History Spotlight
Newtown Square’s
Indy Winners by Doug Humes
The original Team Penske garage
The 1972 Indianapolis 500 was the fastest on record, and that pace would not be topped for 12 years. The winning car came from a non-descript garage in Newtown Square, where for years, two young engineers had been tinkering to build the perfect race cars. The winning driver, Mark Donohue, was one of those engineers, living at times in the small apartment next to the garage. Donohue’s partner, Roger Penske, and his teams have since won that Indy title a record 18 times, and Penske is still racing at age 83. Donohue had obtained his Engineering degree from Brown University, and Penske from Lehigh. By 1966, at age 29, they were working together at a small one-bay garage on Winding Way. Why Newtown Square? Penske recalled:
Photo courtesy of the Newtown Square Historical Society
There were a number of reasons why we chose the Newtown Square garage as the original Team Penske race shop, but probably the biggest factor was location. I was working at the Chevrolet dealership in Philadelphia at the time, and I lived nearby. We started looking for a garage as the team was starting to take shape. We found the Newtown Square location and it was available, so we leased the property and went to work. It quickly went from a one-car garage to a two-car garage and the first home of Team Penske. (email exchange between author and Roger Penske)
O NLINE C LASSES A VAILABLE !
CHANGING AMERICA ONE BLACK BELT AT A TIME
Martial Arts Programs for Children & Adults Fitness Kickboxing training for adults Gain improved flexibility, strength, confidence & overall well-being Train with Newtown Square’s Grand Master & Martial Arts Champion
WWW.L EVEL U P B LACK B ELT A CADEMY. COM 610-355 -1960 24
Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors
July 2020
•
3609 Chapel Road, Newtown Square
