Penske Racing Still Searching for Sponsorship

Penske Racing just came off their first NASCAR championship when Brad Kesolowski won the Nationwide Series title this year. The team has sealed up their sponsorships for the Sprint Cup programs of Kurt Busch in the revived #22 Shell Penzoil Dodge and Kesolowski who will take over the driving duties in the Miller Lite "Blue Duece".

The odd man out at Penske appears to be former three time Indy champion and 2006 Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish. Hornish finished the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season just four disappointing spots back from teammate Kesolowski at 29^th in the standings. Hornish who carried the Mobil One sponsorship is left without a sponsor as Mobil One moves over to Stewart Haas Racing for 2011.

Penske is in search for sponsorship for the former Indy champion. Hornish's point finish in the top 35 give him a guaranteed starting position in the first five races of the 2011 NASCAR season including the Daytona 500, but Penske management is aware of the grim sponsorship outlook in motor sports right now.

Following the end of the 2010 season Penske was forced to cut staff and left 50 people without jobs. Job cuts in NASCAR are nothing new as the recession continues to take a toll all throughout the U.S. Richard Petty Motorsports was forced to cut employees prior to that team's restructuring. Penske expects more layoffs in the very near future as well.

Walt Czarnecki, executive vice president of Penske Corp said, "We haven't ceased our efforts. This just hasn't been a strong sponsorship climate. We had tough decisions to make. We have a couple of things going, but we had to base those decisions on today, not tomorrow."

Penske Racing plans to continue to run three full time teams in Sprint Cup and an additional team in the Nationwide series for the upcoming season. They continue to look for sponsorship for the #77 Dodge and will run Hornish in the season opening Daytona 500. If sponsorship is found they will continue on, but if not Roger Penske plans on running Sam Hornish back where he was a proven winner at the Indianapolis 500.