Rick Rinaman - Team Penske

Howard Holley Presents Against All Odds: How Successful People Overcome Adversity

Rick Rinaman's entrée into the world of Indy car racing came by way of racing go-carts outside of Pittsburgh, PA and carrying tools for Paul Newman's engine builder. Eventually, he landed an entry level, truck-driving position for Penske Racing in Reading, PA. From there, Rick went on to be one of the most successful Chief Mechanics/Crew Chiefs for Indy 500 winning teams that included Helio Castoneves, Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser, and Rick Mears. Rick had great successes while with Penske, but he did not achieve success on his own. In 2009, Castroneves said of his crew, “Some of those guys have been here 10 years. They know my style; they know what I like, and they know what I don’t like. But the good news is that we’re a team. We lose together; we win together." In this interview, Rick shares his thoughts on the importance of teamwork, and he reminds us all that sometimes failure just isn't an option.