Roger Penske was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the nation’s highest civilian honor. After a short but successful racing career, Penske built a car dealership into the Penske Corp. He began Roger Penske Racing in 1966, and cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have scored hundreds of racing victories over the years, including 18 Indianapolis 500 wins. Penske is also a successful businessman and philanthropist. His company employs some 64,000 workers around the world, and he has spent considerable hours and dollars contributing to the revitalization of Detroit, including being instrumental in the return of Grand Prix racing to Belle Isle.