Roger Penske and his team Penske Racing are arguably the best auto racing company in the United States. This idea was further bolstered by his team’s exploits in winning a third straight NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix last Sunday. Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney finished 1-2 in stretching the team’s dominant run in the Next Gen era.

This triumph couldn’t have come at a better time for the veteran team owner. This win in Phoenix was an extension of how the other arms of Penske Racing performed this year. They won the Indianapolis 500, the IMSA Weathertech Championship, the World Endurance Championship, and the 24 Hours of Daytona. It is indeed a long list and one that none of the other owners can match or come close to in the NASCAR garage. So what’s next for Penske Racing, and what could his NASCAR team do to level up next year?

Roger Penske has immense trust and faith in his team members

There’s a different level of comradery among the team members at Team Penske. This was evident from Joey Logano’s comments on the victory lane. “I’ve got the best team. I don’t know if I’m the best driver, but I’ve got the best team.” The same was reciprocated on the racetrack as the two Penske drivers fought tooth and nail in the final few laps. It was hard racing, but nothing egregious that could derail Penske’s hopes of a third title.

Although the 87-year-old owner isn’t too invested in the daily operations of his team at NASCAR, his message and vision remain consistent every year. Moreover, this year’s success across different series was a source of inspiration for his NASCAR drivers to add to the silverware. Rick Hendricks’ bigger hitter, Kyle Larson, was strong throughout the regular season. But when the clutch moments came, the Penske drivers were the class of the field. Even, Joe Gibbs’ stars Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell weren’t able to match strides with the #12 and #22 teams when it mattered the most.

“I think that’s been a great thing for us not only here in NASCAR racing but all other series. Because it rubs off. I mean, we talk about the 24 hours at Daytona that rubbed off on these guys; they’re always asking me how we are doing. When you think about it, the number of people that we have that we touch, every race in our company, and we have 74,000 people that tomorrow are going to be just climbing the walls with happiness because of the success, that’s what I’m in it for,” Roger Penske said after celebrating a championship win in Phoenix.

The Penske drivers didn’t have it easy, Logano had to fight his way through the Round of 8 and he used the format to his advantage. He won at Las Vegas all thanks to fuel mileage racing. Meanwhile, Blaney in the #12 was up against the wall in a must-win situation at Martinsville, and once again he came in clutch. And this attitude is ingrained in the team across all levels not just drivers.

Roger Penske also shared the formula of success that has worked out for his team. And it is about putting the right people in the right places and nurturing them from the grassroots level. “We want to win properly. I think when you race in this league with the teams we have here. We didn’t put them in from the top in the funnel; they came up through the bottom, every one of them. So they have that domain knowledge, which makes it so important, and they work as one team.”

If anything, Roger Penske certainly has an eye for talent. But with the legacy of his racing company, it isn’t an easy task to handpick the drivers that represent his brand of racing. One that thrives on the success of championship wins. So the question begs, how does he identify the right drivers that would carry the flag of Penske Racing and elevate it to new heights?

Here’s how Roger Penske picks his race car drivers

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Racing for Team Penske is indeed a massive undertaking. The history, the legacy across different disciplines of racing, is something that can be overwhelming for drivers representing the team colors. But the veteran owner has been able to identify the star, which he feels can sustain the pressure of delivering the goods. And not fold when the going gets tough.

Sharing his thought process in what he sees in his driver before roping them in, he said, “I think first we want drivers that have won in some series. Today the technical relationship with the crew chief or the chief mechanic, or the engineer is so important… You kind of look at that; do they have those attributes to be a part of that success, and we don’t have to tell our guys what to do?” The 87-year-old owner added.

Looking at the last few years, Penske drivers have certainly stepped their game up and maybe over-delivered on their promises. It will be interesting to see if the likes of Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs have a rebuttal to this dominant run next year.