Trump meets with Penske's NASCAR, IndyCar and IMSA…

Trump meets with Penske's NASCAR, IndyCar and IMSA stars at the White House

Team Penske rolled into Washington D.C. on Wednesday with Roger Penske bringing several of his drivers and race cars from three different divisions to the White House lawn. NASCAR, IndyCar and IMSA were all featured as Penske was celebrated for his recent triumphs.

2023 and 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champions Ryan Blaney and teammate Joey Logano were both present, along with Logano's No. 22 Penske Ford Mustang. Two-time and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden was there, standing by his No. 2 Penske Chevrolet. Additionally, the winning lineup from the 2025 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona -- Nick Tandy, Felipe Nasr, and Laurens Vanthoor -- were present along with their No. 7 Penske Porsche 963 GTP.

NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps and NASCAR president Steve O'Donnell were also among those in attendance, as was Mark Miles, the CEO of IndyCar and Penske Entertainment. The Penske group met with Trump in the oval office, taking photos before going outside to check out the race cars.

President Trump, who attended this year's Daytona 500 and paced the field in the presidential motorcade, praised Roger Penske for his many achievements in motorsports. He then read from a piece of paper the names of the drivers and their recent accomplishments, asking both Blaney and Newgarden how fast they can go.

U.S. President Donald Trump, Roger Penske, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps and NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney (Photo by: Anna Moneymaker - Getty Images)

Trump attending the Indy 500?

Trump then hinted at the possibility of attending the 109th running of Indianapolis 500 this May. "I'll have to get there ... maybe this year, with you," said Trump. Penske replied by saying he has an "open invitation."

However, the visit quickly became less about honoring the racing champions and more about holding an impromptu press conference. The president fielded questions from the media for about 15 minutes, talking about the chaotic tariff situation that has caused a whipsaw in global markets while the racers stood in the background. He finally broke up the Q&A to go and speak with Newgarden and shake hands with the other drivers and team members present as the event concluded.