RACER Video: Robin Miller on Menards/Penske/ Pagenaud Indy 500 deal

The most successful owner in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history is teaming up with the guy who spent the better part of three decades trying to get into Victory Lane but was always denied.

"Roger made me an offer I couldn't refuse," said John Menard of his May partnership with Roger Penske and Simon Pagenaud. "It's the 100th Indy 500, it's his 50th year in racing and I think it's a great opportunity. It's probably the best chance I've ever had to win this thing."

Penske, whose cars have won a record 16 Indy 500s, flew into Indianapolis for the announcement. "John and I have been friends and competitors a long time and Simon was probably our fastest guy last year in the race so we're hoping we can keep our momentum," said The Captain, who won last May with Juan Montoya edging teammate Will Power.

Menard, the self-made billionaire from Eau Claire, Wis., who first came to IMS in 1979 with Herm Johnson, has been an owner and a sponsor and come as close as you can to winning.

His Indy Racing League team with Vitor Meira ran second in 2005, Al Unser finished third in Menard's V6 Buick and Robby Gordon ran out of fuel while leading with two laps left in 1999 and settled for fourth. His last appearance was in 2009 as a sponsor for Ed Carpenter, who ran eighth.

"We did our own thing for a long time and I think we got better but Roger is the class of the field," said Menard, whose son Paul won NASCAR's Brickyard 400 at IMS in 2011.

Pagenaud will drive the Menard's Dallara-Chevy at the Angie's List Grand Prix before Indy and also in IndyCar's return to Road America on June 26.