Yahoo Autos Porsche perfection adds to Penske’s legacy at the Brickyard
There was little doubt that Porsche Penske Motorsport came into Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship TireRack.com Battle On the Bricks on a mission to win. For one thing, the No. 6 Porsche 963 squad with Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy needed a victory to get back into the fight for the championship; they got it, and go into the finale in a virtual three-way tie for the championship. For another, team owner Roger Penske has also owned the famed track since 2020, so a one-two finish is almost expected.
But more than just owning the track is the Indy legacy that Penske has created. This first sports car win at the Brickyard for Penske is his 29th at Indianapolis, a record unmatched. It adds to 19 wins in the Indianapolis 500, the first coming in 1972 with Mark Donohue and the most recent this past May with Josef Newgarden. Then there are eight IndyCar Series wins on the Indy road course and a Brickyard 400 NASCAR victory. It’s also Penske’s 35th IMSA win.
“It was really important for us to get a one-two here,” said Matt Campbell, polesitter for the race and second-place finisher with Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 963. “This place is pretty special to our team, so to be able to do this on, let’s say, our home track, is really, really special. And obviously big congrats to the [No. 6 group]. They did a great race and it’s fantastic for their championship. It’s a really, really good position now for the team looking into the final race of the year.”
Like Australian Campbell, Brit Tandy may not have grown up steeped in Indy 500 lore or eagerly anticipating the month of May, but the meaning of winning the first GTP race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is certainly not lost on him.
“This is Indianapolis. You know, it’s a world-renowned historic venue. The IMSA series is a world-renowned historic race series, so coming into a venue like this, especially for Porsche Penske Motorsport and all the ties that Penske Corporation have with this place, is massive. It means a huge amount and the fact that team had a one-two makes it even sweeter.”
