Roger Penske was presented with the prestigious Medal of Freedom Award today at the White House in Washington, D.C. by President Donald Trump.

It was known in June that the legendary team owner would be the recipient of the United States of America’s highest civilian honor. The achievement is awarded to individuals who “have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

This afternoon, President @realDonaldTrump presents the Medal of Freedom to American sports and business icon Roger Penske! pic.twitter.com/EsWNZndMDN — The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 24, 2019

After retiring as a driver in 1965, Penske started his legacy as a team owner the following year and evolved it to one of the pinnacle organizations in all of racing. The organization has endured tremendous success, which includes 18 Indianapolis 500 victories, along with two wins in the Daytona 500. Across every series Penske has and currently competes in – NASCAR, Formula 1, IMSA, V8 Supercars, etc. – they have collectively earned 545 wins (which includes more than 200 in IndyCar alone), 621 pole positions and 36 titles to date.

In addition to his success in motorsports, Penske is also the founder and chairman of Penske Corporation – a diversified transportation company that operates in multiple ways within the industry. In all, Penske Corporation operates in over 3,660 locations with consolidated revenues of more than $31 billion.

“Roger S. Penske is a well-known American success story,” said the White House statement on the presentation of the award. “Guided by his father’s favorite phrase, ‘effort equals results,’ Mr. Penske built his one car dealership into Penske Corporation, a leader in global transportation services. On the track, Mr. Penske built and led Team Penske into the most successful motorsports team in history. Mr. Penske’s passion and unrelenting drive have established him as a business and motorsports icon.”