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

The unmistakable look of the chrome Team Penske race transporters has long been a key part of the team’s brand identity, conveying the sharp, clean and professional look that has been a hallmark of organization for decades. The Team Penske trucks seem to draw the immediate attention of children, adults and virtually anyone that encounters them on the roadways.

In the case of Chris Yoder, the Director of Transportation for Team Penske, that striking look resulted in a pivot from his pursuit of a career in law enforcement to his current role as the overseer of a fleet of 110 vehicles that are essential to the operation of North America’s most successful racing organization. As a native of Reading, Penn. – the longtime home of the team’s INDYCAR operations and headquarters of Penske Truck Leasing (PTL) – Yoder was drawn to the allure of the team at a young age.

“There was an annual community event near the river in Reading and what I remember most about it is that the race team would do live pit stop demonstrations there,“ said Yoder. “That made a big impression on me as a young kid because in the background was always one of the trucks. I can always remember the trucks going up and down the road and how impressive the whole operation was. It just drew me to it, also because I grew up in a racing family. It’s something I wanted to continue in, but I didn’t know a path to take to make it happen.”

After attending the University of South Carolina, where he majored in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science, Yoder embarked on an internship with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  There, he received valuable experience with crime scene investigation.

“That was the first time I saw a dead body and how the process begins to determine how the crime occurred,” said Yoder. “I was confident that I was going down that path but not long after that I had to go back to Reading to take care of some family matters. So I had to put the law enforcement career on hold for a bit.”

While back home, a family member told Yoder about a new management training program at PTL. Rekindling the nostalgic allure of the Penske brand, Yoder entered the program in December of 2002 and began learning all aspects of the truck leasing business.

“That provided a diverse experience into how the rental business operates,” continued Yoder. “From answering the phones to sales to maintenance, the goal was to have a solid understanding of operations and sales to determine which path would work best for you. I was attracted to the operational side of the business because I enjoyed learning about the vehicles and the processes, the people and the finances.”

Things began to move rapidly for Yoder after completing the management training program. He shifted to the motorsports side of the Penske business when he took a position at Competition Tire, a Goodyear racing tire distributor in the northeastern United States owned by Roger Penske. Yoder went to work mounting and balancing race tires for NASCAR competition. Six weeks later, Yoder seized an opportunity with a direct connection to the team he identified with growing up when he took a job with the Team Penske-managed Marlboro Racing School.

As Team Penske made the historic move to combine all of its domestic racing programs under one roof in Mooresville, NC in 2005, a new position was created to oversee all of the transportation and logistical needs that come with competing in multiple racing series. In 2008, Yoder transitioned to the role he currently holds today.

“After merging all teams in Mooresville, it became necessary to create managers throughout different parts of the company,” continued Yoder. “My position was created to avoid duplicity of our fleet. On average we are around 40,000-50,000 miles per year, per truck. So, for the last couple of years we have done 600,000-650,000 miles per year for the entire fleet. It’s imperative to be efficient.”

In addition to the racing transporters that carry cars and equipment for NASCAR, INDYCAR and IMSA competition, Yoder also manages medium and light duty trucks, company cars and other support vehicles for the racing organization.

Beyond serving as the team’s Director of Transportation, Yoder also assists as an extra spotter for the Indianapolis 500, something he has done since 2007. In 2019, he was part of Simon Pagenaud’s first Indianapolis 500 victory, the 18th in team history.

“We’re all one team, but when you’re on the car that wins it takes it to another level and you get to kiss the bricks,” said Yoder. “We got to go to the White House to celebrate the win, and never did I think that racing and truck driving would get me to the Oval Office for a picture with the President.”

Those beautiful chrome transporters, however, continue to give Yoder his greatest sense of pride when he reflects back on his work with Team Penske.

“It can be a handful but never a dull moment,” says Yoder. “We are fortunate to have the support from the team and Mr. Penske in how important it is to maintain our look and our performance. We need to be cleaned, polished and presentable at all times. We love riding down the road and being proud of the trucks we are driving, and of the Penske name we represent.”