Looking back on these past 42 years, several people have tried to draft Penske into the fast lane, but there has only been one constant thorn in The Captain’s side.
Robin Miller
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Posted December 29, 2010
Indianapolis, IN
Roger Penske, left, and Chip Ganassi, right, have followed similar paths to earn their places atop the IndyCar Series. The two have also learned from each other--especially in recent years. (LAT)
Roger Penske began fielding cars at the Indianapolis 500 in 1969 and during this time span The Captain has amassed 153 wins, 12 championships and made a record 15 trips to Victory Lane at Indianapolis.
He also built a template for success and re-shaped the business model for motorsports.
Looking back on these past 42 years, several people have tried to draft Penske into the fast lane. Bobby Hillin and Rick Galles damn near went bust trying to keep up with R.P. in CART and billionaire John Menard threw good money after bad trying to catch The Captain at 16th & Georgetown.
Gerald Forsythe, Barry Green and Bruce McCaw had their moments of glory before bowing out while other pretenders like Andy Evans got sent home C.O.D.
Only Paul Newman and Carl Haas were able to stand in and trade punches with Penske in the ‘80s and ‘90s before being separated in 2002. And Michael Andretti’s team had the upper hand for a couple of seasons in 2004 and 2005 before fading.
But, throughout CART’s heydays, The Split and unification; during the engine, car and tire wars; from taking a chance on equipment to being stuck with spec racing, there has only been one constant thorn in The Captain’s side.
That would our boy Chip Ganassi.
And while there’s no denying the Chipster can be a pain in the ass to a lot of people on any given day, he’s accomplished what nobody else has been able to pull off.
His IndyCar team has pulled alongside of Penske’s.
In a horse racing form, they would be coupled: 1 and 1A.
Since 1994, the year Target/Ganassi Racing scored its initial victory, it’s almost a dead heat.
Chip’s drivers have 79 wins, seven championships and three baby Borgs from winning Indianapolis.
Team Penske’s stats are 73 victories, four titles and five Indy 500s.
Ganassi and Target have been partners since 1990, while The Captain had Marlboro for the better part of 20 years.
Helio Castroneves returns for his 12th year with R.P. and Scott Dixon is back in the saddle for his ninth consecutive season at Ganassi’s.
Tim Lombardi, Tom Wertz, Clive Howell and Rick Rinaman are lifers at Penske just like Ricky Davis, Barry Wanser, Julian Robertson, Scott Harner and Mike Hull for Ganassi as both organizations breed loyalty.
If a driver is hired at either place, winning is the only option.
