Team Penske Remembers Karl Kainhofer

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 23, 2025) – Team Penske mourns the passing of its first employee and 2017 Team Penske Hall of Fame inductee, Karl Kainhofer.

Kainhofer began his motorsports career as a Porsche-trained master mechanic before becoming Roger Penske's personal mechanic during the legendary owner's brief stint as a driver. After Team Penske was formed in 1966, the Austrian-born Kainhofer became the team's first full-time employee and helped guide the likes of Mark Donohue and others to victories in the Can-Am Series, Formula 5000, INDYCAR and Formula 1. For the second part of his career with Team Penske, Kainhofer worked as the head of Penske's engine shop until his retirement in 1997 after 32 years with the team. Through a career in racing that spanned 40 years from 1958 through 1997, Kainhofer was part of a remarkable 170 wins, including 10 Indianapolis 500 victories.

From Roger Penske:

“Karl Kainhofer’s contributions to Team Penske are immeasurable. As my mechanic while I was still a driver, Karl’s meticulous attention to detail was a perfect fit for what we wanted in our race team. Along with Mark Donohue, he and I set out to build Team Penske on the same foundational pillars that we use today. Respect, integrity, passion and a will to win were our hallmarks then as they are nearly 60 years later. Karl was a terrific friend and a great teammate that held numerous positions within our team, helping us to countless wins and championships across many series. Our family shares our condolences with the entire Kainhofer family.”