Michael Nelson
Team Penske President, NASCAR
Michael Nelson is in his 28th season with Team Penske, currently serving as President of Penske Racing South. He oversees the organization's teams competing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Nelson also oversees the transportation, manufacturing, athletics, and facilities for all of Team Penske's racing operations.
An Anderson, S.C., native, Nelson joined Team Penske in 1998 as a data acquisition engineer. In 2000, Nelson was given the opportunity to become the engineer for the startup team with Ryan Newman as the driver. In 2006, Nelson became crew chief for the Team Penske No. 12 Cup Series team. He was promoted to Vice President of Operations in November of 2007.
Nelson is a Clemson University graduate with a bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering. His passion for racing started at age nine with motorcycles and motocross racing. He became involved in motocross racing as a teenager and competed at tracks around the southeast.
Under Nelson's direction, Team Penske's NASCAR programs have won over 230 races, resulting in five NASCAR Cup Series Championships, three Daytona 500 victories and seven Xfinity Series titles.
Nelson and his wife Kim have a son, Carter, and daughter, Claire.