1974 Penske PC1

Penske Racing was a small Formula One racing team formed in 1968 by Roger Penske; it was later renamed Team Penske. Operations were based at the newly acquired facilities of racing car manufacturer McRae Cars Ltd in Poole, Dorset in the UK. Roger was joined by Swiss Heinz Hofer, the Porsche Can-Am team manager, who served as the team's F1 manager. Geoff Ferris was the chief engineer and designer, and Karl Kainhofer was the chief mechanic and engine builder.

Team Penske was formed to design and build a Formula One car. The team's first car was the Penske PC1, and it was completed in time to contest the Canadian and U.S. Grand Prix events held in late 1974. Mark Donohue came out of retirement to drive the new PC1. The PC1 was driven by Donohue and John Watson in 12 Grand Prix events during the 1974 and 1975 Formula One seasons before being replaced by the PC3 in 1976.

Mechanical Specifications
The PC1 had an aluminum monocoque chassis with a wheelbase size of 100 inches. It was powered by a mid, longitudinally mounted Ford Cosworth DFV naturally aspirated V8 engine with a displacement size of 182.6 cubic inches (2,993 cc). It was paired with a Hewland FG 400 five-speed manual transmission.

Motorsports History
Team Penske introduced its PC1 in 1974 at the Canadian Grand Prix with Donohue qualifying 24th and finishing 12th. Donohue and the PC1 qualified 14th at the United States Grand Prix held at Watkins Glen, but a rear suspension failure brought an early end to the team's efforts.

The first race for the PC1 during the 1975 season was at the Argentine Grand Prix, where Donohue finished in a respectable seventh position. At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Donohue was forced to retire due to handling issues. An eighth-place finish for Donohue was earned at the South African Grand Prix. Another early retirement occurred at the Spanish Grand Prix following an accident due to oil on the circuit by the Tyrrell car of Jody Scheckter. An accident at the Monaco Grand Prix was another early retirement for Donohue, followed by an 11th place at Belgium. Donohue finished fifth at the Swedish Grand Prix and eighth at Holland. Transmission failure at the French Grand Prix was another disappointing retirement for Donohue.

Not having achieved the intended success, Team Penske retired the PC1 after the French Grand Prix, and instead raced a March 751 for the next three races. During the final practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix, Donohue crashed the 751 and the injuries he sustained would soon claim his life. A track marshall was also killed in this accident.

Following the tragedy, the Penske team did not compete at the Italian Grand Prix. The team's next event was at the United States Grand Prix, where the team entered their newly developed Penske PC3, which was driven by Northern Irish driver John Watson. Issues with the PC3 car forced him to return to the PC1. Watson finished the race in ninth position.

Watson drove the fourth generation of the Penske chassis (the PC4) to victory in the Austrian Grand Prix in 1976.

Three examples of the Penske PC1 were built. The first example was raced during the 1974 season and then given a shorter wheelbase and narrow track before it contested the 1975 season.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2025