MOTORSPORT ALL-ROUNDERS PENSKE AND PRODRIVE CELEBRATED
While Mario Andretti and Jacky Ickx featured among the greatest all-rounder celebrations as drivers, two organisations famous for conquering various disciplines were also rightfully front and centre of proceedings.
American racing powerhouse Penske has been a dominant force for some 50 years, clocking up an astonishing 592 wins across an array of categories including Indycar, NASCAR, Formula 1, V8 Supercars and sportscars. Its renowned founder and boss Roger Penske made a rare trip to Goodwood, accompanied by a stunning fleet of his organisation’s most famous cars from past and present, to be honoured for his achievements. The man simply know as the ‘The Captain’, aged 84, even climbed aboard the eye-catching 2008
Penske Racing Porsche RS Spyder to drive up the hill.
Alongside the famous Marlboro-liveried Indycars from the early 1990s were sportscars dating back to the 1960s and 1970s, including the Sunoco blue Mark Donohue Porsche 917/30 that dominated the no-holdsbarred Can-am series in 1973. John Watson was also reunited with the Penske PC4 that claimed the team’s only F1 win at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix.
“It’s historical for me,” said Penske, who was a successful driver in his own right during the 1960s. “To be able to drive after seeing so many of the cars win races and drive myself is awful special. It was amazing to drive up the hill.”
In some ways, Prodrive has become the UK’S version of Penske, given its prolonged success in disciplines including F1, WRC, sportscars and touring cars, both in Britain and Australia, making it one of the great all-rounders of the past 40 years. Its chairman David, Richards, was equally emotional reflecting on the success of his team, surrounded by a selection of its blue Subaru WRC cars made famous by Colin Mcrae and Richard Burns. Its 2019-20 World Endurance Championship Gte-winning Aston Martin Vantage, Jenson Button’s 2004 Bar-honda and its current Dakar rally car driven by Sebastien Loeb were also part of the celebrations.
“It’s been a great weekend for everybody,” said Richards. “We’ve tried most things, and there isn’t a lot left to try.”