Portrait of Roger Penske in front in the pits during the Long Beach Grand Prix 2019
Team Penske made a notable appearance at the White House on Wednesday, as Roger Penske and several of his top drivers from NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA visited Washington D.C. to be recognized for their recent successes.
The event featured race cars displayed on the White House lawn and included standout drivers like Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano — NASCAR Cup Series champions from 2023 and 2024 — along with Logano’s No. 22 Ford Mustang. IndyCar’s Josef Newgarden, the two-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner, was also present beside his No. 2 Penske Chevy. Representing IMSA, Rolex 24 at Daytona winners Nick Tandy, Felipe Nasr, and Laurens Vanthoor showcased their No. 7 Porsche 963 GTP.
Also attending were NASCAR executives Steve Phelps and Steve O’Donnell, along with Mark Miles, CEO of IndyCar and Penske Entertainment. The group met with President Trump in the Oval Office before heading outside to view the cars. Trump, who paced the 2024 Daytona 500 in his motorcade, praised Penske’s achievements and read out the drivers’ names and accomplishments.
He chatted briefly with Blaney and Newgarden about their racing speeds and hinted he might attend the 2025 Indianapolis 500, to which Penske responded with an open invitation.
What began as a celebratory event soon shifted when Trump held an impromptu press conference, answering media questions for around 15 minutes — mostly focusing on the ongoing tariff issues affecting global markets. Afterward, he rejoined the drivers, speaking with Newgarden and greeting the rest of the team as the event wrapped up.
