This Week in
Team Penske History
Scott McLaughlin and the No. 17 Ford team capture the Darwin Triple Crown.
This Week in
Team Penske History
June 16, 2019
Scott McLaughlin becomes the first driver to win the Darwin Triple Crown.
Introduced in 2006, the Australian Supercars Darwin Triple Crown is comprised of both Supercars series races as well as the Top 10 Shootout at Darwin Raceway in Hidden Valley, Australia. The elusive title remained unclaimed until Scott McLaughlin’s Triple Crown winning run for DJR Team Penske. Securing the pole position for Race 1, McLaughlin also records Team Penske’s 600th all-time pole. After a flawless drive, McLaughlin dedicates his Race 1 win to his Race Engineer Richard Harris, whose father passed away the night before. The No. 17 Shell V-Power Racing Ford team continues to dominate the weekend, winning Race 2 from the pole and then capturing the Top 10 Shootout to become the first team to win the Darwin Triple Crown.
June 19, 1988
Danny Sullivan famously coined the “Spin & Win” phrase after he spun on track before going on to win the 1985 Indianapolis 500. Three years later, in the INDYCAR race at Portland International Raceway, Sullivan delivers another Spin & Win experience.
Establishing a single lap track record during qualifying, Sullivan wins the pole at Portland. After leading early on in the race, Sullivan spins in the No. 9 Miller High Life Penske/Chevy on lap 15. He rejoins the race and fights his way through the field with expert driving and perfect pit strategy. Sullivan recaptures the lead for good on lap 74, driving the Chevrolet powered PC-17 to his first career victory at Portland.