page_title: Borg-Warner Trophy
section_title: Lore
hierarchical_section_title: Borg-Warner Trophy / Lore
caption_attribution_description: English: The Borg-Warner Trophy on display at the 1985 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: The trophy has had quite a history; track historian Donald Davidson has noted a particular story in which a Butler University student was given the trophy to watch in the 1930s before race day. The young man hid the trophy under his bed one night and proceeded to have a night out. Upon his return to his fraternity house, the man found the trophy missing. He looked and looked and became very worried about the trophy's whereabouts. Upon looking in the frat house's basement, he found the trophy surrounded by men who were drinking beer out of it. All of 115 beers were inside of the trophy. Emptying the beer, he wondered how he would get the smell off of the trophy and decided to take a shower – taking the trophy in with him.
  The winner of the 1950 Indianapolis 500, Johnnie Parsons, had his name misspelled on the trophy. It was scripted into the silver as "Johnny" Parsons (which incidentally, is how his son's name was spelled). During the 1991 restoration, it was proposed by the handlers to correct the spelling, though Parsons had already died seven years earlier. The decision was made to leave the misspelling in place, as part of the trophy's historic lore.
  Through 1985, the trophy was hoisted by handlers directly behind the driver, typically on the roll bar of the car. The trophy could be easily carried by one individual, and was usually simple to transport. After the trophy was affixed with a base in 1986, the trophy's weight, height, and stability became an issue with displaying it on top of the car. At least two men were required to balance the trophy behind the driver. Since about 2004, when the trophy was expanded with the newer base, it is no longer hoisted behind the driver. Initially, the now-heavier trophy was displayed next to the car. However, the trophy was often mired in the tight, crowded confines of victory lane, and became less visible and even risked damage due to the bustling, celebrating crowd. For 2012, coinciding with the introduction of the DW-12 chassis, a special platform was constructed that fits between or behind the rear wheels and rear wing of the cars. The trophy is now placed upon this platform during the victory lane celebration, giving it once again a prominent and more visible presence during the celebration. 
  Two or more safety patrol workers are assigned with guarding and transporting the trophy during the month of May. It is polished often, and polished several times during the month of May. In contrast to the earlier years, the trophy is almost exclusively polished and buffed to an elegant, glossy, "mirror finish." During routine times of the month, it is usually situated upon a large, sturdy, custom-built rolling platform.
caption: The Borg-Warner Trophy in its original form (without a base) on display in 1985.
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