AUBURN HILLS, Mich.,
June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
BorgWarner Chairman and CEO Tim
Manganello presented Dario
Franchitti with the Borg-Warner Indianapolis 500 Trophy® in
Victory Lane following his win of the 2010 Indianapolis 500. Adding the triumph to his
2007 victory, Franchitti is the eighteenth driver to win the
Indianapolis 500 twice. His
sterling silver image will be added to the prestigious Trophy for a
second time.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100602/DE14126
)
"Founders of early BorgWarner businesses helped build the
Speedway, commissioned the first trophy and even won the first auto
race here. We are proud to be part of a century-long tradition of
achievement, competitive performance and technology leadership at
the Indianapolis 500," said
Timothy M. Manganello, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
BorgWarner. "I was personally honored to present the Borg-Warner
Indianapolis 500 Trophy® to Dario."
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was founded in early 1909 by
four Indiana businessmen,
including Frank Wheeler from the
Wheeler-Schebler Carburetor Company, which later merged with
several other companies to become part of Borg-Warner Corporation.
Later that year, Louis Schwitzer, an
innovative engineer and founder of an early turbocharger business
later acquired by BorgWarner, won the very first auto race at the
Speedway in 1911. Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the
legendary race, when it will be celebrated as the "Greatest Race in
History."
In 1936, the Borg-Warner Indianapolis 500 Trophy® made its
inaugural appearance at the Speedway when it was presented to
winner Louis Meyer. Made of over 100
pounds of sterling silver and standing five feet, six inches tall,
the Trophy originally cost $10,000
and is currently valued at $1.5
million. The Borg-Warner Indianapolis 500 Trophy® stays on
permanent display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame
Museum. To give the winner and team owners a personal keepsake of
their victory, BorgWarner established the BorgWarner Championship
Driver's Trophy™ (also known as the "Baby Borg") in 1988 and the
BorgWarner Team Owner's Trophy™ in 1998. Both are sterling silver
replicas of the Borg-Warner Indianapolis 500 Trophy®. For more
information, visit www.borgwarner.com and choose "The Indianapolis 500" from the "About BorgWarner"
pull-down menu at the top of the home page.
Auburn Hills, Michigan-based
BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) is a product leader in highly
engineered components and systems for vehicle powertrain
applications worldwide. The company operates manufacturing and
technical facilities in 61 locations in 19
countries. Customers include VW/Audi, Ford, Toyota,
Renault/Nissan, General Motors, Hyundai/Kia, Daimler, Chrysler,
Fiat, BMW, Honda, John Deere, PSA, and MAN. The Internet address
for BorgWarner is: http://www.borgwarner.com.
SOURCE BorgWarner Inc.