FUMES

December 19, 2012

The Autoextremist Racer of the Year.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

(Posted 12/4, 6:00 p.m.) Detroit. There were certainly many drivers who could qualify as our Racer of the Year in 2012. The meteoric Sebastian Vettel, the now three-time Formula 1 Champion at 25-years-young certainly qualifies as such. Or the impressive Brad Keselowski, who just might single-handedly reposition NASCAR for an entirely new demographic (if they let him). Or Sebastien Loeb, the stupendously talented rally star who won an absolutely incredible ninth straight World Rally Championship. And of course there's Ryan Hunter-Reay, who fought at times impossible odds throughout his career to put himself in position to become the IndyCar champion this year. All gifted champions, all deserving of the accolades that are sure to come their way.

But for me, the Autoextremist Racer of the Year is a man who really needs no introduction. A man who has been a force to be reckoned with all the way back to his driving days in the late 50s and early 60s, when he wheeled everything from his own sports car specials to Corvette Grand Sports and Jim Hall's Chaparrals to considerable success. As a matter of fact, his driving career often gets swept under the rug in comparison to his business exploits and racing team ownership success, and that's really too bad because he was tremendously talented behind the wheel in his own right.

As followers of racing, we have seen his racing teams earn championships in sports cars, Trans-Am, Can-Am, a record fifteen wins in the Indianapolis 500 and now, after 40 years of trying, the 2012 NASCAR Championship. The way he goes about racing has been dissected, copied, emulated and honored because he and his teams have set the standard in American racing for so long that it's hard to even remember when he wasn't a force to be reckoned with in the sport. His mantra - one of many - "Effort Equals Results" has defined his success from the race track to the boardroom, where his business career is as legendary as his racing results, if not more so.

His preparation and intense focus are legendary, and his corporate entities and his racing teams are driven to succeed at times by the sheer force of his will. When you spend time around his operations, it doesn't take long to understand that he demands the very best from and for his people (a crucial distinction), and this breeds the kind of intense loyalty that other leaders - corporate or otherwise - can only dream of.

It's safe to say that I know of no other leader in corporate America who brings it the way he does on a daily basis, with a relentless and unparalleled attention to detail and an unmatched drive that is simply awe-inspiring to witness firsthand. And I know of no other person who has contributed more to this sport, to the "human capital" of his companies (as he likes to refer to it), and his local community than the 2012 Autoextremist Racer of the Year: Roger S. Penske.

(On a personal note, I got a firsthand look at the level of attention to detail and preparedness that has defined Roger Penske for decades on one cold, frightfully wet day in May at Lime Rock Park, in 1971. Roger had Mark Donohue in the No. 6 AMC Javelin on the pole for Round 1 of the Trans-Am season that year and the weather was absolutely dreadful, with near torrential rain falling for the entire race distance. I spent that afternoon giving pit signals to my brother Tony, who finished second to Mark that dismal day. But the point of the story is that as I was giving pit signals in the bone-chilling downpour dressed in a T-shirt and jeans and soaked through to the core, I looked down the pit lane to see Roger, dressed in an impeccable rain suit, calmly giving Mark pit signals, dry and in complete control. I never forgot it.)


(F. Peirce Williams - INDYCAR/LAT Photo USA 2012)

 

 

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Dave Friedman, courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives and Wieck Media)
Daytona Beach, Florida, 1966. The great Dan Gurney sits in the cockpit of his No. 97 Shelby American-entered Ford Mk II 427 preparing to go out for practice for the Daytona 24 Hour Race that year. Gurney would set the fastest lap of the race but he and his co-driver, Jerry Grant, would finish a distant second to the Shelby American team car driven by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby. The winning duo drove their No. 98 Ford Mk II 427 to an eight-lap victory. Mark Donohue and mentor Walt Hansgen (No. 95 Holman & Moody Ford Mk II 427) finished third and Mario Andretti and Pedro Rodriguez finished fourth driving their No. 21 North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T) Ferrari 365 P2 V12. Watch a brief video of the event here.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

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