AUBURN HILLS, Mich.,
Sept. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- History
was made twice at Team Penske headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina when Roger Penske was awarded his 18th
BorgWarner Championship Team Owner's Trophy®, 13 more
than the next winningest owner; and the BorgWarner Championship
Driver's Trophy® - for the first time in history - has
two faces on it.
2019 Indianapolis 500 winner Simon
Pagenaud was presented with his Baby Borg, commemorating his
Indianapolis 500 victory, with a
special surprise – the likeness of Norman Pagenaud, Simon's beloved
Jack Russell Terrier, on the base of the trophy. Norman, already a
fan favorite on the IndyCar circuit, rocketed to global acclaim
after his photo celebrating the win with Simon was widely
circulated.
"The Indianapolis 500 is one of the
most coveted race wins in all of motorsports and it is BorgWarner's
honor to present the keepsake trophies to Simon and Roger," said
Fred Lissalde, Chief Executive Officer, BorgWarner Inc. "Roger has
set a standard of excellence at the Indianapolis 500 that may never be broken. His
success at one of the toughest races in motorsports is truly
historic. Presenting the Baby Borg to Simon, a fellow countryman
from France, for winning the
Indianapolis 500 is personally a joy
for me," Lissalde added.
For this year's Baby Borg, sculptor William Behrends took on the task to sculpt his
first non-human face, Simon's dog Norman Pagenaud. After a photo of
Norman barking with joy
celebrating in victory lane with Simon was widely circulated, fans
clamored for Norman to be added to the Borg-Warner Trophy.
Following a similar procedure that Behrends uses for the
drivers' sculpture, Behrends had a series of photos of Norman's
head from which to sculpt the likeness for the keepsake trophy.
While Norman wasn't able to provide a comment after seeing his
likeness, his owner Simon was delighted to learn that Norman's
likeness was attached to his Baby Borg.
"Seeing my face on the trophy was a unique experience of
gratefulness and pride. Borg Warner
has been such an amazing partner in building traditions around the
Indianapolis 500," said Pagenaud.
"Because of these traditions and the fact that this trophy is the
most valuable trophy in the world, it continues to build on the
reputation of the fastest race in the world. I am mesmerized to see
my face next to my models and heroes. Being part of the 500 club
and thanks to Borg Warner having an
engraved proof of that will remain through time is very special. It
is the only race and trophy in the world which allows you to travel
through time like an artist may have done it with his art,"
Pagenaud added.
In addition to awarding Pagenaud his Baby Borg trophy,
BorgWarner also donated $20,000 to
IndyHumane – The Humane Society of Indianapolis. The donation
was made in Simon's name, in recognition of his 2019 Indianapolis 500 win. IndyHumane has been a
favorite charity of Pagenaud's for a number of years, beginning
when he lived in the Indianapolis
area. Simon fostered a dog for Indy Humane during the Month of
May in 2014. Also, he has participated in their signature
fundraising event, Mutt Strut at IMS. IndyHumane has served
Indianapolis and the surrounding
counties since 1905. They provide vital services to animals through
sheltering and adopting animals, positive reinforcement behavior
training for shelter animals, and outreach through community and
shelter programs.
While this is Pagenaud's first Baby Borg trophy, it is his team
owner's 18th. Penske's longevity is unmatched with
Indianapolis 500 wins in five
consecutive decades spanning 1972 to 2019. Penske and his team's
accomplishments are legendary in the motorsports world across a
multitude of racing disciplines. Cars owned and prepared by Team
Penske have earned 541 major race wins, 617 pole positions and 34
championships.
Winners of the Indianapolis 500 do
not get to keep the Borg-Warner Trophy, it is permanently displayed
at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. In 1988 BorgWarner
created a miniature version of the BorgWarner trophy as a keepsake
for the winning driver. The BorgWarner Championship Driver's
Trophy®, affectionately referred to as the Baby Borg, is
a 14-inch tall sterling silver replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy
that weighs five pounds and is mounted on a marble base which has
the sterling silver bas relief likeness of the driver' face
attached.
In 1998 the company added a keepsake trophy for the winning team
owner. Similar to the driver's trophy, the owner's Baby Borg is a
miniature sterling silver replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy, but it
has the addition of a band of art deco racing cars, accented in
gold, which symbolize the importance of teamwork in racing.
The Borg-Warner Trophy was created in 1936 as a symbol of
technology and innovation in racing. As the oldest, most famous
trophy tradition, the Borg-Warner Trophy is the most sought-after
motorsports prize.
About the BorgWarner Championship Driver's Trophy
A
one-of-a-kind replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy, the BorgWarner
Championship Driver's Trophy is awarded each year to the winner of
the Indianapolis 500. The sterling
silver trophy is 14 inches high, weighs 5 pounds and rests on a
beveled black marble base. The base is inscribed with the winner's
name and year of victory, and includes a hand-crafted, bas relief
sterling silver image of the winner, a duplicate of the image
affixed to the full-sized Borg-Warner Trophy. BorgWarner
established the driver's trophy in 1988 to provide the driver with
a personal keepsake of their victory.
About the BorgWarner Championship Team Owner's Trophy
In 1998, the company established the BorgWarner Championship Team
Owner's Trophy as a companion to the driver's trophy. The team
owner's trophy is presented to the owner(s) of the winning
Indianapolis 500 racing team. Like the
driver's trophy, the team owner's trophy is a replica of the
Borg-Warner Trophy but features a band of art deco racing cars
accented in gold to symbolize the importance of teamwork in the
automotive business.
About The Borg-Warner Trophy
The Borg-Warner Trophy
features the sterling silver image of every Indianapolis 500 winner dating back to Ray Harroun in 1911. Made of sterling silver,
weighing 110 pounds and standing 5 feet, 4-3/4 inches tall, the
trophy originally cost $10,000 and is
currently valued at $3.5 million. The
Borg-Warner Trophy stays on permanent display at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Museum. To give the winner and team owners a
personal keepsake of their victory.
About BorgWarner
BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) is a
global product leader in clean and efficient technology solutions
for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. With manufacturing
and technical facilities in 67 locations in 19 countries, the
company employs approximately 30,000 worldwide. For more
information, please visit borgwarner.com.
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