Monday, March 20, 2023

A Few, New Racecars on Display at Penske Museum



But who knows How long they’ll be on Display, before something else get’s rotated in…

 

Like I’ve already said before, How can you go wrong when you’re surrounded by a veritable Treasure Trove of vintage Indianapolis 500 winners! Even if you cannot See ‘em? Although if I try Hard enough, surely I can feel their amazing Aura. Not to mention the voices of Tom Carnegie, Dave Calabro and Bob Jenkins over Mother Speedway’s PA system.

 

Along with Good ‘Ol Jimmy Nabors Crooning some ‘Ol song about the Wabash Back Home somewheres’ in Indiana…

 

But what I enjoy most about returning to the Penske Racing Museum whenever possible. Besides the obvious, like simply being in a building surrounded by Awesome racing cars! Is you never know what new choices will be On-hand in the ever changing rotation of Display vehicles…

 

As my latest visit last October included three new Indy Cars for Mwah that I’d never seen Up Close ‘N Personal before! And Hopefully Blogmeister Miguel will eventually teach me How to load Images back onto the new Blogger platform, since they had to Bugger everythingy’ up, Urgh!

 

Although I cannot figure out how to get Blogger to work correctly, Sigh! I did figure out another labourious “Work Around” to load single images separately. Although I cannot see where the miniature Add Caption tab is, but I digress…

 

The first was totally unknown to Mwah,  albeit I guessed the year and who it was correctly. Being Josef Newgarden’s 2017 IndyCar Championship winning mount. As the All Black No. 2 Dallara Chevrolet was resplendent in HUM by Verizon sponsorship, Who?

 

Yet upon “consulting” with Ye Elders Statesman of IndyCar Bloggers Geo. Phillips of Oilpressure Fame. George told me that Juan Pablo Montoya had run this livery briefly during 2016, along with Newgarden once or twice the following year.

 

And from what little I could garner off of Ye All knowing Intrawoods’. (Internet) HUM was, or still is? Verizon’s “all in One Connected Car System,” ergo Automated “Wired” Automobiles system, that could monitor your vehicle’s performance and tell you when you needed to change the Oil, etc.

 

As it would have been nice to be able to “See” this racecar, since it was the last year of the DW12 sans Aeroscreen and IR-18 Universal Aero Kit. The last true Open Wheel IndyCar replete with an “Airbox.”

 

The second was another Beauty! Will Power’s 2018 solid black Dallara Chevrolet Verizon Indianapolis 500 winner! Which is the last Indy 500 I attended in person, coInky-dense? As I’d also like to be able to “See” what a current Spec Dallara IR-18 with Aeroscreen looks like! But I’d have to let the museum Staff give me permission to do the Helen Keller method of Tactilely touching it to form an image in my mind…

 

Yet I can still Hear Power’s emphatic Screaming over His In-car radio Show Me some Respect Mother fokkers! Upon crossing the finish line that triumphant day!

 

As His wife Liz’s 2018 blue Corvette ZR1 Pace Car’s been On hand before, but I’ve never known of Will’s Indy 500 winner being on Display

 

 And it was a nice gesture having Penske Drivers Power and Newgarden, who finished 1-2 respectively in last year’s NTT IndyCar Series Championship racecars being on Display, along with both representing one of Penske’s longtime sponsors Verizon…

 

Lastly, as we were getting ready to “Exit Stage Left!” Blogmeister’ Miguel said didn’t we already see that Sunoco car? Then wait a My-nute’, Thars two Sunoco racecars! Although I believe this one’s white with blue Sunoco sponsorship instead?

 

As I immediately Arse-sumed’ it must be Mark Donohue’s 1969 (4WD) Four wheel Drive Lola T152 after Miguel simply muttered 1969 to me. For which indeed it was Donohue’s, and more importantly. El Capitano’s, nee Roger Penske’s Debutante IndyCar entered the Team’s maiden Indianapolis 500! For which Donohue captured Rookie Of the Year (ROY) Honours upon finishing seventh.

 

As the old Lola T152 Chassis has been painstakingly rebuilt by Penske restorations between 2016 to 2022, and apparently just went on Display at PRM last April. So it definitely was a new racecar being shown at the Penske Racing Museum last Fall…

 

as Y’all can read about it and it’s Seester’ Leader Card chassis raced by “Uncle bobby,” aka Bobby Unser in the following link I found upon this Old Racing Cars(dot)com website below.

 

https://www.oldracingcars.com/lola/t152/

 

Photo C/O Blogmeister’ Miguel

Two legendous’ “Bad Habits” iconic Penske White with Day-glow Red Marlboro livery Indy Cars. Believe one of these is possibly Gil de Ferran’s 100th IndyCar victory Winner? As De Ferran scored Team Penske’s 100th IndyCar victory at the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at Nazareth Speedway on May 27, 2000. (The Tomaso Collection)