Josef Newgarden was the proud recipient of his very own “Baby Borg” trophy on Tuesday evening, accepting the traditional trophy alongside his team owner Roger Penske.
The trophy is a miniature replica of the full-sized Borg-Warner Trophy, and is given to winners of the Indianapolis 500 to take home and display as they see fit.
The original trophy, which now bears Newgarden’s face alongside over 100 others, stays with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and is ceremoniously passed on to each new winner every year.
The trophy presentation was held at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation near Detroit, and is one of the final celebrations of Newgarden’s win, nearly eight months on from the achievement.
“What an honor, I’ve gotta say,” said Newgarden. “It really is the gift that keeps on giving, winning the Indianapolis 500.
“To be there on the day last year, and to win the race for Roger with him there, I will cherish that for the rest of my life.
“It took me 12 attempts. I think that’s a great lesson to never give up. I you have an opportunity, you gotta keep going after it and putting your best foot forward every year.
“We’ve tried to do that, and I think we did that with a lot of integrity and respect, which is what is key to us at Team Penske. We try to do things the right way. That’s what it takes to win the Indy 500. You have to work together as a team, and you have to be perfect.
“You can have a ton of appreciation for the event, the history and what it stands for, but until you win it, I don’t think you have can have a true appreciation for what it represents.
“I feel like I have that a lot more now, having gone through the process. Having had the honor of kissing the bricks, drinking the milk, celebrating with the fans, you get to really absorb what the Indy 500 is and what it means.
“When you experience that once, you really want to experience it again, so number two would be pretty sweet.
“I can tell you I’ve never wanted to win the race more than after having won it. I didn’t think it would have that effect on me, I thought I’d be pretty satisfied. But I’m ready to win number two, and I know Roger is more than ready to win number 20. We’re not going to be letting up.”
Roger Penske also received his own “Baby Borg,” the 19th in his impressive collection, to celebrate his first Indy 500 win since taking over IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2020.
His personal parking spot at the track was quickly relabeled with the number 19 after Newgarden’s win, and he is sure to have a number 20 plate at the ready when the 108th running of the great event takes place on May 26.
