The newest addition to IndyCar’s famous Borg-Warner Trophy was revealed on Friday, with Josef Newgarden’s face the latest to be added.
The likeness of his face was first sculpted by renowned artist William Behrends in clay, then cast in sterling silver to match the rest of the impressive trophy before being attached.
Newgarden’s likeness sits next to Marcus Ericsson’s likeness on the bottom row of the trophy, and also lists his race-winning average speed of 168.193 MPH.
Newgarden earned his first Indy 500 win this past May on his 12th attempt, and celebrated by climbing under the catch fencing and celebrating in the stands among the gathered crowd.
The 32-year-old talked at the unveiling about how much it meant to see his own face affixed to the trophy he has admired his entire life.
“This is by far the coolest holiday season I’ve ever had,” said Newgarden at the unveiling. “It is non-stop.
“I’ve gotta say, it is to me the highest honor that you can have in motorsports. Looking at the history and the pedigree of this event, it truly has transcended motorsports and the motor industry.
“It has been surreal for me to finally be able to win personally. Of course, it’s much more than me. This was a team effort by so many people. Just to have this career, just being a part of the Indianapolis, to be able to qualify for the event is a huge deal.
“To be able to win it actually is just something I can’t describe. And I wasn’t able to describe it until I was able to finally win in with our team.
“I lose words, to be honest, because I want to be so respectful of what this event is and what it means to so many people in this community. I lose words at times to speak eloquently enough about what it is, but it means a lot to me to be a part of it. And it has been a huge honor to be a champion of the event now.”
The Borg-Warner Trophy stands nearly five and a half feet tall, and weighs approximately 110 pounds. The face of every Indianapolis 500 winner is affixed to the trophy, with additional room on the base having been added over the years to continue to accommodate new winners.
Newgarden’s face now joins the winners of the previous 106 races, and will forever be a part of Indy 500 history.
