Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsWednesday, June 24, 2026

Behind-the-Scenes Look at the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Team

Getty Images for NASCAR

The awesome guys over at Penske Championship Racing and Pennzoil have teamed up this season for the first time in 21 years. To celebrate the occasion, they want to share some interesting facts (and prizes -- check back soon!) about the technical side of their new relationship. Shell Pennzoil has launched a massive campaign that reaches across several Penske platforms including the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Both parties insist that their new partnership goes beyond a normal sponsorship and the following post outlines how. Follow the jump to learn more!

Pennzoil_06_medium


·
In 1983, Pennzoil joined forces with Roger Penske. Just one year later, premiere Indy car driver Rick Mears won the Indy 500.

· On September 22, 1984 Pennzoil Penske driver Johnny Rutherford set the all-time qualifying record at the time, by recording the pole-winning speed of 215.189 mph for the Michigan Detroit News 200.

· Peter Parrott, chief mechanic for Rick Mears’s Pennzoil Z-7 Special, won the 1986 Premier Mechanical Achievement Award as the outstanding chief mechanic on the PPG Cup Indy car circuit. The award was made on the basis of balloting of all the chief mechanics at the 1986 Indianapolis 500.

· The 1988 season was a great success when Penske swept the front row for the Indianapolis 500 and then Rick Mears delivered the victory in the new Penske PC-17 chassis.

· 1989 was the year that Pennzoil Penske strategized using computers; this new technology gave Penske a huge advantage. This forward thinking transcended the basic intended uses for the at-track computers and even involved motor oil, as Pennzoil was one of the first to utilize oil analysis machines at the track.

· After winning the Champion 300k road race at Laguna Seca, which happened to be his 20th win in the 1980’s, Pennzoil’s Rick Mears finished the 1989 season as the number one Indy car driver of the decade.

· On September 22, 1990, Penske and Pennzoil split ways after nearly a decade together on the racetrack.

Image005_medium

Motorsports:

· In 2011, Pennzoil and Penske Racing are embarking on a multi-year relationship highlighted by an important technical support program between Pennzoil and Penske Racing

· With Shell, Pennzoil will be the primary sponsor of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge piloted by Kurt Busch throughout the 2011 season

· Pennzoil and Penske Racing already have a dynamic racing history as two Penske Racing entries have raced to victory lane at the Indianapolis 500 with the Pennzoil yellow car

· The Pennzoil sponsorship not only affords tremendous brand recognition with a leading NASCAR team, but affords the brand with a true testing ground for Pennzoil motor oils under some of the harshest racing conditions

Technology:

· Pennzoil engineers will work closely with Penske Racing to develop motor oil formulations to help maximize performance and engine reliability for the team throughout the season with each change contributing to the advancement of the brand’s technology

· Pennzoil Ultra technology is in every NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series engine that takes to the track in 2011 for Penske Racing

· The relationship will provide Pennzoil with the ability to test existing and new motor oil technology developed by Pennzoil’s scientists to gain insights from the track that can translate directly into the formulation of its consumer motor oils

· Clean is vital for teams in NASCAR as dirt and debris can hinder performance, so the Hyper Cleansing Technology in Pennzoil UltraTM can be a tremendous benefit for racing teams such as Penske Racing

Product:

· Nothing keeps an engine closer to factory clean than Pennzoil UltraTM motor oil1

· For each category of motor oil, no leading competitor brand beats our Pennzoil® motor oils in engine cleansing and protection2

· All Pennzoil® motor oils formulated with synthetic base oils are specially engineered to help keep more difficult parts of the engine, the pistons, cleaner than even the toughest industry standards3

· All Pennzoil® conventional motor oils are engineered to clean out up to 40% of engine sludge in the first oil change and continue to clean in the next oil change4

1 Based on Sequence VG sludge test using SAE 5W-30
2 Based on Sequence VG sludge test and Sequence IVA wear test using SAE 5W-30
3 Based on ILSAC GF-5 and Sequence IIIG piston deposit test using SAE 5W-30
4 Based on severe sludge clean up test using SAE 5W-30

Image001_medium

See More:

More in General

GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
An SB Nation New Yorker needs our helpAn SB Nation New Yorker needs our help
GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
General
Sabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world recordSabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world record
General

The mythical two-hour mark was broken at the London Marathon.

By Bernd Buchmasser
A Huge Dog
THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1
Play
General
Super Bowl 60 coin toss resultsSuper Bowl 60 coin toss results
General

The Seahawks and Patriots will open the Super Bowl with the coin toss to determine who starts with the ball. We have the full coin toss results for Super Bowl 60.

By David Fucillo
General
Marc Marquez completes a comeback for the agesMarc Marquez completes a comeback for the ages
General

MotoGP’s Marc Marquez completed a comeback for the ages with his 2025 title

By Mark Schofield
General
How to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search resultsHow to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search results