Unlike most NASCAR team owners, Roger Penske wears multiple hats. Apart from operating a successful NASCAR Cup Series team, the NASCAR Hall of Famer also oversees the operation of the IndyCar Series as its owner. Making him a standout figure to be the custodian of a racing series and, at the same time, field a racing team of his own.
However, the 87-year-old decided to take a break from the chaotic world of motorsports and set sail on his $120 million yacht. Podium, as it is called, the yacht dropped the anchor on the post of Rhode Island, and ever since its arrival, the vessel has become the talk of the town. This vacation came at the right time, as his driver, Joseph Newgarden, who was embroiled in a cheating scandal, emerged as the winner of the Indianapolis 500.
The Podium yacht is a 72-meter luxury vessel designed by one of the leading shipbuilding companies, Feadship. The podium can accommodate up to 12 guests and 14 cabin crews. Despite weighing a massive 1,850 tons, the yacht can run up to speeds of 18 knots. Apart from its standalone value of $120 million, the running cost of the vessel is about $5-10 million annually. Well, Roger Penske, who is worth $3.8 billion, can afford the luxury of coughing up millions on a summer vacation.
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A local Facebook page took notice of the Podium docking at Newport and shared the news of Mr. Penske’s arrival online with a post captioned, “Yacht Podium docked in Goat Island. The owner of this $120 million yacht is owner of Penske Corporation, Roger Penske. ⚓️🛞🌊🛥️🏁🌤️”.
Soon the locals started to react to the post, while some even shared their personal experiences of catching a glimpse of the yacht in person.
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Fans were stunned to see Roger Penske’s yacht docked in their hometown
It’s hard to see Mr. Penske make a public appearance, and certainly, his visit to Rhode Island caught some of the locals by surprise. “The Captain! Cool to see that he decided to come to our neck of the woods just days after they won the Indy 500. I’m sure him and Leno have been kickin’ it”.
NASCAR racing has always been known to favor rich kids and those hailing from a racing family. However, Roger Penske broke all the barriers and cemented his position as one of the most respected personalities, not just in NASCAR but in the American Motorsports scene. Highlighting these qualities, another user added, “Self made man with charisma and style.” Another user added, “Beautiful yacht, good for him! All his hard work has paid off”.
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Meanwhile, others had a pretty good idea of where the owner of Team Penske was headed in his luxurious yacht. “Heading to his house in Nantucket for the summer”. A lucky fan, shared their real-life experience meeting Roger Penske in person during one of his frequent visits to Rhode Island, “Roger is frequent to Newport,I met him one time working on another yacht while he was docked right next to it!! Nice guy!”
While Roger Penske’s IndyCar team is doing really well, the same cannot be said for his NASCAR team. Out of the three drivers, only Austin Cindric has managed to secure his playoff spot with a win. Defending champion Ryan Blaney and star driver Joey Logono both have yet to register a victory after 15 races so far this season.