Roger Penske, the team owner with the most race wins and season championships in Indy car history, will be bestowed another honor in his legendary career when he is presented the 11th annual Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum Spirit of Competition Award in a ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 31 at the Philadelphia museum.
The prestigious award is given annually to “a distinguished figure from motorsports who has a specific inspirational message.” Previous recipients include Mario Andretti, Janet Guthrie, Bobby Rahal and David Hobbs.
Penske’s cars and drivers have won 203 Indy car races and 15 season championships in more than five decades of competition. He also collected a record 17th Indianapolis 500 victory in May when Will Power won “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
The list of Penske’s motorsports achievements is lengthy outside of Indy car racing as well. He has also been a successful car owner in Formula 1, NASCAR, sports cars and Supercars in Australia.
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports to host garage sale
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports is hosting its first-ever garage sale at the team’s Indianapolis facility on Saturday, Nov. 3, with proceeds benefitting Conquer Paralysis Now, the nonprofit founded by team co-owner Sam Schmidt.
Among the items available will be car parts including bodywork, gears, springs and wheels, as well as team firesuits. Some items will be autographed by SPM driver James Hinchcliffe.
The sale runs from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. ET. Those attending are asked to bring non-perishable food items – such as coffee, pasta, oatmeal, cereal, canned fruit and vegetables, sugar, salt and pepper – that will be donated to a local food bank. The Schmidt Peterson Motorsports shop is located at 6803 Coffman Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46268.
Tickets available for several 2019 races
Tickets for several events on the 2019 IndyCar Series schedule are available now or will be soon. Those events are:
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: The exclusive renewal period to purchase tickets is now open for fans who attended this year’s race on the streets of the Florida city. The 2019 St. Pete race weekend is scheduled for March 8-10 and will once again open the season schedule.
Customers who purchased three-day reserved seats for the 2018 event have until Nov. 5 to renew or upgrade their seats. General public sales begin at 10 a.m. ET Nov. 8.
Ticket prices again remain unchanged. Renewal customers who purchase three-day reserved seating receive automatic enrollment in the Champions Club when placing orders now through the 9 p.m. ET Nov. 5 deadline. New for 2019, Champions Club members will be granted unprecedented access to attend the IndyCar Series drivers meeting on race day morning. Additionally, the club offers exclusive benefits including a complimentary IndyCar Series paddock pass, access to the prerace grid walk and more.
Renewals are available online at gpstpete.com or by phone at 877-725-8849, with pricing starting at $105 for reserved grandstand seating.
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear: Tickets are on sale now for the race weekend at Detroit’s Belle Isle Park that runs May 31-June 2, 2019. Fans may purchase tickets by visiting DetroitGP.com/Tickets or by calling 866-464-7749.
Tickets start as low as $45 and all include access to the INDYCAR paddock. Comerica Bank Free Prix Day allows free admission to everyone on Friday, May 31. Single-day tickets for Saturday and Sunday of race weekend start at $45 for general admission and $80 for two-day general admission. Children 12 and under are admitted into the general admission seating areas free of charge with a ticket-bearing adult; limit two children per adult.
Single-day Reserved Grandstand tickets start at $55 for the value-priced Grandstand 3 and $70 for Cars.com Grandstand 1 and City of Windsor Grandstand 2.
INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey: Tickets for the 2019 season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca go on sale at 11 a.m. ET Wednesday. The race weekend on the 2.238-mile permanent road course near Monterey, California, is set for Sept. 20-22.
General admission and paddock prices range from $25 for a single-day option on Friday to three-day tickets for $160. Preferred parking, VIP and Flagroom hospitality is also available, as well as premier and reserved camping opportunities. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit WeatherTechRaceway.com or call 831-242-8200 after 11 a.m. ET Wednesday.
Veach to ‘fuel up’ Friday at IMS Museum
Andretti Autosport driver Zach Veach, fresh off his rookie season in the Verizon IndyCar Series, will be the featured guest on Oct. 26 for “Fuel Up Fridays” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
The event gives IMS Museum members an opportunity to learn more about racing personalities in an intimate setting, through a one-hour question-and-answer session hosted by IMS historian Donald Davidson. The session runs from 8-9 a.m. ET and includes complimentary coffee, donuts and pastries.
IMS Museum members may RSVP by contacting Kelly Hartman at 317-492-6568 or khartman@brickyard.com. IMS Museum membership information is available by contacting Hartman or visiting indyracingmuseum.org.