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Tastes great, more winning
Racing icon Penske, 75, gets long-awaited Sprint Cup title with Keselowski and Dodge
Brad Keselowski celebrates by drinking a glass of beer in Victory Lane after winning the Sprint Cup championship during the Ford EcoBoost 400 NASCAR race Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Story,
HOMESTEAD— One by one, NASCAR royalty approached the man they call The Captain to offer congratulations. Jimmie Johnson, whose car troubles guaranteed Sunday’s win, shook his hand.
Rick Hendrick, his good rival and best friend, gave him a hug. They traded hats. Rusty Wallace, who drove theNo. 2 Dodge for so many years, gave the kind of full hug you give family as darkness and confetti fell on Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Roger Penske has defined the winner’s circle in racing. The team owner haswon 15 Indy 500 titles. He’s won 76NASCAR Sprint Cup races. He’s built a successful business empire, is worth more than $1 billion and never has a hair out of place.
So here he was Sunday evening, celebrating the one thing he had never won, the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. This win was his great white whale, the one that always got away. And now he had it.
Only now, even at 75, Penske couldn’t just throw himself into the moment in the manner his driver, Brad Keselowski, did. Keselowski is 28. He held an oversized beer glass. He shouted to the crowd, “We did it!”
Penske never was one for the big lights and loud lines. Instead, in this defining moment, The Captain offered why he has reached such pinnacles, if you listened closely enough.
It might not seem like much. But there
amid the victory celebration, on the stage of everything he’s wanted in this sport, he stood beside Keselowski and asked a simple question.
“Brad, what do we have to do to do this again in 2013?” Penske asked.
So often perspective is what separates the greats from the goods. Don Shula telling his Dolphins after his first Super Bowl title, “We need to improve.” Pat Riley telling his Heat after their title last spring, “You’re free to play better now.”
One of the truths you discover in sports or business is howthe greatest are all members of the same club. They think different, act different, expect different and ultimately achieve on a different level than most.
What they do, most of all, is understand fundamental truths.
“It’s not about how much money you put in a team,’’ Penske said. “It’s about the people, the human capital.”
“It’s not about how much money you put in a team. It’s about the people, the human capital.” Roger Penske, team owner
Thiswas a couple of hours after his race. Penske was sitting in the interview room being asked about all the times he came close. With Wallace, he finished second and third in the early 1990s.
“Thatwas a long time ago,’’ Penske said. “The competition has gotten tougher. Any weekend, 10 or 15 cars can win.
“I’ve played this race in my mind over the weekend so many times, yes or no,’’ he said. “I guess when Jimmie lost that lug nut someone gave us four aces in our hand. We just had to make sure we didn’t [waste] them.”
Yes, therewas some fortune involved Sunday. Johnson lost a lug nut, then had oil trouble andwas out of the race. Suddenly, years of work gave way to the realization he finally won.
“Personally, I feel amazing I’ve been able to achieve this,’’ he said. “In racing, I’ve been awed for the people on the stage. To be able to join that select group and say I’m a champion in NASCAR, it means a lot.
“Tome, it took guts to stay in NASCAR. I could’ve said, ‘well, I’ve won the Indy 50015 times and that’s enough.’ But you haven’t competed until you’ve competed for this. I think I just woke up here. It’s a big thrill.”
Keselowski is the new star in racing. He’s a fresh face, a fun face, a new driver who fights after races, tweets in them and probably can’t process exactly what he accomplished Sunday.
Penske can process it. He’s chased it long enough.
“I’m going to come to the races as long as I can,’’ he said. “I don’t have a deadline. At this particular point, racing keeps me young. I need a couple of more championships.”