page_title: Borg-Warner Trophy
section_title: First base
hierarchical_section_title: Borg-Warner Trophy / Base / First base
caption_attribution_description: English: Truesports racing team members holding the Borg Warner Trophy in a parade in 1986 celebrating their victory in the 1986 Indianapolis 500.
context_page_description: The Borg-Warner Trophy is the trophy presented to the winner of the Indianapolis 500. It is named for and was commissioned by automotive supplier BorgWarner. It is permanently housed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in Speedway, Indiana. Unveiled at a 1936 dinner hosted by then-Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker, the trophy was officially declared the annual prize for Indianapolis 500 victors. It was first presented at the 24th annual 500-mile race, where Louis Meyer, that year's champion and its first recipient, soon thereafter remarked, "Winning the Borg-Warner Trophy is like winning an Olympic medal."
  Takuma Sato won the 2020 Indianapolis 500, and is the current reigning champion. Each year, the winning driver is presented with a miniature replica during a reception, which for the 2019 race was presented in early September, about three months after the race. Prior to the trophy's inception, the Strauss Trophy was once presented to the winner. The Wheeler-Schebler Trophy was awarded to the leader at the 400-mile mark, but was retired when car owner Harry Hartz claimed it three times.
context_section_description: Following the 1985 Indianapolis 500, the likeness of race winner Danny Sullivan was added to the trophy. His face filled the 69th of the original 70 squares on the trophy body. Only one square remained on the body, which would be filled by the 1986 winner.
  In the weeks prior to the 1986 Indianapolis 500, in celebration of the trophy's 50th anniversary, a new cylindrical three-row base was added to the bottom of the trophy. It featured room for an additional 18 faces. On the base, the first square was filled with a gold likeness of the late Speedway president Tony Hulman. The base increased the height of the trophy to 55 inches (1,400 mm), and the weight to about 95 pounds (43 kg).
  The trophy spent the month of May 1986 with one empty square left on the body, and now room for 17 additional winners on the base. The base would have enough room for winners through 2003. Bobby Rahal won the 1986 race, and was the final likeness added to the body of the trophy.
  Al Unser, Sr. won the 1987 race, and became the first race winner to have his likeness added to the first base of the trophy. Unser also became the first winner to have likenesses on the body of the trophy (1970, 1971, 1978) as well as the base (1987). The layout and lettering of the base mimicked that of the trophy body. The driver's name was enscripted in one single line, followed by the year on the next line, and the race average speed below on the third line.
  The likeness of 1989 Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi was created by 88-year old French sculptor Louis Feron, using the repassé technique. Feron used a single flat sheet of silver and painstakingly hammered it into the shape of Fittipaldi's face.
  In 1991, a restoration project was conducted on the trophy. As part of the project, a reinforcement rim was added to the base for stability. The refurbishment increased the height of the trophy to 60 inches (1,500 mm), and the weight to over 110 pounds (50 kg).
  The final likeness added to the original base was that of Hélio Castroneves, winner of the 2002 race.
caption: The Borg-Warner Trophy in 1986. The first base that was used from 1986 to 2003 is visible.
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