Perhaps no single individual in motorsports has achieved the panoply of accomplishments that has typified Roger Penske’s career.
For his contributions to NASCAR racing, “The Captain” was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Wednesday, but driver Brad Keselowski, who delivered Team Penske’s sole Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2012, thinks his owner’s resume is too broad to be readily pigeon-holed.
“He has a legacy that’s harder to define than most everyone else in the Hall of Fame because of his background – not just as a team owner, but he has a background as owning the tracks, his background of owning businesses that can help sponsor the sport, and beyond that,” Keselowski said on Thursday during an announcement of his Checkered Flag Foundation’s support of a jobs initiative through the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
“So he has such a diverse background and there’s really not a part of this sport that I can think of that he hasn’t touched. I think he deserves a lot of credit for that, and it’s great to see him get the recognition of the Hall of Fame.”
Starting with Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Keselowski’s foundation will donate $1,000 to the Paving Access for Veterans Employment (PAVE) program for every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stage win Keselowski collects through the July 7 event at Daytona International Speedway.
SHORT STROKES
Denny Hamlin topped the speed chart in Thursday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway, touring the 1.5-mile track in 28.401 seconds (190.134 mph). Ryan Blaney was second at 189.673 mph, followed by Brad Keselowski and defending Coca-Cola 600 winner Austin Dillon…
Enhancing FOX Sports’ coverage of Sunday’s race will be a Mega Trax 500 robotic “Rail Cam” capable of going from 0-60 mph in three seconds and topping out at nearly 100 mph. The camera will move along an 850-foot rail behind the inside wall on the backstretch and provide viewers with a unique look at the racing action. FOX Sports tested the Rail Cam successfully at Auto Club Speedway earlier this year.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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