WASHINGTON, D.C. — Roger Penske has been named the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump.
The announcement was made by President Trump on Thursday during a meeting in the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Penske is considered one of the greatest team owners in motorsports history. After starting his career as a driver, Penske transitioned to the ownership side of motorsports and success quickly followed.
In Indy car competition, Penske has won the Indianapolis 500 a record 18 times. Included in those victories is Simon Pagenaud’s triumph in the Indianapolis 500 in May. He’s also a four-time NTT IndyCar Series champion as a car owner.
He’s also been amazingly successful in NASCAR as a team owner, capturing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship twice as an owner with Brad Keselowski (2012) and Joey Logano (2018). He’s also a two-time Daytona 500 winning team owner.
Penske also owns teams that compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. His Team Penske organization has also competed in Can-Am, Trans-Am and Formula One throughout the years.
Statement from Roger Penske on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. pic.twitter.com/DnXig3KjrD
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) June 20, 2019