History and details of the Borg-Warner Trophy: The award with the faces of the Indy 500 winners

The Borg-Warner Trophy is widely considered one of the most coveted and unique honors in world sport. Unlike conventional cups that are taken home by the champion, this sterling silver monument remains the property of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Its most distinctive feature — and the reason for its global fame — is the presence of a bas-relief sculpture of the face of every driver who has won the Indianapolis 500 since the race began. More than an award, the trophy serves as a three-dimensional historical record, immortalizing the physiognomy of the athletes who triumphed in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.

Origin and historical legacy

The trophy’s conception dates back to 1935, when the Borg-Warner Automotive Company (today BorgWarner Inc.) commissioned the piece to celebrate the winners of the race that was already established as the pinnacle of North American motorsports. The project was carried out by Robert J. Hill and construction was carried out by the jewelry company Spaulding-Gorham, from Chicago.

The trophy’s official debut took place in 1936. Louis Meyer, the winner of that edition, was the first to receive the ceremonial honor. However, the organization decided to be retroactive, incorporating the faces of all previous winners going back to the inaugural 1911 race (Ray Harroun).

The trophy was designed in the Art Deco style, reflecting the prevailing aesthetic of the 1930s. Originally costing around US$10,000, the monument’s current value is inestimable, although the insurance assessment exceeds the US$3.5 million mark, considering only the materials and artistic labor, without accounting for its intrinsic historical value.

Sculpting process and technical specifications

Borg-Warner’s uniqueness lies in the rigorous artistic process required to add a new face each year. This is not a simple laser engraving or generic molding; It is a work of classical sculpture.

• The sculptor: Since 1990, American sculptor William Behrends has been responsible for creating the images of the winners. He travels to Indianapolis the morning after the race for early studies.
• The creative process:
• The winning driver poses for a photo session and detailed measurements.
• Behrends creates a lifesize clay study to capture expression and personality.
• After pilot approval, a scaled-down version (trophy scale) is made in clay.
• A mold is created and the image is cast in bronze, then plated in sterling silver before being affixed to the trophy.
• Physical dimensions: The original trophy measures approximately 162.5 centimeters tall and weighs approximately 50 kilograms (110 pounds).
• About “Baby Borg”: As the winners cannot keep the main trophy, BorgWarner instituted, from 1988 onwards, the awarding of the “Baby Borg”. It is a miniature replica (about 18 inches), mounted on a wooden base, which also includes the pilot’s sculpted face in silver.

Winner registration and statistics

The main body of the trophy and its base contain the faces of all the winners, as well as inscriptions with the driver’s name, the year of victory and the average speed of the race.

The physical structure of the trophy had to be changed over the decades to accommodate new champions:

• Main body: Contains the winners of the first decades.
• First base: Added in 1986 to provide additional space.
• Second base: Incorporated in 2004, guaranteeing space for winners until 2033.

The biggest winners in Indy 500 history have four distinct images carved into the trophy, reflecting aging and physiognomic changes throughout their careers:

• AJ Foyt
• Al Unser
• Rick Mears
• Hélio Castroneves

Curiosities about the trophy and its anomalies

There are several interesting facts about the Indy 500 trophy that bears the sculpted face of each winner, including historical errors and exceptions to the sterling silver rule.

• The golden face: Among all the silver faces, there is a single face made of 24 carat gold. It belongs to Tony Hulman, the speedway owner who saved the track after World War II. His image was added in 1988 to honor his legacy, being the only non-driver present on the trophy.
• Tom Sneva’s glasses: 1983 winner Tom Sneva is the only driver pictured wearing glasses on the trophy. Although other riders wore glasses, they chose to remove them for the sculpture, but Sneva kept the accessory as his trademark.
• The spelling error: The face of 1950 winner Johnnie Parsons was immortalized with an error in his name, written as “Johnny” (with an “h”). The error remains on the trophy to this day, preserving the historical integrity of the original piece.
• Two pilots, one year: In 1924 and 1941, two drivers shared the victory (relief drivers or co-drivers who took over the car). In these cases, both faces were carved for the same year. LL Corum and Joe Boyer (1924) and Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose (1941) share the honor.
• Faceless in 1942-1945: There are no faces referring to this period, as the race was suspended due to the United States’ participation in World War II.

The Borg-Warner Trophy transcends the definition of a sporting award to become a living archive of motorsport history. With each new month of May, the addition of a new silver face reaffirms the immortality of the winner, ensuring that his image remains preserved alongside the greatest legends of speed, regardless of the passage of time.