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"Penske Material" provides an inside look at some of the personalities, stories and moments that make Team Penske so unique.

It’s uncanny how some gifts at the holidays just seem to stand out among others. As we celebrate the season, a few key members of Team Penske recalled some of the presents that meant the most to them as a child or a young adult. Take a look at a few of the gifts that kept on giving for these Team Penske teammates.


Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford – Go Kart Gifting

Three generations of Loganos with the original go kart that was gifted to young Joey.

Joey Logano received a two-seater go kart from his parents when he was just six years old. He recalled driving his father Tom around in the kart and young Joey even managed to roll it in their family’s cul-de-sac. Logano still owns that kart, along with the quarter-midget he raced to begin his career. Recently, the three generations of Loganos – Joey, his father and Joey’s young son Hudson – traveled to the Silver City Quarter-Midget Club in Connecticut, where the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion pledged to pay it forward. He agreed to cover the cost of regrading and resurfacing the track where he learned many of his early lessons in racing.
 

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards Ford – Bandolero Bounty for Blaney

Ryan Blaney made good use of his gift of a Bandelero race car from his father.

Ryan Blaney was also gifted the need for speed as a young child. The third-generation racer’s all-time favorite gift was a Bandolero car he received from his father Dave when he was 10 years old. A spec-series race car for young drivers, Bandoleros serves as a good steppingstone vehicle for aspiring racers graduating from go karts and quarter-midgets. Young Ryan went on to win numerous races and a Winter Heat Championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the special Bandolero. He then transitioned to higher-horsepower Legend cars at age 12 before moving to full body race cars at 14 and eventually making it to the top level where his father raced for 17 years – the NASCAR Cup Series.
 

Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Hitachi Chevrolet – Scooter Summons Speed Skills

Josef Newgarden’s gift of a motorized scooter gave the future INDYCAR champ (racing No. 6 here) his first exposure to competitive racing.

Josef Newgarden's love for racing began in 2001, but it started with competition on two wheels instead of four. Newgarden’s father Joey purchased a motorized scooter at a local skate shop as a gift for his young son. The native of Nashville then began competing in sanctioned motorized scooter races both domestically and internationally. The two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion with Team Penske credits competing on international stage in scooter racing as preparation for his move to competitive karting and his transition through the development ladder of open-wheel racing.
 

Josh Williams – Holiday Helmet Happiness

Josh Williams, spotter for the No. 12 NASCAR Cup Series team, developed a passion for motorsports growing up on the property of Martinsville Speedway. Williams’ father Chris, who worked for Dale Earnhardt Sr., gifted several priceless keepsakes to his son, including one of Earnhardt’s trademark GM Goodwrench helmets. Williams also has in his collection a Richard Petty-worn helmet from the 1971-1972 NASCAR season and he said that and the holiday gifts from his father serve as the focal points of his one-of-a-kind modern day man cave.

For so many people at Team Penske, the gifts that have a special place in their heart have a connection to racing. The holiday season brings an opportunity to reflect on their memories and their love for the sport that’s brought them and the team so much success over the years.