In just a couple days, five individuals will be inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame. Among them is Roger Penske. The three-time President’s Cup winner and Kimberly Cup winner made a name for himself as a driver before focusing on entrepreneurial ventures and team ownership.
In 1968, Mark Donohue was Penske’s lead driver, racing in both the Can-Am and Trans-Am series. The dynamic owner-driver pair also competed in the Indianapolis 500 the next season, taking home a 7th place finish.
Their 1968 Can-Am vehicle was dubbed the Sonoco Special and featured a manually operated spoiler and Chevrolet 427 aluminum engine. The team was a competitive force that year, but Bruce McLaren claimed the championship.
It would be five years before Donohue won a Can-Am Championship. Penske claimed one the previous year with driver George Follmer. Both of those years the team drove Porsche 917 “Can-Am Killers.”