The Penske PC-26 was a open-wheel racecar designed by Nigel Bennett and manufactured by Penske Cars in Poole, Dorset, that was used by Team Penske to compete in the 1997 CART Championship.[1] Whilst a development of the PC-25, the PC-26 was designed to address the twitchy nature of the previous year's car.[2]
Five chassis were produced and driven by Al Unser Jr. and Paul Tracy. The Ilmor-produced 850 bhp Mercedes-Benz IC108D engine served as the powerplant, driving through an Xtrac gearbox within a Penske housing. Aerodynamic changes from the previous year's car included revised sidepod inlets and a longer, sharper nose. The Delco Gen V electronics package was carried over from 1996 and remained a Penske-exclusive system.[3]
The PC26 proved to be a formidable short oval car, Paul Tracy recorded three victories in Rio, Nazareth and Gateway.[1] The victory at Gateway marked the 99th for the team and the final victory for a Penske Cars-produced chassis. Penske Racing would have to wait three years to gain its 100th victory.[1] The latter part of the season saw a variety of problems including an eye problem for Tracy as well as a lack of raw pace.
(key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Driver | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Marlboro Team Penske | Mercedes-Benz IC108D V8t | MIA | SUR | LBH | NAZ | RIO | GAT | MIL | DET | POR | CLE | TOR | MIC | MDO | ROA | VAN | LAG | FON | |||||
 Al Unser Jr. | 2 | 27 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 20 | 8 | 25 | 4 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 67 | 13th | ||||
 Paul Tracy | 3 | 2 | 19* | 7 | 1* | 1 | 1 | 6 | Wth | 7 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 121 | 5th |