Special feature
NASCAR Cup
Captain's Corner: Penske throwback schemes honor team's history
As part of Motorsport.com’s content partnership with Team Penske, we will provide fans with exclusive content each week from the organization’s drivers, crew members and staff throughout the 2017 season.
Jim Utter
Edited: Aug 30, 2017, 4:01 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Team Penske will participate in this weekend’s NASCAR “Throwback” weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway with an old-school favorite paint scheme and another honoring a sponsor’s century-long involvement in motorsports.
Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford in Sunday night’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will feature the fan-favorite paint scheme of Miller Genuine Draft, which for Penske driver Rusty Wallace drove to 25 series victories.
It was a car Wallace had nicknamed “Midnight.”
“It’s amazing how many times we get asked each year about running the ‘Midnight’ paint scheme. We ran it at Michigan in 2015, but people love that scheme and so do I,” Keselowski said.
“When you think of Rusty Wallace and Team Penske you think of that black-and-gold Miller Genuine Draft car. It’s going to look great under the lights and even better in Victory Lane.
“You want to win at every track, but Darlington is a special place. The legends of our sport have won here and I want to add my name to that list.”
Joey Logano’s paint scheme on his No. 22 Ford will harken back to Shell’s 2002 acquisition of Pennzoil and celebrates Shell’s 100 years in motorsports.
The paint scheme was used previously by a Lola/Ford for Bobby Rahal’s team in the CART Champ Car Series. Jimmy Vassar also raced that Ford to victory at Auto Club Speedway in the next-to-last race of the 2002 season.
In addition, Logano’s Ford will carry the American Red Cross logo this weekend in support of the ongoing Hurricane Harvey relief efforts happening across Texas and particularly in Houston, the home of Shell.
Shell donated $1 million dollars to the relief efforts on Tuesday and Logano announced on Fox Sports 1’s “Race Hub” that fans could support relief efforts by going HERE.
“The throwback weekend at Darlington is one of the coolest events on our schedule,” Logano said. “It’s awesome to see the whole industry come together and celebrate the history of the sport and build excitement around our oldest speedway race.
“Darlington Raceway is a place where the legends of our sport competed and it was the gateway to NASCAR moving from small dirt tracks to modern-day speedways.”
Neither Keselowski nor Logano owns a win in the Cup series at Darlington.
In eight career starts, Keselowski’s best finish was second in 2015 in a race in which he started from the pole.
Darlington has been a much more difficult track for Logano. In eight career starts, his best finish is fourth, also in 2015. He also has four finishes of 22nd or worse.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Hendrick Motorsports to change car numbers for 2018 season
Next article Menards to partner with Ryan Blaney and Penske in 2018
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jim Utter
Erik Jones agrees to multi-year contract extension with Legacy Motor Club
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Erik Jones agrees to multi-year contract extension with Legacy Motor Club
Goodyear's option tires at Richmond "were like Mario Kart with a star"
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
Goodyear's option tires at Richmond "were like Mario Kart with a star"
NASCAR: Austin Dillon move was "really close to crossing the line"
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
NASCAR: Austin Dillon move was "really close to crossing the line"
More from
Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski to address questions about NASCAR future and RFK exit at Martinsville
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Martinsville II
Brad Keselowski to address questions about NASCAR future and RFK exit at Martinsville
Ryan Preece on RFK nearly lapping the field: "You'll never see that again"
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
Ryan Preece on RFK nearly lapping the field: "You'll never see that again"
What now for Brad Keselowski and RFK Racing with impending split?
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Las Vegas II
What now for Brad Keselowski and RFK Racing with impending split?
More from
Team Penske
Winners and losers from a frantic NASCAR Cup race at Talladega
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
Winners and losers from a frantic NASCAR Cup race at Talladega
NASCAR Cup Phoenix starting lineup: Blaney earns pole as Larson struggles
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
NASCAR Cup Phoenix starting lineup: Blaney earns pole as Larson struggles
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
IndyCar
You Ask The Questions: David Malukas
Latest news
Pedro Acosta fast but “feeling terrible” in Malaysian GP practice
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
27 min
Pedro Acosta fast but “feeling terrible” in Malaysian GP practice
Fabio Quartararo 19th and angry: “I’ve not struggled so much at Sepang in a long time”
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
1 h
Fabio Quartararo 19th and angry: “I’ve not struggled so much at Sepang in a long time”
"When I don't have pain, I gain," says Maverick Vinales after return to form in Malaysian MotoGP practice
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
1 h
"When I don't have pain, I gain," says Maverick Vinales after return to form in Malaysian MotoGP practice
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe