# Penske's final CART race

> Penske ends CART's 25-year run with last race before IRL takeover.
- Title: Penske's final CART race · RaceFans | Shortify
- Summary: Penske ends CART's 25-year run with last race before IRL takeover. Penske team raced for final CART event before joining IRL in 2008.
- Keywords: carts, penske, irr, indycar, fontana, alex zanardi, cristiano da matta, RaceFans
- Source: RaceFans — https://racefans.net/2026/11/04/on-this-day-2001-champ-car-fontana
- Published: 2026-11-04T00:01:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: carts, penske, irr, indycar, fontana, alex zanardi, cristiano da matta, sports, cars
## CART's 25-year season ends
CART's longest season ends 25 years ago today with a watershed moment in the series' battle with IRL.
## Penske's final CART race
Cristiano da Matta wins 21st and final CART event at Fontana superspeedway as Penske makes last appearance.
## Penske joins IRL
Penske defected to IRL after 2001 season, leading to CART bankruptcy and 2008 series reunion.
## Key takeaway

Penske team raced for final CART event before joining IRL in 2008.