BorgWarner and its predecessor companies have been associated with the Indianapolis 500 since that racing tradition began in 1911. The Wheeler-Schebler Trophy was awarded from 1911 through 1935. The trophy was named after Frank Wheeler, one of the Speedway's four original founders, and George Schebler, one of two partners in a carburetor company that merged into the group that formed BorgWarner in 1928. The founding organizations were Borg & Beck, Warner Gear, Marvel-Schebler and Mechanics Universal Joint.

The BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy made its debut in 1936 when it was presented to race winner Louis Meyer. Meyer said, "Winning the BorgWarner Trophy is like winning an Olympic medal."

Made of 110 pounds of sterling silver, the BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy originally cost $10,000 and is currently valued at $1.5 million. The trophy clearly reflects the "art deco" period of its creation during the 1930s.

During the race, the BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy is displayed trackside. When the winner pulls into Victory Lane, the trophy is placed on the rear of the car behind the driver. This tradition dates back to 1911, when Ray Harroun won the race with an average speed of 74.602 miles per hour.

The BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy has appeared in several Hollywood movies, including "To Please a Lady" with Barbara Stanwyck and Clark Gable, and "Winning" with Paul Newman. In the latter, Paul Newman talks on the phone about his racing victory while standing in a phone booth with a scaled-down version of the trophy proudly tucked under his arm.

The overall trophy stands five feet, five inches tall. Guidelines for its creation stipulated that it must represent the spirit of world-class racing, be constructed of precious metal, and be of heroic proportions. The completed work was characterized by its luxurious use of geometric and stylized forms, including wings of victory "handles" on each side of the trophy to symbolize speed, and a Greek-like figure of a man waving the traditional checkered flag atop a silver dome.

The original trophy base was designed to display images of the faces of 80 Indy 500 winners. Two new bases have since been constructed to add more space -- one in 1986, to provide space for 18 more faces; and one in 2004, adding capacity for winners through 2034.

Eight drivers have won the BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy twice: Tommy Milton, Bill Vukovich, Rodger Ward, Gordon Johncock, Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser, Jr., Arie Luyendyk, and Helio Castroneves. Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Bobby Unser, and Johnny Rutherford are three-time winners. Al Unser, Sr., Rick Mears, and A.J. Foyt have won the trophy four times.

The largest crowd for any single day's sporting event in the world is drawn to the race for the BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy - triple the numbers for the Super Bowl or the Kentucky Derby.