Here’s a very young and dapper Roger Penske from 1967 to sell you some custom-blended Sunoco gasoline. 

Roger Penske didn’t invent corporate sponsorship in auto racing, of course. But it was Penske who, as much as any single person, elevated it into an art form and perfected it as a science. Before Penske, racing was, for many, a fun game played with other people’s money. But with his unbending professionalism and competitive drive, Penske changed the game. He helped to turn racing into a legitimate industry, where sponsors received a measurable return on their investment and racers could earn a dependable living.

With 18 Indy 500 wins and countless championships in multiple series to his credit, Penske is perpetually in the news. But he’s been especially newsworthy lately as the new owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the racing world is united in the view that the grand old track, a national treasure, couldn’t be in better hands.

We also note that it’s the Captain’s 83rd birthday this week, so we thought it would be fun to turn the clock back to one of the moments when his remarkable career was just taking flight. In this 1967 commercial for Sunoco gasoline, one of his earliest corporate sponsors, Penske is pitching the benefits of custom blending, where customers could select from eight different octanes at the pump. (Blue Sunoco 260 was the fuel of choice for the high-compression muscle cars of the day.) Happy birthday, Captain, and thanks for all you do. (Note: Don’t forget to click and subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we host our videos and feature tons of great content. Thanks!)