More than 400 members of the motorsports industry gathered Tuesday night to honor Roger Penske during the 11th annual North Carolina Motorsports Industry Awards Ceremony at the Embassy Suites Hotel. With his wife, Kathy, and current team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden among those in attendance, Penske was this year’s recipient of the Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award, which has been presented annually since 2007 by the membership of the North Carolina Motorsports Association. Previous winners of the Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award are Bill France Jr., Benny Parsons, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Richard Childress, Junior Johnson, O. Bruton Smith, H.A. ‘Humpy Wheeler, the Ned Jarrett family, Mike Helton and Jeff Gordon. Among the others in the room to honor Penske on this night were NASCAR Hall of Famers Rick Hendrick and Bobby Allison, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears, NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton and Team Penske President Tim Cindric. Earlier in the program, longtime racing announcer Ken Squier, who was unable to attend, was presented with the Jim Hunter Memorial Media Award. Motorsports Industry Awards went to the Cabarrus Convention & Visitors Bureau, Bojangles, SRI Performance, B.R.A.K.E.S. and Max Papis Innovations.(Speed Sport)
