The son of an amateur sports car racer turned the lessons he learned on the inner workings of a car while growing up in Medina, OH into a smashingly successful career as one of the nation’s leading race car drivers. Drove his way into super start status by winning three CART championships in 1985, 1987 and 1992, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 and two Driver-of-the Year awards, before retiring from competitive driving after 17 years in 1998. At that time he ranked first in CART standings in career starts, 2nd in career earnings, 3rd in laps led, 4th in career wins (24) and 5th in pole positions (18). In all he had earned 88 podium finishes, 119 top-five finishes and 177 top-ten finishes in 265 starts. A regular participant in the Cleveland Grand Prix at Burke Lakefront Airport, he won the 1983 race, finished second three time and third twice. While still racing, he founded Team Rahal, which he owns with arcing enthusiast partner and TV host David Letterman, and was the winningest team in CART racing in 2001 with six wins and seven poles. From December, 2000 to August 2001, he also spent nine months as CEO and Team Principle at Jaguar Formula One Racing. Now living in New Albany, OH, he has been very active in charitable activities, literally raising millions of dollars for children’s charities.
From August 1972 through October 1990, Frederick Baker drove in 184 races, winning 88, placing second in 30 and third in 18. During his memorable career he qualified for the pole position 69 times and established 25 lap records. In 1980 he earned acclaim as the worldwide Jaguar Driver of the Year and also earned C Production National Champion laurels. He placed seventh in the 1989 international Porsche Turbo Cup Invitational held in Kylami, South Africa. Closer to home, he three times won the famed Nelson Ledges 24-Hour Endurance Race.
Born and raised in Shaker Heights where he attended Shaker Heights High, Roger Penske developed a love of cars and speed which launched a career leading to his emergence as one of the most influential figures in the history of auto racing. During his short span of six years as a driver, for which he is honored by the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame, he won a total of 34 road racing titles, driving Porsche, Fiat, Maserati, Cooper, Ferrari and Chaparral machines, and was named Sports Illustrated’s Driver of the Year in 1962. After tabling his own competitive driving to concentrate on responsibilities in an expanding business empire, he launched Team Penske, the most successful team in the history of championship car racing. Team Penske established records for most victories (99), national championships (9) and Indianapolis 500 victories (10).