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Penske earns 300th race win

PENSKE RACING CELEBRATES 300th WIN WITH BRISCOE'S FIRST INDYCAR MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 1, 2008) -- Today, Penske Racing celebrated its 300th championship points win since its founder Roger Penske became a full-time team owner in 1966. This ...

PENSKE RACING CELEBRATES 300th WIN WITH BRISCOE'S FIRST INDYCAR

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 1, 2008) -- Today, Penske Racing celebrated its 300th championship points win since its founder Roger Penske became a full-time team owner in 1966. This historic feat was accomplished when Ryan Briscoe, driver of the No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda in the IndyCar Series, won the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 at the historic Milwaukee Mile -- his first win ever in the newly united open-wheel series.

After starting from 11th place, a combination of strategy, fast pit crew work and a perfectly tuned car allowed Briscoe to work his way to the front and take the lead over Scott Dixon. Briscoe was leading when there was a crash on lap 223, but he was able to finish the last two laps to the cheers of Roger Penske and the entire Penske Racing team.

"This is a celebration for everyone who has been part of the Penske Racing family for the past 42 years," said Roger Penske. "A milestone like 300 wins couldn't have been accomplished without a great team -- some of the best drivers, team members and sponsors in the business."

Penske Racing's inaugural victory came on February 6, 1966, when Dick Guldstrand, George Wintersteen and Ben Moore finished first in the GT class at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Mark Donohue was responsible for 59 of the 300 victories, including three important first wins for Penske Racing - SCCA Trans Am (Marlboro Park Speedway, Aug. 13, 1967), the Indianapolis 500 (May 27, 1972) and NASCAR (Riverside Raceway, Jan. 21, 1973). Penske's sole Formula One victory came at the Austrian Grand Prix on Aug. 15, 1976, driven by John Watson.

Other legendary drivers that have raced and won for Penske Racing include Bobby Allison, Mario Andretti, Kurt Busch, Helio Castroneves, Gil de Ferran, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sam Hornish Jr., Rick Mears, Ryan Newman, Tom Sneva, Danny Sullivan, Al Unser Sr. and Jr., and Rusty Wallace.

The 300-win mark was achieved in the wake of two historic victories to start off the 2008 racing season, one in NASCAR Cup competition and one in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). A one-two finish at the 50th running of the Daytona 500 by the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger of Ryan Newman and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger of Kurt Busch marked the first time Penske Racing had won NASCAR's premier race in more than 23 years of attempts. A mere four weeks later, the No. 7 Penske Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 car, driven by Timo Bernhard, Emmanuel Collard and Romain Dumas, took the overall win at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, another first for the organization.

Of the 300 Penske Racing wins, 76 came in stock cars, 135 in Indy cars, 22 in ALMS, 30 in SCCA Trans-Am, 15 in Can-Am and one in Formula One, with the remainder made up of victories in FIA Endurance, F5000 and USRRC competition, among others.

"300 wins is merely a starting place for us," said Penske. "We're always looking ahead to the next race and new challenges to overcome."

In addition to its 300 wins, Penske Racing also boasts more than 350 pole positions, 21 National Championships and 14 Indianapolis 500 victories in its rich history. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

-credit: penske racing

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