BorgWarner Unveils Newest Addition to Borg-Warner Trophy®: Back-To-Back Indianapolis 500 Winner Josef Newgarden

• Josef Newgarden becomes 111th face added to the iconic trophy.
• First driver to win back-to-back Indy 500s since Helio Castroneves in 2002.
• Marks Team Penske owner Roger Penske’s 20th Indy 500 win.

Auburn Hills, Michigan, December 5, 2024 – To commemorate his victory at the 108th Indianapolis 500, Josef Newgarden’s sterling silver image has been affixed onto the Borg-Warner Trophy®. Newgarden’s likeness was unveiled yesterday at a celebration hosted by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at CoHatch Polk Stables in downtown Indianapolis. This marks Newgarden’s second appearance on the trophy, both times winning for Team Penske. 

“The Borg-Warner Trophy symbolizes more than just excellence on the racetrack, it represents the time-honored traditions of the Indianapolis 500 and pays homage to the champions of the past, and I’m honored to continue the legacy of unveiling the trophy,” said Michelle Collins, Global Director, Marketing and Public Relations, BorgWarner. “Josef’s impressive back-to-back Indy 500 wins highlight his dedication and passion to his sport, and on behalf of all of BorgWarner, we extend our sincerest congratulations to Josef and Team Penske for their achievement.”

William Behrends, the sculptor behind the faces of the Borg-Warner Trophy since 1990, begins creating a full-size recreation of the winning driver’s likeness utilizing a set of 360-degree photos. Even though Behrends sculpted Newgarden’s likeness just last year, he still began from scratch with just photographs as reference, ignoring the sculpture from the previous year. Behrends then uses the life-size sculpture to craft the small model, which is a mixture of oil-based clay. The small model is then turned into a mold and casted in red wax to be sent to a jeweler for the final transformation into sterling silver. Behrends completes his process by polishing and buffing the piece before attaching it to the trophy.

“The Borg Warner Trophy is as iconic as it gets in professional sports and seeing my likeness represented on it will never get old,” said Newgarden. “When you win you are honored an entire year, which is amazing. Getting to work with Will is a treat because he is so meticulous. As a racecar driver I can definitely relate to his attention to detail. Hopefully we can do something historic next year and we can work with him again.” 

On May 26, 2024, nearly 240,000 fans waited out a four-hour rain delay to witness Newgarden win the Indy 500 for the second consecutive year. Newgarden and runner-up Pato O-Ward battled in the last eight laps, swapping the lead four times, with Newgarden taking the final lead during Turn 3 of the last lap. Newgarden also won with a last lap pass in last year’s race, making him only one of three drivers to do so, including Sam Hornish Jr. in 2008 and Dan Wheldon in 2011.

Early next year, Newgarden will receive his second Championship Driver’s TrophyTM, affectionately known as a Baby Borg, featuring the same sterling silver image unveiled at the event. At the same time, team owner Roger Penske will commemorate his 20th Indy 500 win by receiving a Championship Team Owner’s TrophyTM.

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