Roger Penske’s name is synonymous with auto racing.

The 79-year-old, Lehigh-educated native of Ohio is the chief executive of an international automotive and transportation services empire with almost 50,000 employees, more than $25 billion in annual revenues, and a personal net worth estimated by Forbes at $1.4 billion.

Penske is also America’s most successful racing team owner, with 424 victories – including a record 16 Indianapolis 500s – and 28 championships in nine series.

Team Penske is currently enjoying its 50th anniversary season, and although many people are familiar with the Penske name, few are aware of the story behind it.

Six degrees aren’t needed to separate Team Penske from Southeastern Pennsylvania. In fact, a direct line can be drawn from the headquarters of the Penske Corporation in Michigan to Delaware County.

When Roger’s driving days came to an end in 1965, he purchased a Chevrolet dealership in Philadelphia at 48th and Chestnut Streets. The following year, he set up a racing team in Newtown Square, in a one-bay garage. A venture into the car rental business at Philadelphia International Airport soon followed, along with the acquisition of a truck-leasing company in Reading.

Penske’s corporate headquarters are now in Detroit, but “the roots of the company really came from Pennsylvania,” he once told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In 1966, Newtown Square’s Penske Racing debuted with a Chevy Corvette winning its class in the 24 Hours of Daytona. Less than two decades later, Penske had become so big that he turned down an offer in the early 1980s to become the CEO of Chrysler.

Indeed, when the entire story of Penske’s life is written, it’s clear that Delco will be a big part of it.