Penske PC26 Mercedes

At the end of the 1996 season Team Penske found itself in unfamiliar territory; for the first time in over 20 years, the
team had not scored at least one win in the CART championship. The combination of the exclusive Penske chassis,
Ilmor-Mercedes engine and Goodyear tire proved to be no match for the readily available Reynard chassis, Honda
engine and Firestone tires. For legendary team-owner Roger Penske the easiest route to success was to switch to the
most competitive machinery but his close ties with all three elements of his package forced him to continue on the same
foot in 1997.

At the Poole, England based factory, the new Penske PC26 chassis was constructed. Its design followed the PC25 used
to little effect in 1996. The main changes to the carbon-fibre tub were in response to revised regulations. The cockpit
was widened to allow for additional safety padding around the driver. A reduction in maximum size enabled the designer
to place the fuel cell lower in the chassis, which also meant the driver could sit further back and closer to the car's
centre-line. More attention was given to the suspension in an attempt to improve the car's poor handling.

At the nearby Ilmor facility the latest 'IC 108 D' evolution of the Mercedes-Benz labelled engine was developed. This
2.65 litre V8 featured a single Garrett Turbo, mounted behind the engine. The maximum boost was regulated by a

1997 Penske PC26 Mercedes 1 © Ultimatecarpage.com

mandatory electronic pop-off valve that was fitted on top of the air-box. According to the factory supplied specifications,
the Ilmor-Mercedes V8 produced 800 bhp at 14200 rpm. The casing of the bespoke Penske six-speed gearbox also
enclosed the giant turbo and bolted onto the engine. The complicated and very potent drivetrain served as fully stressed
member of the chassis.

Team Penske retained both their drivers, which meant the PC26 would be piloted by Al Unser Jr. and Paul Tracy. In
1994 this talented pairing had finished first and third in the CART Championship and Unser also won the coveted Indy
500, driving the Penske Mercedes. The partnership with Carl Hogan had come to an end after just one season, so there
would be no third PC26 on the grid entered under the Penske-Hogan banner. The first chassis was completed late in
1996 and flown to the United States for early testing. When the season got under way, the two drivers had already
racked up 2500 miles.

The hard work over the winter immediately yielded results as Paul Tracy finished second at the season opening race at
Homestead (Miami). The Canadian went one better at Nazareth in Pennsylvania; Penske's home race, ending a 20 race
drought for Penske. He added two more wins to his tally in the following races at Rio de Janeiro and in St. Louis. After
his hat-trick of wins, Tracy was a genuine title contender. It was not to be as he struggled to reach the finish in the
subsequent rounds. He eventually ended the championship in fifth. His team-mate suffered from bad luck throughout the
year and finished 13th.

After the three victories early in the season, the Penske/Mercedes/Goodyear combination struggled once again. It would
turn out that the St. Louis victory, Penske's 99th, was its last as a manufacturer. Team Penske continued with their own
cars for two more seasons until they finally switched to a Honda engined Reynard in 2000. Gil de Ferran finally scored
Penske's 100th win at Nazareth that season. With just three wins, the PC26 was far from the most successful Penske. It
does earn a spot in history as the last victorious Penske car, ending a tradition that started in 1976 when John Watson
drove a Penske to victory in the Austrian Grand Prix.

Chassis: 005
This is the fifth and final PC26 produced by Penske in Poole. It took Paul Tracy to his third victory of the 1997 season at
Gateway. This was Penske Racing's 99th victory and would also turn out to be the final for Penske as a manufacturer.
Nearly a decade after its active racing career, chassis 005 was bought by Patrick Morgan. The car was far from
complete and he spent the next months to collect the missing bits. The subsequent restoration was completed in time for
an outing at the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Penske was back at Goodwood in 2008, now with former driver
Paul Tracy behind the wheel.

Article by Wouter Melissen, last updated on 10 / 23 / 2009

General Specifications
Country of origin United States
Chassis number 005
Numbers built 5
Produced in 1997

Engine
Configuration Mercedes-Benz / Ilmor IC 108 D 82º V8
Location Mid, longitudinally mounted
Weight 123 kilo / 271.2 lbs
Construction light alloy block and head
Displacement 2.65 liter / 161.7 cu in
Bore / Stroke 91.0 mm (3.6 in) / 50.9 mm (2 in)
Compression 12.4:1
Valvetrain 4 valves / cylinder, DOHC

1997 Penske PC26 Mercedes 2 © Ultimatecarpage.com

Fuel feed Fuel Injection
Aspiration Garrett Turbo
Power 800 bhp / 597 KW @ 14200 rpm
Torque 468 Nm / 345 ft lbs @ 10250 rpm
BHP/Liter 302 bhp / liter

Drivetrain
Chassis/body carbon fibre monocoque
Suspension (fr/r) double wishbones, push-rod actuated coil springs over Penske shock absorbers
Brakes ventilated Alcon discs, all-round
Gearbox 6 speed Sequential
Drive Rear wheel drive

Dimensions
Weight 703 kilo / 1549.8 lbs
Length / Width / Height 4953 mm (195 in) / N/A / N/A
Wheelbase / Track (fr/r) 2972 mm (117 in) / 1730 mm (68.1 in) / 1630 mm (64.2 in)

Performance figures
Power to weight 1.14 bhp / kg

Resources
Related articles - 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Useful links - Dawn Treader Performance
- Penske Racing
- Other cars by Penske

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