Roger Penske feeling hale at another Indy 500 as Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s owner

INDIANAPOLIS – At 86, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske looks healthy, rejuvenated, and ambitious as he prepares for the fourth Indy 500 since agreeing to purchase the track on Nov. 4, 2019.

Hard work, and lots of it, is what keeps Penske going.

“I get up every morning,” Penske told NBC Sports in an exclusive interview. “That’s a full-time job staying alive when you are my age.”

As the chairman of the Penske Corp. with a personal net worth of $3.1 billion according to Forbes, there are few, if any, days off for Penske. He has business worlds to conquer and races to win, including an attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year with Porsche Penske Motorsport.

At 86, Penske’s pace puts 30- and 40-year-olds to shame.

“I’m very fortunate,” Penske said. “My wife is my biggest supporter. My 14 grandchildren and five children. We’ve got a great family. A lot going on.

“I think it motivates you because you have decisions to make every day. People are counting on your commitment. I like to lead, not from the top, but from the bottom. That keeps me as a person from a physical perspective in good shape.

“I’ve had my own (health) issues as you go along the way, but right now, I’m ready for another 500.”

And that is great news for the 325,000 fans that make the annual pilgrimage to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for what is by far, the biggest race on the planet. Many of those fans have been coming for 30, 40, 50 and even 60 or more years.

The Indianapolis 500 is more than a race, it’s a life-changing experience.

It changed Penske’s life back in 1951 when he was just a boy and joined his father, Jay, on a business trip to Indianapolis to see the big race.

“When I think about going back to 1951, when I came to the