the sale range from the $3/500-million range to over a billion dollars. This was not pocket lint and a free set of Goodyears.
Read the story below and get up to speed on how this all went down. It’s incredible.
Associated Press: Penske Jumped At Chance To Protect Iconic Track –
Roger…please, please bring back innovation to Indy. Pod cars, turbines homebuilt cars built on a shoestring. As long as they are safe, fit specs…let them race. “Cookie cutter” cars suck! Who cares about pack racing….how’s that working out for ya NASCAR?
I completely agree with you John.
As a resident of Speedway, this news is a great relief to the town’s citizens and business owners. IMS is a treasure and the town’s crown jewel. Many of us chose to live in Speedway just because of the track so to us, its stewardship is very important to us. Initially, I had some reservations about the news, mostly Roger owning the series he’s a powerful car owner in. On the other hand, I’m glad that he is getting the keys to the Speedway as he is the perfect person to be its steward.
I first heard of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a 6 year old listening to the 1959 Indy 500 on the radio with my Hoosier raised mom from our home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rodger Ward won the race that day and I immediately began a campaign to get my dad to take my older brother and I to the Milwaukee 200 the very next weekend. It worked and when Ward won that race my brother, who is a genius con man, somehow finagled his way to Victory Lane where he conviced Mr. Ward that his little brother was Ward’s greatest fan. NO SHIT, Within 15 minutes of it crossing the finish line I was sitting in the still hot, burnt oil and sweat smelling #5 Leader Card Special and talking to my hero. The event was captured on film and the pictures from that day are some of my most prized possesions.
I attended my first 500 in 1966 as a 13 year old resident of the Hoosier state and have attended the race dozens of times since. My story is one of thousands that make Indy Car racing and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a special place for race fans worldwide. The fact that Mr. Penske has purchased the track and series assures us that this jewel will remain a special place for many generations to come and I applaude the Hulman family for their stewardship and for having the foresight to pass it along to someone who actually cares about it way past the numbers. The info I have read indicates that there will be events added to the schedule and maybe somehow make the Brickyard 400 more relevent, which reminds me of my dad’s reaction to the news of NASCAR coming to the Speedway. “The taxi cabs need to stay out on 16th Street.” Maybe not, Irv, but one thing that has to be done is send the Xfinity race back to the oval at IRP, where for years it was one of the most exciting races on the schedule. It’s nothing but a parade at IMS. As John noted in the previous post, encouraging innovation in IndyCar would certainly be a nice touch. Anyway, as always when writing about something I really care about I get wordy and there’s not many things I care about more than The Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Good Luck and Thank You Hulman Family and Roger Penske.
Good man for the Job. And I agree with John.Bring back “run what ya brung ‘ to Indy.Typical kids born gaging on a silver spoon. Moms gone ,sell everything .So we can just be fuck offs.Never worked a day in their life. And aint about to start now. Way to go Rodger ,and 82 years young.