A capacity crowd at the Corning Museum of Glass was treated to a celebratory evening of tributes, shout-outs, slide shows and interviews on Thursday as the International Motor Racing Research Center presented the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award to racing icon Roger Penske. This was the IMRRC’s third consecutive presentation of the award recognizing outstanding contributions to motorsports in the name of the founder and organizer of the first races at Watkins Glen, N.Y. Multi-team owner and former driver Chip Ganassi was the first recipient of the Argetsinger Award in 2014. NASCAR icon Richard Petty was the 2015 honoree. Penske, whose Team Penske is celebrating 50 years in the sport this year, received the award from Argetsinger’s sons J.C. and Duke, along with Bobby Rahal, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and chairman of the IMRRC’s Governing Council. Racing dignitaries offered up personal memories of their experiences with the man who’s known as ‘The Captain.’ Speakers included famed TV reporter Dr. Jerry Punch as the master of ceremonies; Scott Atherton, president and COO of IMSA; Michael Printup, president of WGI; Jay Frye, president of INDYCAR Competition and Operations; Lisa Noble, president of SCCA; and Walt Czarnecki, executive vice president of Penske Corp. and vice chairman of Team Penske. The laudatory evening was punctuated by the $27,500 auction bid for an original painting by famed motorsports artist Randy Owens depicting just a few of the championship-winning cars that represent Team Penske’s remarkable 50 years in the sport.(PR)
