Newtown Square’s Indy Winners

History Spotlight by Doug Humes

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.

The original Team Penske garage

Photo courtesy of the Newtown Square Historical Society

WHY NEWTOWN SQUARE?

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 in Newtown Square. In an email exchange between Roger Penske and the author, Penske explained why they chose Newtown Square:

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.

Mark Donohue (L) preparing for upcoming race

Photo from public domain (Wikimedia Commons/Gillfoto)

Penske had also been a successful driver, but had retired when his business interests – car dealers, a leasing company and auto racing – required all of his time. For his driver and partner, he sought out Donohue, who lived in Media with his wife and two children. Many local residents remember Donohue burning the midnight oil at the Winding Way garage, staying in the small apartment in front. He was a rare breed: part designer, mechanic and driver. A friend called him “a gunslinger who also happened to have designed the gun.”

Donohue in driver’s seat, Penske alongside

Photo courtesy of the Newtown Square Historical Society

During a practice run for the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix, Donohue’s car blew a tire. He hit his head hard but walked away from the crash. After a headache developed, he checked into the local hospital the next day, and then lapsed into a coma. When Donohue died two days later, his long-time racing partner, Roger Penske, was at his side.

For more history on Newtown Square, Delaware County, and membership information, please visit the Newtown Square Historical Society’s website:

www.HistoricNewtownSquare.org