WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Karl Kainhofer wasn’t just a cornerstone of Penske Racing, he was the foundation. He was the first employee ever hired by a young Roger Penske when he started Penske Racing in 1966.
The late Mark Donohue was the second person he hired.
Together, they created the greatest auto racing team in history, one that continues to this day with incredible achievements in IndyCar, NASCAR, and Sports Cars.
Kainhofer was part of 10 of the 20 Indianapolis 500 wins for Team Penske including Donohue’s win in the 1972 Indy 500 as the chief mechanic.
Kainhofer passed away Friday night at the age of 94, according to Team Penske.
“He was my master,” Roger Penske texted to me. “Our attention to detail was Karl’s contribution to the foundation in the team. He had a major impact on our team’s success over many years.
“He will be missed by all of our team.”
From serving as Donohue’s chief mechanic in 1972 to Al Unser, Jr’s Indianapolis 500 win in 1994, Kainhofer played a key role in 10 Indy 500 wins, including building the engines that powered Penske’s cars to the checkered flag in the biggest race in the world.
Kainhofer began his motorsports career as a Porsche-trained master mechanic before becoming 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 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.
“Karl Kainhofer’s contributions to Team Penske are immeasurable,” Penske said. “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.”
