Penske Racing News
Updated: 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Cindric: “NASCAR isn’t going to give us back the points we lost”: Team Penske President Tim Cindric had this reaction in his exclusive column for RACER.com: “I’ve been asked many times what I think about NASCAR’s decision to simply put Carl Edwards on probation after intentionally wrecking Brad,” Cindric related. “My view is, NASCAR isn’t going to give us back the points we lost, they aren’t going to repair our racecar, they can’t replace the sense of accomplishment that our team members lost that day, so it really doesn’t matter to me what they decide to do to Carl as long as it is in the best interest of the sport. NASCAR declared earlier this year that they think that letting the drivers sort it out on the track is the best way, so I guess the fans and the sponsors will decide if they are right.” (Racer)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Penske to donate over $1 million worth trucks to Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund: Penske Corporation and its family of companies announced that today it has donated over $1 million worth of diesel-powered flatbed trucks to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. "I'm pleased the Penske Corporation has stepped up to donate more than $1 million worth of trucks, which will be instrumental in mobilizing food and lifesaving supplies in Haiti," President Clinton said. "Their generous contribution is an example of what the private sector can do to help Haiti rebuild and recover from the massive earthquake, and I'm grateful for their leadership." "The catastrophe that has struck Haiti is almost unimaginable," said Roger Penske, Chairman of Penske Corporation. "These trucks will assist in the humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti by facilitating the distribution of critical supplies that will help ease the suffering of the Haitian people." For more info about the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, visit www.clintonbushhaitifund.org.(Penske Racing)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Penske Racing to pick up Kurt Busch's option year: Penske Racing has picked up the option on Kurt Busch's contract for 2011, team owner Roger Penske said on Monday night. The contract allows Busch to talk to other teams next season, but Penske said he has the right to match any offer. Penske added that it is his intention to keep the 2004 Sprint Cup champion with the organization long term. Busch said he likes having the option to explore, but it is his goal to work out a long-term deal with Penske. "Absolutely," Busch said during the final stop on the first day of the 2010 Media Tour. "I like where I am. I like where things are going."(ESPN.com)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Penske donates 25k to scholarship fund: Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Foundation announced Roger Penske has donated $25,000 toward the Brienne Davis Memorial Scholarship for one qualified female to attend UTI's NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C. The Penske award is part of the Brienne Davis Memorial Scholarship Fund for women pursuing careers in the automotive industry. Davis, a UTI graduate and Sprint Cup official, died tragically in 2008. "The automotive industry needs outstanding people, like Brienne Davis, who are dedicated to top-notch service," Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corporation, said. "This scholarship was created to provide more opportunities for women committed to pursuing technical excellence through a career in the motorsports and racing industries." In addition to the $25,000 scholarship, the Foundation, through the support of The NASCAR Foundation and the NASCAR family, will also be awarding three $10,000 Brienne Davis Memorial Scholarships to women who wish to attend one of UTI's nine automotive campuses across the United States. The deadline for scholarship applications is Dec. 31, 2009. More information about the scholarships is available on the UTI Foundation Web site at www.utifoundation.net.(Penske Racing)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Addington to Penske? Cindric said the organization hoped to decide on a new crew chief for Kurt Busch within the next two weeks. He confirmed that Steve Addington, former crew chief for Busch's younger brother, Kyle, is among the final "two or three" candidates. Penske is mulling at least two internal candidates.(SI.com)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Crew Chiefs anonunced at Penske: Penske Racing has announced that both Jay Guy and Paul Wolfe have joined the organization as crew chiefs working with driver Brad Keselowski for the 2010 NASCAR season. Roy McCauley, who has served as a Cup Series crew chief for the past four years with the team, will remain with Penske Racing and assume a leadership role within the organization. Guy will lead the No. 12 Penske Dodge Cup Series team, while Wolfe will serve as crew chief for the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge squad that will compete full-time in the Nationwide Series with Keselowski behind the wheel. Guy, 36, most recently worked as the crew chief on the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing car driven by Regan Smith in Cup Series competition. A native of Lancaster, Penn., Guy is an experienced crew chief that has worked in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide Series and at the Cup Series level. Wolfe, a former competitor on the track, will team with Keselowski to pursue the 2010 Nationwide Series championship with the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team. The 32-year-old native of Milford, N.Y., raced in the Nationwide Series and completed his fourth season as a crew chief in 2009 as he led the charge for the No. 11 CJM Racing team with drivers Scott Lagasse, Jr., Denny Hamlin and others.(Penske Racing)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Penske announcement coming: Jay Guy will be crew chief for Brad Keselowski and the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge in 2010. Guy heads to Penske Racing following a three-year stint at Denver-based Furniture Row Racing. The 36-year-old Lancaster, Penn., native says he's looking forward to building a program around a driver with Keselowski's potential. "(Keselowski) has definitely won a lot of races in the Nationwide Series," Guy said. "There's a great upside to him. This is what I've worked for the last 20 years, to have an opportunity such as this with a company like Penske Racing."(FOXSports.com)
Monday, November 2, 2009
Official: Keselowski in the No. 12 remainder of season: Brad Keselowski will compete for Penske Racing in the final three NASCAR Cup Series races of the 2009 season. Keselowski will drive the No. 12 Penske Dodge in the upcoming races at Texas (Nov. 8), Phoenix (Nov. 15) and Homestead (Nov. 22). Over the final three Cup Series events of 2009, Keselowski will step in for David Stremme and work with the Penske Dodge team in the car that will become his full-time ride next season. "Penske Racing wants to give Brad an opportunity to work with the team and get to know the race car as we prepare for the 2010 season," said Roger Penske. "These three races will provide a good base for both Brad and the team as we head into next year. Penske Racing also thanks David Stremme for his contributions to the team this year. We wish David the very best moving forward."(Penske Racing PR)
Keselowski in the No. 12 remainder of season? Brad Keselowski will begin driving a Penske Racing Dodge in the Sprint Cup series starting this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Keselowski will take over for David Stremme in the No. 12 Dodge, multiple sources have told FOXSports.com.Keselowski, who finished eighth in Sunday's Amp Energy 500 and is currently third in Nationwide Series points, was announced as Roger Penske's latest addition on Sept. 1.(FOXSports.com)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Keselowski to test Penske cars? Brad Keselowski will continue to gain Sprint Cup Series seat time with the No. 12 Penske Dodge during the Goodyear tire test at Daytona International Speedway on Nov. 2-3. This will be the second time Keselowski gets to work with his future employers since he was signed by the team on Sept. 1. Keselowski joined the No. 12 team and crew chief Roy McCauley last month at Daytona along with David Ragan, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano and Marcos Ambrose. Goodyear officials used that test to help establish a baseline for the November test. Goodyear has opened testing to the entire Cup garage and hopes to attract at least 30 teams in an effort to set up drafting to closer simulate race conditions to prepare for the 2010 Daytona 500. In Keselowski's absence, Kelly Bires will test the No. 88 Chevy for the Nationwide Series test at Talladega Superspeedway.(FOXSports.com)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Penske Racing only team fielding Dodges in 2010? Despite the announcement this week of Dodge's continued commitment to NASCAR in the wake of a managerial shake-up, don't look for any additional Chrysler teams in the 2010 Sprint Cup lineup. New president and CEO Ralph Gilles intends to continue the manufacturer's support in the sport but only Penske Racing's three Dodge entries are expected to be on the grid next year.(CBS Sports)
Wednesday , Sept. 30, 2009
Penske and Saturn deal is dead: Penske Automotive called off discussions to buy Saturn from GM Wednesday because it could not find a new supplier. The move has effectively killed the Saturn brand dead. Here's the pertinent sentence in Penske's statement announcing its decision to nix the deal: "Penske Automotive Group negotiated the terms and conditions of an agreement with another manufacturer; however, that agreement was rejected by that manufacturer's board of directors." (Motor Trend)
Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009
Tryson not allowed at Penske race shop: Penske Racing crew chief Pat Tryson says he's only welcome at the race shop for the once-weekly debrief meeting. Because Tryson is moving to Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of this season, the team does not want him present during any preparations for 2010. "They want me to focus on this year's stuff and they've got stuff going on at the shop for next year, so they're going to work on that," Tryson said before Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "I'll be communicating by e-mail and phones, and I'll be in there for driver debrief on Tuesdays. Tuesday is the only day I'm welcome." It could make things difficult as Tryson and driver Kurt Busch attempt to win the championship this season. But Tryson says he's still committed to the No. 2 team, and can do a lot of his planning from home. But Penske vice president of operations Mike Nelson said the team is striking the right balance by involving Tryson in this year's planning and keeping him from the shop during preparations for 2010. "It really breaks down to 2009 vs. 2010. He's not there for the discussions that we have about 2010. That's a lot of what we're doing at the shop right now," Nelson said. "The 2009 stuff - that's something that he needs to be involved with and there's no change in his involvement with Kurt. That's the meeting that Kurt comes in for on Tuesdays. We're trying to leave that part of it seamless. We're trying not to affect anything for 2009, it's just that it doesn't make any sense for him or for us to sit down and discuss what we're doing in 2010." Tryson said he does not have permission to be at MWR the other days of the week so he can prepare for being Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief next year. "I'm still working for Penske, and that's all I'm worried about," Tryson said. "I'm just worried about winning the championship. You can do a lot of it via e-mail, so it's not that big a deal. The biggest thing is the lack of communication with the guys, seeing the guys."(Associated Press)
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009
Discount tires moving to Penske from Roush Fenway: Just days after announcing his move from JR Motorsports in 2010, Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing have signed Discount Tire as their sponsor for 26 Nationwide Series races next year. Keselowski will drive the No. 22 Dodge full time in the Nationwide Series next year along with a full-time Sprint Cup schedule. Discount Tire will also be an associate sponsor on Keselowski and teammate Kurt Busch's Sprint Cup Series cars. Additionally, the company will have a presence on all three Penske Racing cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A full announcement is expected later this week. Discount Tire currently sponsors David Ragan's No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Nationwide Series ride. The partnership has been in place since the start of the 2007 season.(FOXSports.com)
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009
Penske still in talks with Keselowski? Reports surfaced last week in Bristol that Brad Keselowski was set to replace David Stremme in the three-car Penske Racing Sprint Cup stable next year. ESPN reported on its race telecast Stremme was informing people in the garage area he was out of the ride and looking for employment next season. However Stremme insists he never made those statements and that no one from the network bothered to ask him directly about his future. Stremme told Sirius NASCAR Radio's The Morning Drive he "feels good about his future and will discuss his plans when the time allows." Keselowski and his current Sprint Cup and Nationwide team owners Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have also declined to comment on what lies ahead for the Michigan driver.(CBS Sports)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Racing could be in Saturn's future? Roger Penske isn't denying that racing could be a part of Saturn's marketing in the future. But with a three-year commitment to Dodge, Penske is quick not to cloud the issue. "I don't want anybody to get confused — we have a long term contract with Dodge in NASCAR," Penske said. "We're committed to that and we're not going to waiver off that at all as long as Dodge wants us. "The Saturn opportunity is now to develop product, to take this dealers into a team where we can give them the returns they want on their investment." Would he ever consider taking the helm of General Motors? "I'm too old and have too many things to do," Penske said. "Not even a chance." (FOXSports.com)
More on Penske and Saturn: From the USA Today.. Roger Penske, known for his successful racing teams, in addition to being the nation's second-largest auto dealer, has struck a tentative deal to buy the Saturn brand from General Motors. ... Penske asked if he envisions Saturn becoming involved in racing down the line? "As you dream at night about things you'd like to do, you'd say, 'Jeez, I'd love to see Saturn product involved.' But if you have 100 things to do, that's certainly not in the top 50."
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Penske: No plans to bring Saturn to Sprint Cup; Committed to Dodge: Team owner Roger Penske has no plans to move Saturn into the Sprint Cup series, saying Sunday he plans to stick with Dodge for at least the remaining three years of his contract with the manufacturer. General Motors Corp. announced on Friday an agreement for Penske to purchase the Saturn brand. Penske said he would like to get Saturn involved in motorsports, perhaps at the Grand-Am level, but not NASCAR's top series. "We have three more years with Dodge, they have not let us down," the owner of Penske Motorsports said before the Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway. "We see that continuing. They are current with all the obligations they have. I don't expect anything different." Richard Petty, the co-owner of Richard Petty Motorsports, said last weekend at Dover that RMP's cash flow from Dodge has ceased since Chrysler filed for bankruptcy. "I don't know what he means by cash [flow]," Penske said. "They paid the bills we submitted to them and they're on time. I don't know what he's talking about." (ESPN.com)
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Penske to buy Saturn brand? Roger Penske says he is contemplating a bid for the Saturn automotive brand that General Motors Corp. plans to sell or shut down. While Penske has not yet made an offer, he said Friday a decision would have to come soon and that a number of unidentified details need to be worked out. Penske has a vested interest in the automotive industry. But Penske denied that he has made a deal and said published reports are ahead of the process. (AP/ESPN.com)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Chrysler tells Penske support will continue: Roger Penske denied on Saturday a report that Chrysler will pull its support from NASCAR after this season. The Sports Illustrated report came on Friday after Chrysler announced it would file for bankruptcy protection and form a partnership with Italian automaker Fiat SpA. "Chrysler guys contacted us and said they were going to continue to support NASCAR," said Penske, the owner of Penske Racing and several Chrysler dealerships. "Hopefully, they can do that based on what the government allows them to do. We're cautiously optimistic right now.'" (ESPN.com)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Penske to Toyota? Roger Penske, who is one of the nation's biggest Toyota dealers, may move Kurt Busch's Dodge team, which just won at Atlanta, into the Toyota camp. A Penske-Toyota-NASCAR scenario has been bandied about for several years. There was no immediate comment from officials at Chrysler, but Toyota racing boss Lee White said "Unless RP has resorted to secretly stealing our parts, there is not chance he's running anything remotely resembling a Toyota in the foreseeable future. It's just another of many false rumors." However, when asked what the response might be if Penske or anyone else wanted to change to racing Toyotas, White said "We are open for customers. And our parts are competitively priced." (mikemulhern.net)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
NASCAR appoves No. 12 paint scheme: NASCAR has approved a paint scheme and uniform for Penske Racing’s No. 12 car and driver David Stremme that has the Verizon and Penske red and black colors but neither with the Verizon logo featuring a thin red check. NASCAR must approve all uniforms and paint schemes, and the Penske team had to go through a more scrutinized process because of the Cup series sponsorship from Sprint. NASCAR is responsible for making sure that none of Sprint’s rivals have branding in the garage, and Verizon, which bought out Penske sponsor Alltel earlier this month, is a sponsor of the organization and has its logos on the Nationwide Series car. Penske Racing crewmen spent part of Friday morning covering up a little bit of red striping near the front of the car with black strips. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said NASCAR asked for the minor change but the rest of the paint scheme has been approved. (SceneDaily.com)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Terry Labonte hopes to compete in 10-12 races: Terry Labonte has competed in 44 races in the four years since he retired, and he will attempt to make this year’s Daytona 500 in Prism Motorsports’ No. 66 Toyota. So far, that’s Labonte’s only scheduled race this year, but things could change. “I wouldn’t mind running eight or 10 or 12 races, something like that,” Labonte said. “It would depend who it was. I’ve got to know them. I had a blast last year. It was actually fun.” (SceneDaily.com)
Penske Racing now Penske Championship Racing: Bill Davis has become a minority owner of the team now known as Penske Championship Racing, a move giving Sam Hornish Jr. points that will guarantee him a spot in the season's first five races. With the addition of Davis, the team changed its name to Penske Championship Racing from Penske Racing. Bud Denker, the senior vice president of Penske Corporation, confirmed the move on Wednesday. Denker said Davis was brought on board to assure that Hornish and his sponsor, Mobile 1, were a part of the upcoming Daytona 500 and the next four races. (ESPN.com)
Tuesday, Fabruary 3, 2009
Bill Davis now an owner in Penske Racing? Bill Davis is now a minority owner in Penske Racing. Penske has acquired Davis' No. 22 and will keep the number for further consideration to align with the Nos. 2 and 12. But for now, the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr. will take the 22's owner points and start the 2009 season 31st, which guarantees it a position in the Daytona 500. "As a business person, you have to look at what your options are," Penske said by phone. "I think the key thing right now is it's too bad that anyone who has run a full season whether they're in the top 35 or not — and I don't mean the ones that run a half season — but if you run the full season last year, every car in every race, you hope you would be given some kind of priority." (FOXSports.com)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Penske thinks NASCAR will follow IRL on engines: Roger Penske said Monday the use of smaller race engines might not be just for the IndyCar Series, which expects to announce its powerplant plans later this month. "I think you'll see that migrate even into NASCAR because that's where we are today," Penske said in a Bloomberg radio interview from the Detroit Auto Show. Both racing divisions currently use eight-cylinder engines, but economic and environmental concerns are at the root of possible changes, particularly in the passenger car industry. (Indy Star)
Thursday, January 8, 2009
McCauley to remain #12 crew chief: Penske Racing driver #12-David Stremme confirmed Wednesday that Roy McCauley will remain the team’s crew chief for the upcoming 2009 Sprint Cup season. McCauley has been crew chief of the #12 Penske team since the start of the 2008 season with driver Ryan Newman but wasn’t sure if he wanted to return to the team for this season. Stremme replaces Ryan Newman, who moved to Stewart-Haas Racing. Stremme said the three-car Penske organization has made some internal changes, moving people around between his team, Kurt Busch’s #2 team and Sam Hornish Jr.’s #77 team. Stremme also said Tom German, an engineer from Penske Racing’s IndyCar team, will be part of the NASCAR side of things.(SceneDaily)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Kurt Busch to test Rolex sports car at Daytona: #2-Kurt Busch will be at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday (11/12) participating in Penske Racing’s testing for the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race. “We had a podium finish there last year,” said Kurt, who teamed with Penske Racing IRL drivers Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves to finish third in the prestigious sports car endurance race. “Knowing Roger like I do, we plan on coming back prepared as ever this time around.” Briscoe is expected to share the driving seat with Kurt on Wednesday. The 47th Annual Rolex 24 is scheduled for Jan. 24-25 with Daytona test days scheduled for Jan. 2-4.(Penske PR)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Penske, Busch No. 2 testing for 2009: Kurt Busch and his Penske Racing team are already working to get prepared for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, testing today at the new half-mile track located just outside the backstretch of Rockingham Raceway Park in North Carolina. NASCAR’s 2004 Cup champion isn't taking the final race of this season, Sunday's season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, lightly after coming off a runnerup finish last Sunday, but the team is looking for improved results next season. “We’ve been saying that we’re already focusing on getting our total program ready for ’09, and this is an example of our commitment to doing that,” crew chief Pat Tryson said. (SceneDaily.com)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Auto Club of Southern Cali. sponsoring Hornish in select 2009 races: Penske Racing announced the establishment of a multi-year agreement for its Sprint Cup Series program with the Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA) and its affiliated clubs. Starting in 2009, the Auto Club will be displayed as primary sponsor for select events on the Penske Racing South #77 Dodge, driven by three-time IndyCar Series Champion Sam Hornish Jr. in the Sprint Cup Series. Hornish will debut the #77 Auto Club Dodge in February at the Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif. In addition, the motor club will serve as primary sponsor of the #77 Car in Sprint Cup Series events at Kansas Speedway in October and Texas Motor Speedway in November, and as co-primary sponsor for Hornish and the Car #77 team, alongside Penske Truck Rental, at the April Talladega Superspeedway and June New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sprint Cup Series races.(Penske Racing PR)(11-11-2008)
Busch Testing at Rockingham: #2 Kurt Busch, crew chief Pat Tryson and crew tested their “PRS-565” Miller Lite Dodge Tuesday (11/11) at the “Little Rock,” the new half-mile track just outside the backstretch of the one-mile oval at Rockingham Raceway Park. “We’ve been saying that we’re already focusing on getting our total program ready for ’09 and this is an example of our commitment to doing that,” Pat said. “We get back to the short tracks only five races into the season next year so it’s never too early to be working on that end of the deal. This also gives us the opportunity to work with new components and try stuff out.”(Penske Racing PR)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Stremme in talks with Penske Racing? David Stremme, currently a test driver at Penske Racing and Nationwide Series driver for Rusty Wallace Racing, said he has talked with Penske officials about driving the No. 12 Sprint Cup car next season. The team is looking for a replacement for Ryan Newman, who will leave the team at the end of the year, likely for Stewart-Haas Racing. “We’ve talked,” Stremme said Saturday at O’Reilly Raceway Park. “Obviously, I’m doing testing for them. But there are a lot of opportunities open, too. “Who wouldn’t want to be racing for Roger Penske? He’s very successful in motorsports. I like how they do their program.” (SceneDaily.com)
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Roger Penske says he did not fire Ryan Newman: A day after Rusty Wallace said Roger Penske essentially fired Ryan Newman from the #12 car after the 2008 season, Penske said Wallace didn’t know what he was talking about. “I have read Rusty’s comments and it is important for everyone to understand that I did not fire Ryan,” Penske said in a statement. “His contract runs through 2008 and we sat down and agreed that we were not going forward beyond this year.” Penske’s statement matches what Newman said after he heard about Wallace’s comments Friday – that it was a mutual decision. On Saturday, after Newman qualified third at the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard for the second consecutive year, he seemed vindicated by Penske’s agreement. “That’s what I said,” Newman said. “I made some jokes about Rusty and all, but the bottom line is what he said wasn’t true and we’ll go on.”(Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Possible drivers in Penske #12; Truex or Stremme: Penske has offered no hints as to who might replace Ryan Newman. Martin Truex Jr.’s name has been mentioned, but Truex’s current contract with DEI is still the subject of legal debate, and it is unclear if DEI will indeed force Truex to return for another season or give him his release. Truex has been pushing quietly to become a free agent. David Stremme, who drove for fellow Dodge owner Chip Ganassi until being released at the end of last season, has been a Penske test driver this season, and Stremme could also be under consideration.(Winston-Salem Journal)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Penske Racing opts not to re-sign Newman: Penske Racing has decided it will not re-sign Ryan Newman, who has been with the team since 2000. "It's what is best for him and best for us," a Penske Racing spokesman said. "We're going to focus on getting him in the Chase and then move on." There has been considerable speculation that Newman will join fellow Hoosier Tony Stewart at the newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing team next season. Sources have told ESPN.com that a deal is close to being completed and could be announced in two weeks at Indianapolis. (ESPN.com)
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Newman has options outside Penske Racing: Sources have told ESPN.com that deal to join the Indiana natives is close to done and could be announced in two weeks at Indianapolis. Newman said he has three serious options outside of Penske and that ownership is part of at least one of the options. He also said re-signing with Penske is an option. Asked if ownership could be an option at Stewart-Haas, where Stewart was given 50 percent of the company, Newman said, "I won't answer that." Newman said last month he would not re-sign with Penske unless the performance of his team improved significantly. He said the team has made some strides to improve, but not enough to convince him it is ready to challenge for a championship. (ESPN.com)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Alltel expected to return on #12 in 2009: Verizon's current bid to purchase Alltel will not affect the No. 12 in 2009. However, Alltel's driver Ryan Newman hasn't appeared happy at Penske Racing for some time — especially since the departure of his mentor and former president Don Miller. Like Truex, Newman has been mentioned as a good fit with RCR and JGR in the No. 20. (FoxSports.com)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Ryan Newman looking for team to improve: Ryan Newman has an agreement to revisit his latest contract offer with team owner Roger Penske after an undisclosed deadline, but said he will not return to his current NASCAR Sprint Cup team unless his No. 12 Dodge program shows significant improvement soon. “It’s a performance issue,” Newman, 30, said at a pre-Coke Zero 400 media event at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday. “There’s no excuse. The other guys aren’t doing it. We shouldn’t either. We strive to be the best at everything, and we’re failing at that.” (St. Petersburgh Times)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Alltel future in Cup series uncertain: Car owner Roger Penske said he has not had any conversations with Alltel officials since the recent announcement Verizon will buy Alltel, a deal that could force Penske to find another sponsor. NASCAR officials indicate that Verizon won't be able to replace Alltel as sponsor for Ryan Newman's car. Only wireless companies already in the sport were allowed to remain when Nextel, which later became Sprint, took over as series sponsor. Penske says he hasn't needed to talk with Alltel officials until the company decides how the new version will be branded. If the Alltel brand goes away, so, it appears, will the sponsorship.(Roanoke Times)
June 20, 2007
Tryson takes over #2 Busch Crew Chief Duties: Pat Tryson will become crew chief effective immediately of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Kurt Busch. Tryson replaces Troy Raker who has served as interim crew chief of the team since Texas. Troy will return to his previous role within the Penske engineering department. Tryson, a 10-year veteran Nextel Cup crew chief, led Mark Martin to the Chase for the Nextel Cup in each of the last three seasons while working for Roush Fenway Racing. Most recently, he served as crew chief for Greg Biffle and the #16 team. “I’m really looking forward to getting back to the races,” said Tryson. “Working with Kurt and the Penske organization is a great opportunity and I’m confident that we can accomplish great things together.” (Penske Racing PR)
June 11, 2007
Penske: No plans to switch manufactures, nor committed to third Cup team: Roger Penske said Sunday he plans to field two Dodge-backed Nextel Cup Series teams in 2008. Recent reports said Penske Racing may leave Dodge next season in favor of a move to Toyota, a rumor Penske dismissed. "Our Dodge commitment is a long-term contract," said Penske, one of the world's largest Toyota dealers. "I read in the paper where we were switching to Toyota. We haven't even talked to them about it." As for the speculated third team? "We've looked at whether we'd run an additional car," Penske said. (ESPN.com)
June 9, 2007
Penske Racing Statement on NASCAR Penalty: Penske Racing acknowledges the fine, penalty and probation that has been imposed by NASCAR relative to the pit incident involving Kurt Busch at this week's Dover race and will not appeal. Safety is paramount in motorsports and must not be compromised. "I regret the incident that occurred at Dover and apologize to NASCAR, my sponsors, the fans, my Penske Racing team and Joe Gibbs Racing. I understand that safety is crucial to the sport and I accept the points penalty, fine and probation that NASCAR has imposed on me," said Kurt Busch. Penske Racing will continue to support Kurt and look forward to racing at Pocono. (Penske Racing South PR)
Kurt Busch Penalized Due to Rule Infraction at Dover International Speedway: NASCAR announced today that Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 2 Dodge in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, has been penalized 100 championship driver points, fined $100,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2007 for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing reckless driving; endangering a crew member on pit road) of the 2007 NASCAR rule book. Car owner Roger Penske has also been penalized with the loss of 100 championship owner points due to his driver�s infraction. The violation occurred on pit road during the race at Dover International Speedway on June 4. (NASCAR PR)
June 15, 2006:
Busch's Miler Lite Crew wins Drive-Thru Challenge
May 9, 2006:
Penske angry over USA Today article: An angry Roger Penske met with USA Today reporters before Saturday night's race to express his displeasure with that newspaper's Thursday article on driver Kurt Busch. Busch and Penske have been trying to wipe the slate clean on all the controversies that have dogged Busch the last few years. But each time they think they're getting over the hump, something new crops up. (Salem-Journal)
March 28, 2006:
McCauley Wypall Crew Chief of the Race: Kurt Busch and crew chief Roy McCauley survived 500 laps of furious racing action this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Despite setbacks with tires and radio transmissions, Busch battled back from the problems to capture his fifth victory at Thunder Valley. Busch's come from behind win earned McCauley the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. Trouble started early for Busch and McCauley. From the get-go, Busch and the team battled radio problems that hindered Busch from communicating with the team. On lap 62, a flat right-rear tire forced the #2 Miller Lite Dodge to make an unscheduled pit stop. Even with the problems, Busch methodically worked his way through the field in route to one of the speedway's most impressive comebacks. A panel of voters; including Tony Eury Sr., a member of the local media and a Wypall Wipers representative; all agreed that McCauley's comeback deserved Crew Chief of the Race accolades. For winning the Crew Chief of the Race award, Wypall Wipers gave McCauley $1,000. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive $20,000 and be crowned the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year. This was McCauley's first Crew Chief of the Race award in 2006, which ties him with Darian Grubb and Kenny Francis for second-place in the standings. Robbie Reiser is in the lead with two wins. (Wypall PR)
March 27, 2006:
NEXTEL Cup ratings slightly off: Overnight Nielsen Media Research ratings were down for Fox's broadcast of Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway, but the network saw an increase for Saturday's Busch Series race, Street and Smith's SportsBusiness Daily reports. Sunday's Food City 500 earned a 5.3/11, down 5.4 percent from 2005's overnight 5.6/13. (NASCAR Scene Daily)
Feb. 25, 2006:
Penske plans to use Intrepid at all mile 1/2 and two mile tracks: Penske Racing South General Manager Don Miller said on Friday that the team plans on racing 2004 Dodge Intrepids at all 1.5.- and 2.0-mile tracks for the foreseeable future. Penske drivers #2-Kurt Busch and #12-Ryan Newman both brought Intrepids for Sunday's Auto Club 500, as did Petty Enterprises for #43-Bobby Labonte. All the other Dodge teams brought the aerodynamically troublesome Dodge Charger, which was introduced last year. Asked how long Penske would campaign the two-year-old Dodges, Miller was blunt. "As long as Dodge will let us," he said. (SPEED)
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