SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Hitachi Ltd. and Team Penske are announcing an extension of their INDYCAR sponsorship agreement, continuing a racing partnership that began in 2012 and building on more than a decade of shared success.
“We are proud of the strong partnership we have built with Penske Group over the past 14 years,” said Charlie Takeuchi, president and CEO of Hitachi Americas. “From the excitement of our partnership with Team Penske on the track to the work we do alongside Penske’s businesses using AI and digital engineering, we look forward to continuing our partnership and building what’s next together.”
In addition to the sponsorship, Hitachi’s enterprise technology work with Penske Transportation Solutions — spanning AI, digital engineering, cybersecurity and managed services — continues to expand and drive business impact.
On the Track
On the track, Hitachi will continue its brand presence across the front wing of Team Penske’s three INDYCAR entries — the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 12 Chevrolet teams. As Team Penske celebrates its 60th anniversary season, the organization continues to build on a legacy that includes a record 20 Indianapolis 500 victories, 17 INDYCAR championships and 48 championships across multiple disciplines, making it one of the most successful teams in professional sports history. The sponsorship is a cornerstone of Hitachi and Team Penske’s multi-faceted partnership, serving as a powerful platform for brand activation and client and partner engagement.
Off the Track
Off the track, Hitachi continues to deepen its collaboration with Penske Transportation Solutions, and it is among its key technology and co-creation partners. Penske Transportation Solutions is a North American transportation and logistics leader with more than $13 billion in annual revenue that operates and maintains a fleet of more than 370,000 vehicles. Since 2018, Hitachi Digital Services and GlobalLogic (a Hitachi Group Company) have operated as an extension of Penske’s engineering organization. The scope of that work spans AI-assisted guided repair and proactive vehicle diagnostics that flag failures before they happen, the continued modernization of Penske’s next-generation rental platform, a range of digital engineering initiatives in the procurement domain and generative AI tools that turn millions of contracts and vendor records into searchable business knowledge.
The outstanding tangible results include more than $18 million in annualized savings through faster diagnostics and predictive maintenance, over 90,000 breakdowns prevented and roughly 15 minutes cut from each repair. As Penske’s technology needs evolve, including the active development of an enterprise agentic AI platform, Hitachi’s role is expanding from delivery partner to co-innovation engine.
“Hitachi is a trusted global brand and a critical partner across the Penske organization,” said Jonathan Diuguid, Team Penske president, INDYCAR. “Our relationship continues to pay dividends on and off the track, and we’re glad to continue that momentum as we mark Team Penske’s 60th anniversary.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe.
