Team Penske hires Robby Benton as NASCAR team manager
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| Robby Benton with NASCAR studio host on FS1 and girlfriend Danielle Trotta |
Motorsports industry veteran Robby Benton will join Team Penske in 2018, serving as NASCAR Team Manager, the organization announced today. Benton, who has spent time as a driver and owner in a number of different series from NASCAR to IMSA, will report to Competition Director Travis Geisler.
Benton will help handle various administrative and competition-related duties for both the team’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) as well as the team’s NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS). Team Penske will field four full-time NASCAR programs in 2018 with the addition of the No. 12 Ford Fusion and driver Ryan Blaney to its Cup program.
“I’m very happy to join an operation like Team Penske," said Benton. “Anyone that is involved in this sport has a tremendous amount of respect for Roger Penske. He has a world class operation and expects nothing but the best from his people, and that shows on and off the track. I’ve emulated many of Team Penske’s values through my own programs, so it’s especially meaningful to now be a part of this team. I’m honored to receive this opportunity and I hope I can help the organization continue moving forward as they continue to expand their NASCAR operations."
Following his time as a driver, Benton transitioned to become a team owner in many different racing series. Most recently, Benton was an owner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Over the years, Benton’s teams scored victories in NXS and IMSA.
“Robby has been racing most of his life and we are really fortunate to be in a position to add someone with his experience to our organization," said Team Penske President Tim Cindric. “As we continue to expand our NASCAR programs, he will bring a wealth of knowledge to add more depth to our management team."
The 2018 MENCS regular season begins with the 60th anniversary running of the Great American Race, the Daytona 500, on Sunday, February 18.