Penske Deserves Daytona Victory

I don't know Roger Penske, but like you, I see his name everywhere. Whether it is truck leasing, car dealerships, or motorsports Penske is a highly successful businessman. When I see the name Penske, I think of perfection and precision. As far as his race teams that I come into contact with they are always well dressed, polite, and successful. He handles winning with class and when his teams lose they just go back to work and try to win the next event. He and his teams and drivers have tried to win the Daytona 500 for a long time and Ryan Newman was able to carry on that Penske success by putting Penske Racing in victory lane at the 50th running of "The Great American Race."

Ryan Newman has had success in the past and will continue to be a winner at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level for a long time. We all say it, but he could not do it without the right people behind him. With that said, Roy McCauley and his team deserve a lot of credit for putting Newman in victory lane at Daytona. Roy has managed to put together that winning team while he and his wife fight her battle with cancer. It is admirable that people like Roy can continue competing at such a high level while dealing with a tough situation.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup garage is made up of the most competitive teams and individuals in all of motorsports but I have a feeling that this is one of those "popular" victories. Most people throughout the garage, from team owners, drivers, team members, and media members will be happy for Penske, Newman and their teams.

I don't know Ryan Newman personally but I did enjoy seeing that he won the Daytona 500. He and his wife are huge supporters of the Catawba County Humane Society. They helped build a beautiful "no kill" animal shelter close to my office and home in Hickory, NC. Also, I see Ryan's dad Greg on the spotter's stand every week. We have a conversation every now and then but I think his situation is similar to when I used to be the spotter for my dad. He and I just discussed the other day just how much fathers and sons think alike so the spotting thing seems to workout. I am glad they were able to make it to victory lane while working together. That may not be their first win working together but I know it is their biggest win so far.

Lastly, I want to give Kurt Busch credit for the teamwork he showed to push Newman across the line to win the Daytona 500. Busch often gets blasted in the media ( by causing some of the problems himself) but this time he has shown a different side. I know he did not want to finish second but he realized that his push was going to not only help his teammate but also would help his team in securing a top 35 spot in the points for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series. To cap off a successful Speedweeks for Penske Racing Sam Hornish Jr. also had a nice showing in his first Daytona 500 with a 15th place finish.

There will be more great races to come and I feel certain Penske and his success will continue for a long time to come. Congratulations to all of Penske Racing's employees and team members.

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