Roger Penske Honored With Prestigious Award

Getty Roger Penske will be honored with an award in London.

The Captain will start December with a special ceremony. Team Penske owner Roger Penske will be honored in London with the prestigious Autosport Gold Medal.

The Autosport Awards will take place on December 4. There will be several figures honored with a variety of awards. The Autosport Gold Medal is the highest accolade in the annual ceremony, and it “recognizes an individual who has given a lifetime of service to the sport and who leaves a lasting legacy for future generations.”

Penske is only the second person to secure this prestigious award. Jean Todt was honored with the inaugural Autosport Gold Medal during the 2021 ceremony for his impact on motorsports, which included building the Ferrari team that won 14 F1 World Championships (six drivers and eight constructors) and his three successive four-year terms as FIA President.

Penske Enjoyed a Wildly Successful 2022 Season

GettyRoger Penske (left) celebrates a win at Texas Motor Speedway.

Penske, who has made starts of his own in multiple series, has made a major impact on motorsports during his career. Team Penske competes in both IndyCar and NASCAR while DJR Team Penske competes in the Supercars Championship. Additionally, Penske owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series.

The Captain’s teams took over multiple series during the 2022 season. Will Power won the NTT IndyCar Series championship while teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin combined to win eight races.

The NASCAR operation saw similar success. All three drivers reached the Cup Series playoffs. Joey Logano had the most success with four points-paying wins, an exhibition win, and his second Cup Series championship.

Austin Cindric achieved success of his own. He kicked off his rookie season by winning the Daytona 500, a Crown Jewel race. He then ended the year 12th in the standings after surviving the opening round of the playoffs. Cindric also won Rookie of the Year.

Ryan Blaney had an interesting season. On paper, he was one of the best drivers in the series with three pole wins, 17 top-10 finishes, 12 top-fives, and the All-Star Race win. However, he did not win a points-paying race. Blaney still ended the season eighth in the standings.

Multiple Figures Will Be Honored During the Ceremony

GettyWill Power is a nominee for another award.

This list of additional categories includes International Racing Driver presented by Pirelli, International Racing Car presented by Blink Experience, International Rally Driver, Rally Car, Rookie, British Competition Driver, National Driver, and Esports Driver presented by Motorsport Games.

Another member of Team Penske will be up for one of these awards. 2022 NTT IndyCar Series champion Will Power is eligible for International Racing Driver. The other nominees are Formula One champion Max Verstappen, Formula One driver Charles Leclerc, and Formula E driver Stoffel Vandoorne.

Power had a standout season while driving the No. 12 entry. He started five races from the pole, finished on the podium nine times in 17 starts, and he won the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at The Raceway at Belle Isle before capturing the title.

Power will not have an easy path to securing this award. He will go up against Verstappen, who won International Racing Driver in 2021 after capturing the F1 World Championship. Verstappen successfully defended his title in 2022 and set himself up to win the prestigious award once again.