Auburn Hills, Michigan, March 3, 2022 – Following his record-breaking victory at the 2021 Indianapolis 500, where he recorded an average speed of 190.690 mph, Hélio Castroneves will further cement his name in the history books by becoming the 108th face to adorn the Borg-Warner Trophy®. The trophy was officially unveiled during a ceremony earlier today at the Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis. This honor marks Castroneves’ fourth appearance on the trophy, having previously won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002, paired with a 2009 victory on the racetrack. “The Borg-Warner Trophy represents one of the greatest traditions and honors in the world of motorsports. It’s a triumph all drivers hope to experience, and I am truly pleased and honored to carry on the legacy of unveiling the trophy,” said Michelle Collins, Global Director, Marketing and Public Relations BorgWarner Inc. “To have your face etched on the Borg-Warner Trophy once is an accomplishment of a lifetime, but four times speaks to Hélio’s dedication, persistence and passion to his sport. On behalf of all of BorgWarner, we extend our sincerest congratulations on this outstanding achievement.”
Designed in 1935, the original trophy was constructed to accommodate 70 race winners, including drivers who had already won the race to-date. Since 1987, two additional sterling silver bases have been added to the trophy to accommodate additional winners through the year 2033. The trophy currently stands more than 5 feet, 4-3/4 inches tall and weighs approximately 110 pounds, carrying the face of every winner since 1911.
William Behrends, the sculptor behind the faces of the Borg-Warner Trophy since 1990, begins his process of recreating the winning driver’s likeness by studying a series of 360-degree photos. In 2015, Behrends began inviting winners to an in-person session where he constructs a full-scale clay model of the driver’s face. Even though Behrends crafted Castroneves’ face for the trophy three times in the past, this was the first year that he was able to visit him in person and use his physical features in addition to photos, to model a full-scale sculpture. The life-size clay replica is used as a reference while working on the smaller model, a sculpture crafted from a mixture of oil-based clay. The small model is turned into a mold and casted in wax, which is then sent to a jeweler to make its transformation into sterling silver. Behrends completes his process by polishing and buffing the piece before attaching it to the trophy.
“I am thrilled to have my fourth silver likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy. It's such a special moment in my career to see my face alongside other Indy 500 winners and the three other four-time winners - A.J. (Foyt), Al (Unser) and Rick (Mears),” said Castroneves. “To visit sculptor Will Behrends in-person for the first time was an extremely special experience for me. To see the level of detail and professionalism he puts into his craft makes it that much more gratifying to see the final product of his amazing work. Today unveiling my image was a special day for myself and Meyer Shank Racing.”
Later this year, Castroneves will receive his BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy, also known as a Baby Borg, which is a miniature replicate of the Borg-Warner Trophy. The Baby Borg will feature a duplicate of his sterling silver image that was unveiled at today’s event. The team owners, Michael Shank and Jim Meyer of Meyer Shank Racing, also will receive their own miniature replica, the BorgWarner Championship Team Owner’s Trophy™, commemorating the occasion; this will be the first time they’ve received the trophy.