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Penske PC-6

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Penske PC-6
Image of the winning car of the 1979 Indianapolis 500 (Rick Mears).
CategoryUSAC/CART IndyCar
ConstructorPenske
Designer(s)Geoff Ferris
PredecessorPenske PC-5
SuccessorPenske PC-7
Technical specifications
ChassisAluminum Monocoque
Suspension (front)Top rocker arms; wide-based lower wishbones; inboard coil spring/damper units with Monroe shocks
Suspension (rear)Parallel lower links; single top links; twin radius rods; outboard coil spring/damper units with Monroe shocks
Length3810mm (150in) without wing/drivetrain
Width2032mm (80in)
Height1016mm (40in) without wing, at roll hoop
Axle trackFront track 1,549mm (61in)
Rear track 1,575mm (62in)
Wheelbase2,692mm (106in)
EngineCosworth DFX 2,650 cc (161.7 cu in) V8 80° 76.2mm (3in) Garret AiResearch Turbocharged Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted
TransmissionHewland L.G.500[1] 4 speed with reverse gear removed manual
Power800–1,000 hp (600–750 kW)
Weight1,603 lb (727.1 kg)
FuelMethanol, supplied by Mobil
TiresGoodyear Eagle Speedway Specials - Rear 27.0x14.5-15 - Front 25.5x10.0-15
Competition history
Notable entrantsPenske Racing
Notable driversRick Mears
Tom Sneva
Mario Andretti
Debut1978 Indianapolis 500
First win1979 Indianapolis 500
Last win1979 Indianapolis 500
Last eventDuman's Turn 4 Restorations Indy (known)
EntriesRacesWinsPodiums
1978 Indianapolis 500 1979 Indianapolis 500 1980 Indianapolis 500 DT4R Indianapolis (known)3 (known) 1978 Indianapolis 500 1979 Indianapolis 500 1980 Indianapolis 5001 (known) 1979 Indianapolis 5001978 Indianapolis 500 1979 Indianapolis 500 (known)
PolesF/Laps
31

The Penske PC-6 is a USAC and CART open-wheel race car, designed by British designer Geoff Ferris at Penske Racing, which was constructed for competition in the 1978 season. It won the 1979 Indianapolis 500, being driven by Rick Mears.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Background

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The Penske PC-6 was introduced to racing in 1978 at the 62nd Indianapolis 500, driven by Tom Sneva, Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, and Larry Dickson. It would place 2nd, later going on to achieve 1st place at the 1979 Indy 500 with Rick Mears behind the wheel, cementing his Gould Charge #9 livery as one of the most famed on the PC-6. Other drivers would later try out the car, like Dennis Firestone, albeit without much success. From this point on not much is known about the PC-6. It may not have raced at all until more recent recreational races.

Notable Achievements

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Tom Sneva made history in his Penske PC-6 qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1978, setting a record four-lap average speed of over 200 miles per hour that became- and still is- a famous milestone of automotive racing. While laps crossing 200 miles per hour had been achieved at the speedway, none had been done on a hot track, though many had tried. Sneva also set the record for the first official lap crossing 200 miles per hour at the Indy 500 just one year prior, albeit in a McLaren M24 owned by Roger Penske.

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A turbocharger from the 1978 Penske PC-6 Chassis #5 during restoration
A shock from the 1978 Penske PC-6 Chassis #5

References

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  1. ^ "Hewland L.G.500 (4-Speed) and L.G.600 (5-Speed) Transaxle Gearbox" (PDF). Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  2. ^ "Team Penske | About Us | Team Penske - Year by Year Highlights". www.teampenske.com.
  3. ^ "Penske Car Gallery | Penske Automall". Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  4. ^ "Rick Mears". www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
  5. ^ "The Penske PC6 1978 Indy 500 Polewinner". www.linkedin.com.
  6. ^ "Tom Sneva". www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
  7. ^ "1978 Penske PC6". conceptcarz.com.
  8. ^ "1979 Indianapolis 500 | Motorsport Database". Motorsport Database - Motor Sport Magazine.
  9. ^ Brown, Allen. "Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 27 May 1979 « Indy Car". OldRacingCars.com.
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