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Pennzoil's History of Racing
Ever since man has been racing automobiles, Pennzoil has been taking checkered flags, leaving its mark on the history of virtually every class of motorsports.
1930s
Pennzoil appears at Indianapolis as a sponsor of the highly successful car of Russell Snowberger. In the next five years, Russell finishes every Indy race he enters – always in the top 10. During this time, 27 other race drivers voluntarily select, and race, using Pennzoil. Pennzoil has made an impressive beginning, and, over the years, becomes the lubrication of choice for drivers in all forms of racing.
1950s
With drag racing in its infancy, Pennzoil representatives furnish oil to up-and-coming race car drivers. The familiar Pennzoil oval is seen on many an early dragster throughout America, most notable on the winning machines of teenage driving prodigy Eddie Hill. In 1958, Pennzoil Officially sponsors the fastest rising star on the NHRA circuit, Don ‘Big Daddy" Garlits.
1960s
The new decade sees NHRA drag racing grow as fast as quarter-mile speeds. This is a growth to which Pennzoil, as the first major oil company to develop a racing oil exclusively for cars running on exotic fuels, is a principle contributor. Throughout the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, Pennzoil-lubricated machines dominate top fuel, funny car and pro-stock categories. Pennzoil is used by many top names in drag racing: Don "Big Daddy" Garlits, Connie Kalitta, Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, and of course, Jack Roush.
Early 1970s
Pennzoil develops a special motor oil blend specifically for two-and four-stroke engines, and sponsors Team Honda, Team Yamaha and Team Husqvarna. During the ‘70s and ‘80s, Pennzoil lubricated bikes win every Baja event in every racing class. Pennzoil is recognized as a race winner and is chosen by more off-road racerstrucks, motorcycles, single-seaters and bugs- than any other motor oil.
Late 1970s
Multi-talented super-speedster Eddie Hill takes to drag boat racing and racks up an incredible string of records over the next eleven years. At one point, he is the holder of four national records. In 1982 he will set the record for the fastest speed ever reached in a propeller-driven boat – 229 mph, a feat duly noted and still standing in the Guinness Book of World Records.
1979
At the Brickyard, USAC Triple Crown winners, Jim Hall and Al Unser, blow the crowd away with the revolutionary "ground effects" Chaparral. Painted bright Pennzoil yellow and with Pennzoil in its veins, it leads the race for 100 laps before retiring with a broken water pump. Next season, Johnny Rutherford is behind the wheel of the Pennzoil Chaparral and drives to an impressive win at Indy. He goes on to win the national championship and is named "Driver of the Year".
Early 1980s
In1983, Pennzoil joins forces with Roger Penske and premiere Indy car driver Rick Mears and captures victory at the Indy 500 just one year later. The Pennzoil racing dynasty continues.
Over a five year period, Pennzoil cars go on to win the Indianapolis 500 four out of five times: Mears in ’84 with a record-winning speed of 163.512 mph in the Pennzoil Z-7 Special, Danny Sullivan in 1985 – the famous “spin-win.”
Danny proved his driving prowess to the crowd, and Pennzoil again proved its excellence as an engine lubricant to the racing community. Also in ’85, Mears, in the Pennzoil car, sets Indy’s fastest lap at the time – 204.937 mph - and Al Unser wins CART PPG Indy Car World Series Championship.
Late 1980s
With rooster tails pluming and Rolls-Royce engines screaming, Pennzoil boats dominate unlimited hydroplane racing from the late ‘70s thru the ‘80’s. Miss Budweiser and the Atlas Van Lines Special become world champions.
The record says it all – virtually every unlimited hydroplane competition in this period is won with Pennzoil’s specially blended Grade 70. Meanwhile, at NHRA, Eddie Hill, in the Pennzoil Top Fuel Dragster, makes drag racing history when he clocks 4.990 at the Texas Motorplex and becomes the world’s first driver to cover the quarter mile in less than 5 seconds.
1990s
In 1996, Pennzoil and 1995 Busch Grand National Series Champion Johnny Benson join forces, and at the series end Benson is named 1996 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. Also, in ’96 Pennzoil® motor oil became the "Official Motor Oil’ for both the Brickyard 400® and the Indy 500®.
2000s
In 2000, NASCAR driver Steve Park steered the #1 Pennzoil Chevy into Victory Lane at Watkins Glen, and in 2001 he recorded another win for Team Pennzoil at Rockingham. On the open-wheel circuit, Pennzoil picked up were it left off - with Pennzoil-backed Panther Racing and Sam Hornish Jr. winning the IRL Indy Car Championships in both 2001 and 2002.
2004 added more trophies and the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship to the Pennzoil motorsports legacy. Roush Racing led the familiar yellow oval into the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Grand National Series with Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle behind the wheel. In the inaugural year in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, Kurt Busch captured the championship in dramatic fashion in the final race of the season in Homestead, Fla.
In 2005, Roush Racing placed five drivers in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Drivers Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Mark Martin finished second through fifth in final standings. 2003 Cup champion Matt Kenseth finished seventh and Kurt Busch finished in tenth place. Tomas Scheckter gave Pennzoil another Indy Car victory in the Pennzoil-backed Panther Racing car at Texas Motor Speedway.
This year, Roush Racing driver Matt Kenseth has won four races and Greg Biffle has one victory. Kenseth and Martin are competing in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.