zoom_in Click to enlarge

Indianapolis 500 Borg-Warner Trophy

▲ ▼

description Indianapolis 500 Borg-Warner Trophy Overview

The Borg-Warner Trophy is presented to the winner of the Indianapolis 500, the annual 500-mile open-wheel race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. First awarded in 1936, it is a large silver trophy topped by a figure of a race driver and decorated with sculpted bas-relief faces of Indianapolis 500 winners. The trophy records the names of race winners and forms part of the event's permanent history.

help Indianapolis 500 Borg-Warner Trophy FAQ

Why does the Borg-Warner Trophy show race winners' faces?

The trophy carries sculpted bas-relief portraits of Indianapolis 500 winners. A new winner's face is added after each race, creating a visual record of the event's champions.

Whose face appears first on the Borg-Warner Trophy?

Ray Harroun, winner of the 1911 Indianapolis 500, appears at the beginning of the trophy's sequence of portraits. The trophy itself was introduced in 1936.

Does the Indianapolis 500 winner keep the Borg-Warner Trophy?

The main trophy remains associated with Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its historical display. The winner receives a smaller replica, while the winner's face is added to the main trophy.

Why is 1936 important in the history of the Borg-Warner Trophy?

Borg-Warner introduced the trophy in 1936, and Louis Meyer was the first Indianapolis 500 winner to receive it. Its portraits still reach back to the first race in 1911.