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View Full Version : Penske completes purchase of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar Series



TheOldProgrammer
January 8th, 2020, 8:03 AM
Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader, announced today that it has completed its acquisition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), the NTT IndyCar Series and IMS Productions.

“We are looking forward to carrying on the tradition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar racing,” said Roger Penske. “We have been diligently working with the teams at IMS, INDYCAR and IMS Productions over the last two months to ensure a smooth and productive transition and we are ready to hit the ground running. Now, it is time to get to work as we continue the growth of the Speedway and we build on the momentum of the NTT IndyCar Series.”

Penske Corporation becomes just the fourth owner in the history of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has hosted the world’s largest single-day sporting event – the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race – for more than 100 years. Penske joins Carl Fisher, who built the track in 1909, Eddie Rickenbacker, who purchased IMS in 1927, and Tony Hulman and Hulman & Company, which has owned and managed the Speedway since 1945. The iconic venue has also hosted NASCAR, Formula One and other racing series events throughout its storied history. The NTT IndyCar Series continues to be the premier open-wheel racing series in North America and is one of the most competitive championships in the world. IMS Productions is a leading video services and production company.

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway —

gnatsum
January 8th, 2020, 11:55 AM
Maybe now we'll get an Indy 500 Pace Car that's NOT a Chevrolet! It's been nothing but Oldsmobiles (before that division died) and Chevys since the IRL was formed back in '96.

TheOldProgrammer
January 9th, 2020, 5:54 AM
Maybe now we'll get an Indy 500 Pace Car that's NOT a Chevrolet! It's been nothing but Oldsmobiles (before that division died) and Chevys since the IRL was formed back in '96.

Keep in mind that Penske's Cup Teams run Fords and his IndyCar teams use Chevy engines...

gnatsum
January 9th, 2020, 7:58 AM
And his Australian Supercar team was (IIRC) running Nissans (Altimas...with V8s!).

Penske's race teams have touched almost every major automaker out there--Ford, Mercury, Chevy, Pontiac, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, AMC, Nissan,,,didn't he run Hondas in his Indycars a few years ago, before the current Chevy engine?

TheOldProgrammer
January 10th, 2020, 7:46 AM
And his Australian Supercar team was (IIRC) running Nissans (Altimas...with V8s!).

Penske's race teams have touched almost every major automaker out there--Ford, Mercury, Chevy, Pontiac, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, AMC, Nissan,,,didn't he run Hondas in his Indycars a few years ago, before the current Chevy engine?

It's possible he did though I don't remember it. In the Weather Tech series he runs Honda's.

gnatsum
January 14th, 2020, 7:58 AM
Still no reports of what amount Penske paid out to the Hulman/George family, but the SpeedFreakz radio show this week revealed that the American group Liberty Media--the current "owner" of the Formula 1 race series--"dropped out" of the bidding process after the bid got past $200 million...