NASCAR championship team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Roger Penske was awarded the Presidental Medal of Freedom by US President Donald Trump at the White House on Oct. 24. Penske's visit to the White House to receive the honor was his third visit to be honored at the White House this year, following the honoring of 2018 Monser Energy NASCAR championship of his #22 team and driver Joey Logano and the 2019 Indianapolis 500 championship of driver Simon Pagenaud.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by President Trump and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Penske said upon announcement of his latest Presidential honor in July. "I am humbled by the President’s acknowledgement of our achievements in business, in motorsports and in our community. Thank you to President Trump for this special recognition. On behalf of my wife Kathy, our family and our nearly 65,000 team members worldwide, it will be my privilege to accept this prestigious award.”
Penske is the second Medal of Freedom recipient from the motorsports world. Fellow-NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty received the award from then-President George Busch in 1992.
“The highest civilian award you can get, and that’s pretty amazing," Team Penske NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney said. "It just shows what he’s done for so long, how great of a person he is outside of motorsports, and what he’s done for his country and his community. It’s really incredible. That was really neat to see. I heard about it before it happened, and I really couldn’t think of anybody more deserving than RP.”
Penske is a two-time Cup Series championship car owner, also winning a title with his #2 team and driver Brad Keselowski in 2012. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January and also is a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and the Automotive Hall of Fame. Penske also is a four-time IndyCar championship owner.
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