Roger Penske mourns the passing of the team’s first employee: “Karl Kainhofer was a terrific friend and a great teammate"

Roger Penske, the legendary owner of Team Penske, has shared his tribute to Karl Kainhofer who passed away at the age of 94. He was the first full-time employee of Team Penske and a major part of the team's early success.

Kainhofer, a member of the Team Penske Hall of Fame since 2017, passed away at the age of 94. He was one of the founding members of the Team Penske family. Team Penske got its beginning when Roger Penske brought in Kainhofer in 1966 as his personal mechanic. Kainhofer was behind every successful element of Team Penske in the early days.

Kainhofer played a major role in creating powertrains like the famous car that made it possible for Al Unser Jr. to get the 1994 Indy 500 victory. Working with Penske Racing, he went on to be the engine shop manager and was then promoted to vice president and general manager of the team for nine years. In 1997, he called it a day in his 31-year career with Team Penske after a very successful run.

In a statement on Team Penske’s website, Penske said:

“Karl Kainhofer’s contributions to Team Penske are immeasurable. As my mechanic while I was still a driver, Karl’s meticulous attention to detail was a perfect fit for what we wanted in our race team. Along with Mark Donohue, he and I set out to build Team Penske on the same foundational pillars that we use today. Respect, integrity, passion and a will to win were our hallmarks then as they are nearly 60 years later. Karl was a terrific friend and a great teammate that held numerous positions within our team, helping us to countless wins and championships across many series. Our family shares our condolences with the entire Kainhofer family.”

Roger Penske is a cultural icon in American motorsports and business. "The Captain" as he is also known, was a pro racecar driver but later made a successful transition to business and became a team owner. Penske took home many awards as a racer, among which the 1961 Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year is the most notable. He also participated in different car racing events, but decided to quit racing in 1965 and dedicate himself to business activities.

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When Roger Penske revealed how he signed Joey Logano from JGR

In February 2025, Roger Penske revealed in an interview how he had to wait a whole week with his fingers crossed before successfully signing Joey Logano from Joe Gibbs Racing in 2013.

Joe Gibbs had asked Penske to wait a week while he explored options to keep Logano, who had been underperforming at JGR. Penske patiently awaited the decision, confident that Logano was the right fit for the team.

This move proved to be transformational for both Logano and Team Penske, as Logano went on to become one of NASCAR’s top drivers with Penske.

"I had to wait in order to hire him because Joe Gibbs said 'Look, I'm going to maybe get him a cup, right? Will you wait a week?', well I waited a week with my fingers crossed. There was no question. He gets it," Roger Penske said to Kevin Harvick.

Joey Logano’s career flourished after joining Team Penske, where he has become a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, winning the title in 2018, 2022, and 2024.