Auburn Hills, Michigan, May 30, 2023 – William Behrends, the sculptor behind the iconic faces on the prestigious Borg-Warner Trophy®, has been honored with his very own Championship Driver’s Trophy™ also known as the “Baby Borg” – a miniature version of the 110-pound sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy – commemorating his dedication to his craft as well as the legendary Indianapolis 500 race. Behrends has sculpted the likeness of Indy 500 winners for the past 33 years and was bestowed the honor at the annual Victory Celebration at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday, May 29.
“We are proud to present William with his very own Baby Borg as a thank you for his ongoing work and partnership. Each year, he carves out a tremendous amount of time and energy to create the very best, detailed sculptures of each victor’s face,” said Lissalde. “It’s only fitting that we honor Will on his 33rd year of sculpting the trophy, as 33 marks the number of drivers at the starting line at the beginning of each Indy 500 race and the number of drivers he’s sculpted to fasten onto the world-renowned trophy.”
Behrends, who has been sculpting since the early 1970s, began his Indy 500 legacy in 1990 when he sculpted his first winner, Arie Luyendyk. In 1991, BorgWarner was so impressed with Behrends’ work and decided the faces should have a more consistent look and continued commissioning Behrends. This 33-year venture marks the longest amount of time a single sculptor has worked on the project.