Penske adds Pagenaud to IndyCar lineup

A happy Pagenaud becomes Penske's 4th IndyCar driver

Team Penske announced today that race-winning driver and perennial championship contender Simon Pagenaud will join its ranks beginning with the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

The 30-year-old Pagenaud is a four-time race winner in the Verizon IndyCar Series and one of the most sought-after talents in open-wheel racing. Under the terms of a multi-year agreement with Team Penske, Pagenaud will drive the Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet beginning next season. With today’s announcement, the most successful program in the history of North American open-wheel racing will field a formidable four-car lineup moving forward.

After finishing among the top five in the championship standings each of the last three seasons, Pagenaud has established himself as one of the top drivers competing in the Verizon IndyCar Series. The native of Poitiers, France earned two wins, one pole, three podium finishes and eight top-five results in 2014 while finishing fifth in the title chase.

"Simon Pagenaud is a very talented, focused and determined driver," said Roger Penske, whose team won the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series title with driver Will Power. "We know how tough he has been to compete with over the last few seasons and we are very happy to welcome him to Team Penske starting in 2015. With Simon coming on board to join Will, Helio (Castroneves) and Juan (Montoya), we feel we have four drivers very capable of winning on any given weekend and four guys who are legitimate championship contenders."

Pagenaud joins Team Penske with a championship history. He won the Champ Car Atlantic Series open-wheel title as a rookie in 2006 and he produced four wins en route to the American Le Mans Series sports car LMP1 crown in 2010. With a diverse background that includes racing in the European Formula Renault series, Pagenaud has also excelled in sports car competition with starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the Rolex 24 at Daytona on his resume.

"Getting a chance to race for Team Penske is almost like a dream to me," said Pagenaud. "I have always admired the team and everything that Roger Penske has accomplished in racing. I am so excited to become a part of Team Penske and I can’t wait for the 2015 season to start."