Roger S. Penske (born February 20, 1937) is an American entrepreneur who has been involved in professional racing. He is most noted as the owner of the auto racing team Team Penske, co-owner of DJR Team Penske, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive-related businesses.
Penske has the most victories as an owner in the Indianapolis 500 with 16 owner victories. He was named 1961’s Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated. After retiring from driving a few years later, he created one of the most successful teams in IndyCar Series and NASCAR racing. He is also known by his nickname of “The Captain”.
Penske is one of the corporate directors at General Electric and was chairman of Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan. He was previously on the board of The Home Depot and Delphi Automotive before resigning to chair the Detroit Super Bowl Committee. He has an estimated net worth of $1.95 billion as of September 2015.
Early life and education
Born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Penske’s father was a corporate executive for a metal fabrication company and encouraged his son to become an entrepreneur. As a teenager he bought older cars, repaired them and sold them at a profit from his family’s home in Cleveland, Ohio. In 10 years, Penske raced and sold about 32 cars. He is a 1959 graduate of Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, where he was also a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Racing career
Starting in 1958, Penske purchased, raced and sold race cars, and was successful both financially and on the track. Penske made his first professional racing start at the now-abandoned Marlboro Motor Raceway in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
By 1960, he was a well-known race car driver (Sports Illustrated SCCA Driver of the Year). He competed in two Formula One Grands Prix, and won a NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model race at Riverside in 1963. He never ran the Indianapolis 500: he was offered a rookie test at Indianapolis, but turned it down for business reasons; rookie Mario Andretti stepped in for Penske to take that test.
Penske continued racing until 1965, when he retired as a driver, to concentrate on his first Chevrolet dealership in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
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Penske at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Carb Day for the 2015 Indianapolis 500
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| Born | February 20, 1937 Shaker Heights, Ohio, US |
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| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  American |
| Active years | 1961–1962 |
| Teams | Non-works Cooper and Lotus |
| Entries | 2 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1961 United States Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1962 United States Grand Prix |
Roger Penske net worth: Roger Penske is an American businessman who has a net worth of $1.5 billion dollars. Roger Penske was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio in February 1937. He is the owner of the automobile racing Team Penske as well as the Penske Corporation. When he was a teenager Roger bought old cars, repaired them, and sold them. In 1958 he started buying and selling as well as racing race cars. Penske graduated from Lehigh University in 1959. He became a popular driver and was named Sports Illustrated’s Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year in 1961. In 1965 Penske retired from driving to focus on owning a Chevrolet dealership in Philadelphia. He started Penske Racing in 1965 and his team competed in the Indianapolis 500 in 1969. He is known by his nickname “The Captain”. As an owner Penske has claimed 15 Indianapolis 500 victories. He is a corporate director at General Electric and has previously served on the boards of The Home Depot and Delphi Automotive. Penske was the chairman of the Super Bowl XL Committee in Detroit, MI. He has been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. He has been married twice and has eight children.
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