November closed with a handful of season finales and one season opener. One championship had a post-race penalty play a significant role. In Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton had a false flag in an engine issue. Daniel Ricciardo said goodbye to Red Bull. Fernando Alonso, Stoffel Vandoorne, Sergey Sirotkin and Marcus Ericsson said goodbye to Formula One. Esteban Ocon is taking a sabbatical but not of his choosing. Robert Kubica is back! Meanwhile, there was a dirt race on Thanksgiving and another endurance race in China. Here is a run down of what got me thinking.
The Captain vs. Il Commendatore
This year might have been the year of Roger Penske. What year hasn't been the year of Roger Penske in the last three decades? The man has created a motorsports empire and this year the man we call The Captain has reached new heights.
Where do we begin? The month of May. It is really the only place we can start for Roger Penske. Plenty of Penske's milestone moments have occurred at Indianapolis Motor Speedway but this was not the 500-mile race. Penske's 200 IndyCar victory came in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis with Will Power. Power started on pole position but had a battle with Robert Wickens after the two went separate ways on tire strategy. Wickens had a stronger second stint but Power reclaimed the advantage on the third stint and pulled away.
Two weeks later, Power was back in victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the Indianapolis 500. It was Penske's 17th victory in the event and Power was the 12th driver to win the event for The Captain. It was a dominant day for Power. He did not lead the most laps but he led 59 laps, the second-most in the race.
Once the team reached 200 IndyCar victories and picked up its 17th Indianapolis 500 victory, the focus turned to 500 victories as an organization and it was a full court press from around the world. From IndyCar to NASCAR, Supercars to IMSA, the team was gunning for 500. It was the modern-day legends such as Hélio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya and Brad Keselowski fighting for the esteemed responsibility of the 500th victory along with the still budding careers of Josef Newgarden, Austin Cindric and Scott McLaughlin.
It was not a matter of if but when the 500th victory would come and some weekends the team has as many as six cracks at victories. The team never swept a weekend but someone seemed to always find a way to the top step. Summer was coming to a close and the 500th victory was a bit elusive. Keselowski won the Southern 500 and Brickyard 400, Penske's second and first victories in those respective events.
The pivotal weekend was the final Sunday of summer: NASCAR was in Las Vegas, IndyCar had its finale in Sonoma and Supercars had its first endurance race of the season in the Sundown 500. There was also the possibility the 500th victory could come in NASCAR's second division. That didn't happen and the Supercars team would have the first crack on Sunday. Triple Race Engineering swept the podium and Scott McLaughlin finished fourth with co-driver Alexandre Prémat.
Come Sunday afternoon, the NASCAR Cup race started and a handful of cautions had Keselowski in front with Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney each in the top ten. Keselowski fended off the field for four restarts and handed Penske its 500th victory with Logano in fourth and Blaney in fifth. The Captain celebrated on a pit stand in Sonoma with the IndyCar race coming to the green flag.
Autumn saw more monumental moments for the Penske organization. Blaney won the Charlotte roval race. Logano won at Martinsville and won the NASCAR Cup championship at Homestead, his first title and Penske's second Cup title. Two weeks after taking the Cup crown, Team Penske earned its first drivers' championship with the Supercars operation as Scott McLaughlin won the first race from Newcastle and finished second in the finale to seal the title.
McLaughlin has 17 victories in two years with the team, ninth all-time within the organization. Logano's two victories took him passed Rick Mears for sixth all-time on 31 victories. Keselowski's victory at Las Vegas tied him with Mark Donohue for most in Team Penske history with 59 victories.
Penske earned its 33rd and 34th championships this year and it ends with 505 victories. More will come in 2019. The team could win another 50 races and another five championships in 2019 and none of us would be surprised.
Where does this team stand? Where does Roger Penske stand?
This team has won a lot. Not everything but enough. The 17 Indianapolis 500s are one thing but add to it 15 IndyCar championships, two Daytona 500 victories, two Can-Am championships, two United States Road Racing Championships, two Trans-Am championships, three American Le Mans Series championships, an overall victory in the 24 Hours of Daytona, an overall in the 12 Hours of Sebring and a victory in the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix.
There are plenty events the Penske organization has not won but he has won enough to know he stands on his own and not many can hold a candle to The Captain's accomplishments.
No other active person in motorsports has as an accomplished and as a diverse résumé as Penske. The only man I can truly think of in the history of motorsports that rivals Penske is Enzo Ferrari.
Ferrari is synonymous with Formula One but while the Prancing Horse is arguably bigger than Formula One, the manufacture has roots that go beyond the single-seater series. On top of Ferrari's 15 World Drivers' Championship and 16 World Constructors' Championships, Ferrari won the 24 Hours of Le Mans nine times and the 24 Hours of Daytona five times. In recent years, Ferrari has found success in the GT ranks of sports car racing with seven championships with AF Corse.
Ferrari's success has extended three decades after the passing of its founder and the legacy of the manufacture extends far beyond the racetrack. It is the dream car of millions around the world, from Italy to the United States, China to the United Arab Emirates, Australia to Austria and so on.
Penske is a worldwide name. Penske has his fingerprints around the globe but the Penske name does not adore the walls of 12-year-old boys in Sweden. Penske does not sell a commodity that is as cherished as Ferrari. In turn, few dream of driving for Penske even though if you end up driving for Team Penske not only are you great but you are bound to take ascend to another level in motorsports lore.
The two names are at another level. They will be talked about for the next 100 years. They will be held in high-esteem for generations. Many will be chasing the legacy of these two men. Only time will tell if anyone joins them in the pantheon of motorsports greatness.
Champions From the Weekend
Scott McLaughlin clinched the Supercars championship with a victory and a second place finish to David Reynolds at Newcastle.
Anthonie Hubert clinched the GP3 Series championship with a third place finish in the first race from from Abu Dhabi.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Scott McLaughlin and David Reynolds but did you know...
Lewis Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his 11th victory of the season.
George Russell and Antonio Fuoco split the Formula Two races from Abu Dhabi. Leonardo Pulcini and Nikita Mazepin split the GP3 Series races.
The #8 Spirit of Race Ligier-Nissan of Pipo Derani, Côme Ledogar and Alexander West won the 4 Hours of Shanghai. The #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier-Nissan of Jakub Smiechowski and Martin Hippe won in LMP3. The #13 CarGuy Racing Ferrari of James Calado, Kei Cozzolino and Takeshi Kimura won in GT.
Christopher Bell won the Turkey Night Grand Prix for the third time and the second consecutive year.
Coming Up This Weekend
Uh... not much...
It is pretty much an off weekend.
Go Christmas shopping.
Go get a Christmas tree.
Or go see a movie.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
