Roger Penske is a formidable icon of motorsport. His teams have won countless championships. He’s competed in everything from Formula One to the Australian Supercars series. He’s been inducted into six Halls of Fame, and he’s won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. When this man tells you that you should be watching IndyCar, you might want to listen.

Sure, he might be a little biased. Roger Penske took the helm of IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2019 — but The Captain made that purchase long before he knew he’d have to navigate the series through the middle of a pandemic.

No one, though, could have handled such chaos with grace quite like Roger Penske. Jalopnik had a chance to chat with Penske as we head into the 2022 IndyCar season — and why you should absolutely be paying attention.

I think we have all learned over the past two years how much we can adapt and be creative in our approach to our business and our sport. We are proud of how our teams at IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and all of the competitors and partners within our sport have adjusted and found new ways to keep moving forward.

It has certainly been an interesting two years for our teams in Indianapolis. Like so many businesses and especially those in the sports and entertainment industry, the pandemic presented some challenges and also some great opportunities. IndyCar and IMS were in a good position to take a leadership role and figure out a safe way for our teams to get back on track and become one of the first sports to return to competition. Sports became a key part of bringing people back together. When we were able to host over 135,000 fans at IMS for the Indianapolis 500 last May it became the largest gathering of people since the start of the pandemic and we were proud to safely help take our country forward.”

: A big part of the growth of INDYCAR is the product on track. The racing and the depth of competition is the best it has ever been. I also think we have a good mix of stars and personalities that connect with our core fans while also helping to attract a new audience to INDYCAR. From legends of our sport like Helio (Castroneves) and Scott (Dixon) to a new generation of stars like Josef (Newgarden), Pato (O’Ward) and Alex (Palou) and drivers that raced in other forms of motorsports like Jimmie (Johnson), Romain (Grosjean) and Scott (McLaughlin), who bring new fans to our series. With great competitors, support from premier partners and world-class racing venues showcased through our broadcast partners at NBC, the NTT IndyCar Series carries a lot of momentum into 2022.

: The speed and excitement of IndyCar is what draws people into our sport. The racing is intense and the action is non- stop. Whether it is the technology, the strategy, the competition or the lifestyle, there is so much to experience as an IndyCar fan and we think everyone will enjoy the ride.

: We are excited about the road that lies ahead for IndyCar. We have a great 17-race schedule in front of us for the NTT IndyCar Series in 2022 and it looks to be one of the most competitive in the history of our sport. Starting this season, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires will once again be managed by IndyCar and we look forward to cultivating a new generation of drivers and teams that we hope will become the stars of tomorrow. We will also continue to explore new ways to engage with our fans through evolving technology as we bring people closer to the sport than ever before.”

: To me, there is nothing like the excitement of race day and competing on the biggest stage in racing at the Indianapolis 500. That is where my passion for motorsports began, it is still what drives us today and it is why we jumped at the opportunity to become the next stewards of IMS and IndyCar in 2020. We have made a number of additions to enhance the fan experience at The Speedway over the last two years and we have a lot more plans in the works. I am excited for what the future holds for our sport overall and I am definitely looking forward to the day when we can welcome hundreds of thousands of fans back to IMS to experience the Indianapolis 500 and be part of the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’