Josef Newgarden has unveiled his second and newest visage on the long-lasting Borg-Warner Trophy to commemorate his victory in final Could’s 108th working of the Indianapolis 500. The Workforce Penske-Chevrolet driver loved an exciting eight-lap duel with Arrow McLaren-Chevy’s Pato O’Ward that culminated in Newgarden making a last-lap move across the exterior into Flip 3 and holding on to win by 0.3417s.
Not solely did Newgarden rating Penske’s twentieth Indy 500 victory, he turned the primary driver to beat the race in consecutive years since Helio Castroneves achieved the feat, additionally with Penske, in 2001 and ’02. This earned Newgarden a $440,000 rollover bonus from BorgWarner and introduced his whole winnings to $4.288m.
Newgarden revealed the likeness, sculpted by William Behrends, in a celebration hosted by IMS at CoHatch Polk Stables in downtown Indianapolis.
“The Borg-Warner Trophy is as iconic because it will get in skilled sports activities and seeing my likeness represented on it would by no means get previous,” stated Newgarden.
“If you win, you might be honored a whole yr, which is superb. Attending to work with Will is a deal with as a result of he’s so meticulous. As a racecar driver I can positively relate to his consideration to element. Hopefully we are able to do one thing historic subsequent yr and we are able to work with him once more.”
Newgarden informed RACER, “The large distinction between this yr and final was that we have been fast from the phrase go within the Month of Could. Qualifying was a very totally different story for us this yr, and also you don’t wish to say it was a breeze, however we definitely had a better time than we’d had the earlier 4 years and Penske locked out the entrance row. And that modifications the the best way you use on race day. It doesn’t make the race simple, however when you have good automotive velocity, your decision-making is less complicated. Our racecar was similar to what we had final yr, but it surely was quicker.”
Newgarden doesn’t query why O’Ward resisted the temptation to move him into Flip 3 on the penultimate lap, and as an alternative obtained him alongside the entrance straight to begin the ultimate lap.
Picture by way of BorgWarner
“If there had been a yellow as we went into Flip 1, then he wins the race,” he explains, “whereas if he’d handed me at Flip 3, I’d have drafted previous him up the entrance straight and it will be me main when the yellow comes.
“So I perceive Pato’s rationale: it was exhausting to stick with the automotive forward coming by means of Flip 1 and off Flip 2, so he most likely thought that was the very best plan. However I believe we got here off Flip 2 very quick relative to him on the final lap, after which he made a few these exaggerated strikes to interrupt the tow. These type of strikes additionally scrub velocity, and I targeting minimizing scrub, I used his tow and, like I say, I believe we had already come off Flip 2 faster.
“He after all needed to defend the within line into Flip 3, and I felt we may make it stick across the exterior, get the move performed however nonetheless go away him sufficient house on the within. It was both going to work or it wasn’t! However I wasn’t not going to strive one thing: this was my alternative and I needed to go for it.”
After the race, Newgarden once more went to greet the followers, however stated the sentiments of exhilaration have been totally different from 2023 to ’24.
“It’s immense if you win this race,” he stated, “and you’ll’t perceive it till you undergo the method. You see different individuals win and suppose, ‘I do know what that will be like,’ and actually you haven’t any concept! However the magnitude of profitable isn’t one thing that slowly sinks in; it hits you within the face immediately.
“However the second time was extra gratifying in some methods. I believe first time was most likely extra of a reduction; it was my twelfth try at profitable Indy. This one was simply extra satisfying throughout.”
Michelle Collins, BorgWarner’s world director of promoting and public relations, stated: “The Borg-Warner Trophy symbolizes extra than simply excellence on the racetrack, it represents the time-honored traditions of the Indianapolis 500 and pays homage to the champions of the previous, and I’m honored to proceed the legacy of unveiling the trophy. Josef’s spectacular back-to-back Indy 500 wins spotlight his dedication and fervour to his sport, and on behalf of all of BorgWarner, we lengthen our sincerest congratulations to Josef and Workforce Penske for his or her achievement.”
Newgarden sealed his second Indy 500 win after a late move on Pato O’Ward. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Photographs
Requested by RACER if it damage at hand over the additional $440,000 jackpot for back-to-back Indy glory, Collins joked, “Half of my finances was blown earlier than the primary half of the yr was full!” however she stated she noticed it coming.
“The second-to-last lap, I used to be in Victory Lane with BorgWarner CEO Fred Lissalde, and I stated, ‘I believe that is going to occur.’ Yearly we’d have the enormous verify printed and ready, and keep in mind, we had a detailed name final yr when it seemed like Marcus [Ericsson] may repeat his win from the yr earlier than and simply misplaced out to Josef on the final lap. This time I used to be fairly certain.
“But it surely’s loopy that we’ve solely needed to pay this out one different time, and it was for a lot much less cash, as a result of it had solely been rolling over for 5 years, since we initiated the scheme. For it to occur once more 22 years later for the sum of $440,000…. Nicely, our CFO was texting me shortly after that.”
Collins, who has been with the corporate since 2013, stated that regardless of the end result, she discovered the race thrilling, as she has turn out to be completely absorbed by the Indianapolis 500.
“What an thrilling race and what an thrilling end,” she stated. “When you weren’t a fan earlier than that day, you definitely could be afterward, and so at BorgWarner we stay very proud to have been a part of this occasion because the trophy’s inception in 1935 and it first being awarded in ’36. I believe it’s the longest continuous-running partnership between a sporting occasion and its companion, and we couldn’t be prouder.”
Behrends, the sculptor behind the faces of the Borg-Warner Trophy since 1990, stated that despite the fact that he sculpted Newgarden’s likeness final yr, he started from scratch with simply images as reference for a brand new life-size sculpture. Behrends then makes use of the life-size sculpture to craft the small mannequin, which is a combination of oil-based clay. The small mannequin is then was a mould and forged in purple wax to be despatched to a jeweler for the ultimate transformation into sterling silver. Behrends completes his course of by sharpening and buffing the piece earlier than attaching it to the trophy.
Newgarden’s second picture is the 111th face on the sterling silver 110lbs 5ft4in Borg-Warner Trophy. This obvious anomaly between faces and variety of Indy 500s run is attributable to two photos portraying the profitable driver and passenger, and the presence of a 24-carat gold picture of Tony Hulman, who owned the monitor from 1945 to ’77.
Early subsequent yr, Newgarden will obtain his second Championship Driver’s Trophy, affectionately often known as a Child Borg, that includes the identical sterling silver picture unveiled on the occasion. On the similar time, staff proprietor Roger Penske will commemorate his twentieth Indy 500 win by receiving a Championship Workforce Proprietor’s Trophy.
