Latest news with #BorgWarnerTrophy
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Chip Ganassi calls Alex Palou 'the best driver' after his historic Indy 500 win
Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with his wife Esther Valle, center, and daughter Lucia during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with his wife Esther Valle, center, and daughter Lucia during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There's a long list of racing greats who have passed through Chip Ganassi Racing over its 35 years in existence — but not so lengthy that Ganassi can't rattle them off the top of his head. Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi and Juan Pablo Montoya gave Ganassi four consecutive championships. Scott Dixon teamed with Dario Franchitti to restart another four-year title streak. Marcus Ericsson won Ganassi his fifth Indianapolis 500 victory in 2022, ending a 10-year losing streak in 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' for Ganassi. Advertisement Now he has Alex Palou on his roster, and as he leaned to kiss the first Spaniard to ever win the Indy 500, Ganassi had a message for him. 'You're the best driver,' the team owner said. 'Unbelievable, man. Unbelievable.' It was the expected ending of a bizarre, crash-filled Indy 500 in which Palou won for the fifth time in six races this season but in the one event Palou was adamant he needed to win to ever have a complete racing resume. He's already the two-time defending IndyCar champion and has won three titles in the last four years, all with Ganassi. 'I think he's one of the greats. It's that simple," Ganassi said. 'Certainly we've had some great drivers on our team, and he's right there, at worst, shoulder-to-shoulder with all the rest of them.' Advertisement What a start There have only been two drivers to win five of the first six races of a season in the modern era — Al Unser Sr. and A.J. Foyt, with Foyt winning the first seven and that included the Indy 500. Now Palou is on a similar dominating pace and with 11 races remaining in the IndyCar season, he takes a 115-point lead over Pato O'Ward in the championship standings to this weekend's race in Detroit. Palou says the results are not solely driver based and acknowledged the work of his No. 10 Ganassi team. 'I think I get a lot of credit because you see that I'm the only one driving the car. But there's a huge team behind that is making me look very good on track,' Palou said. "Whenever we've had the chance to win, we've been able to execute. And that's taking into account not only the setup, but the strategies, the pit stops. Advertisement 'I've been telling you guys that I know that this is not normal,' he added. 'But I'm glad that it didn't end (at Indy) and that we got the wave until the 500 at least.' How did he win the 500? Palou won Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by losing it to Helio Castroneves in 2021. Palou finished second as Castroneves won for a record-tying fourth time, and Palou begged Castroneves to tell him what he'd done wrong. Castroneves wasn't interested in sharing his secrets. So Palou studied the film, tried to understand how Castroneves used the traffic to keep Palou behind him, and steadily improved his craft on ovals. His Indy 500 win marked the first victory for Palou on an oval. Advertisement 'Thanks to Helio, I was able to read the traffic good,' Palou said. 'I knew that because of how the strategies were shaking up at the end that we were going to have traffic. So traffic, even though you were P2, you were actually P5 or P4. So you had to take that into account. So I was just trying my best to try and read it and get on top of it.' He was seeing two and three moves ahead, something he learned from Castroneves' winning move, and it gave Palou the guts to make the final pass with 16 laps remaining. It was an incredibly early move in a race that has been decided the last several years by a series of late-lap passes. 'I think I'm here because of 2021 for sure,' said Palou. What comes next? Advertisement Palou is still being sued for nearly $30 million by McLaren Racing in a breach of contract suit after he changed his mind in late 2023 to leave Ganassi for McLaren ahead of the 2024 season. The two teams had been engaged in a tug-of-war over Palou since he had signed contracts with both teams and McLaren wants every dollar back it spent on developing him as its Formula 1 driver and damages accrued when Palou did not join the IndyCar team. But he lives his life as if this lawsuit isn't hanging over his head — or even bothers him just a bit. It's tricky, though, because Palou is so hot right now many are beginning to openly ask why he isn't in F1. There's theoretically at least one seat open next year with the new Cadillac F1 team owned by Dan Towriss, who also owns the Andretti Global IndyCar team and watched Palou beat his driver Ericsson to win the Indy 500. Advertisement Palou doesn't believe a spot remains open to him in F1 after the McLaren mess, but more important, is content where he is with Ganassi. 'I would understand (if teams don't want me), but I am super happy where I am,' Palou said. 'I mean you can see that. I've not had any conversations with anybody and I am not knocking on doors. I promise 100% I have had no conversation and no one with my (management) team has had any conversations with anybody.' The Spanish effect Palou is unsure if his Indy 500 win will gain him any attention in Spain, where he became the first Spaniard to win the race. The country celebrates soccer and F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jr., while Palou, from Barcelona, remains under the radar. Advertisement He said he noticed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway more Spanish fans and flags than he's seen at any other IndyCar race in his six seasons racing in the United States. 'I don't know what it's going to be for Spain. Hopefully they are celebrating as much as I am,' he said. 'Hopefully that gets more fans, more people. There was a lot of Spanish flags here, which I did never see before.' His focus is instead on building his fanbase in the United States and in Indiana, where he resides during the season and has embraced the community. Palou wore a Tyrese Haliburton jersey in the Indy 500 parade, and had it on again Sunday night when he showed up in the second quarter of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Pacers and the New York Knicks. 'That's going to help some people in Indiana to know me,' he said of the standing ovation he received at the game. ___ In the Pits analyzes the biggest topics in auto racing. ___ AP auto racing:
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Indianapolis 500 contender debuts hilarious sponsorship from iconic 30-year-old rock band
If Felix Rosenqvist crosses the line first at the Indianapolis 500, you imagine he'll accept the milk bath 'With Arms Wide Open' and will lift the Borg-Warner Trophy 'Higher' than ever. Rosenqvist, who is set to start on the second row of Sunday's race in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing machine, will have a peculiar sponsorship on his car. Not only will Rosenqvist be driving with the branding of the satellite radio service Sirius XM on his car, but he'll also have the logo of a popular 2000's rock band on there as well. Rosenqvist will be racing with the logo for the band Creed on his side pods and on the nose of his Honda-powered car for 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing'. The partnership was announced earlier this month, with the car's branding first coming to light during last week's practices. On Saturday, the members of the band were seen in the Meyer Shank garage posing with the car baring their brand on it. Because why not have a speaker blasting @Creed on the way to pit lane? 🎧🎸 #Indy500 — Meyer Shank Racing (@MeyerShankRac) May 14, 2025 Felix Rosenqvist, of Sweden, prepares to drive during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis earlier this month Creed has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with the hard rock band even re-forming in 2023 after an eleven year hiatus. That announcement, coupled with the Texas Rangers baseball team using 'Higher' as a motivational song in their run to a 2023 World Series title, boosted their popularity even further. Last summer, the songs 'Higher' and 'One Last Breath' became particularly popular thanks in part to various trends on the social media app Tik Tok. As for Rosenqvist, this will be his second Indianapolis 500 with Meyer Shank. His best finish came back in 2022 with Arrow McLaren, when he came in fourth. He qualified fifth on the starting grid for Sunday - sandwiched between 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon and three-time IndyCar Series driver's champion Alex Palou.
Fox News
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
What happens when the ‘iconic' Indy 500 Borg-Warner Trophy runs out of room?
Bruce MartinSpecial to INDIANAPOLIS — When the Borg-Warner Trophy appeared for the first time in Victory Lane after the 1936 Indianapolis 500, it had plenty of room on the original trophy to display the faces of the winning drivers, beginning with Ray Harroun in 1911. But it ran out of room on the original trophy after Bobby Rahal won the Indianapolis 500 in 1986. The solution was to mount the 80-pound, 4-foot-tall trophy on an additional base, beginning with the 1987 Indianapolis 500. Rahal was the last driver's face on the original trophy and Al Unser the first on the base after he won his fourth Indy 500 in 1987. Today, the Borg-Warner Trophy is 110-pounds and 5-foot-four-inches-and-three-quarters tall. As each Indianapolis 500 has passed and more winners have been added to the base of the trophy, it will once again run out of space in 2034. BorgWarner's creative team is working on a solution when the base fills up with the addition of a second base that will feature the winner of the 2035 Indianapolis 500 as its first face. "We're still throwing that around — what the second base is going to look like. But the last time we did this, we added on a complete additional base, which makes the trophy stand even taller, allowing for many more faces to come," BorgWarner CEO Joseph Fadool said Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Between now and then, we'll figure out the right approach to do it or maybe something a little bit different. "The unique thing over time, the trophy actually grows in size and stature and importance, so I think it's just fitting for the importance of Indy." The Borg-Warner Trophy is really a measurement of time and the history of the Indianapolis 500. Each face represents a different tale, a different era and a glimpse back in time. "What a great way to put that," Fadool said. "As we talked about, the trophy is growing in stature, growing physically, becoming even more important over time and just represents excellence and teamwork, which is all that takes to win this race. "We're just proud to be a part of it, and I know all of our BorgWarner employees just love to be a part of this INDYCAR Series, especially here at the Indianapolis 500." It all began back in 1935. Before the Borg-Warner Trophy, there was the Wheeler-Schebler Trophy. It was initially awarded to the leader of the race at the 400-mile mark. It was retired when owner Harry Hartz won it three times. The Borg-Warner Trophy was commissioned in 1935 and officially became the annual prize for Indianapolis 500 victors in 1936. The Art Deco design of the Borg-Warner Trophy includes wings on the side that symbolize the speed of flight. But the most unique feature was the sculpted faces representing each of the 24 drivers who had already won the race when the trophy debuted in 1936. The driver that won it that day was Louie Meyer, the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. As the new Borg-Warner Trophy was placed on the back of his winning race car, Meyer asked for a cold bottle of buttermilk, becoming the first driver to have milk as his victory celebration after winning the Indianapolis 500. Two great traditions were created on the same day in 1936. Since then, every race winner has had his face added to this iconic trophy, which has become the symbol for reaching the pinnacle of performance. Winners do not get to take the Borg-Warner Trophy home. It stays on permanent display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Winning drivers and team owners receive a sterling silver replica of the trophy which is fondly referred to as the Baby Borg. After the winner's sterling silver image is attached to the main trophy, a replica image is attached to the Baby Borg's lacquered wood base. William Behrends has been sculpting the faces of the Indy 500 winners since 1990. The 2024 winner, Josef Newgarden, was the 35th face he has sculpted for the trophy. Behrends, who began sculpting when he was 26 years old, has been commissioned to immortalize a wide variety of subjects. Those subjects include Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, automotive pioneer Henry Ford II, golf legend Bobby Jones, and Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, who was Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 to 1835. Behrends grew up in Wisconsin and has always had a special place in his heart for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." "Growing up in the Midwest, I was always aware of the Indianapolis 500," Behrends said. "The first race I really noticed was 1963 when Parnelli (Jones) won. I was really fascinated by him and that win stuck in my memory. "Each year I look forward to working with the Indy 500 winner to capture his emotions and spirit so they can be part of the Borg-Warner Trophy for years and years to come." Then, there is the tale of Jack Mackenzie, who was once the caretaker of the Borg-Warner Trophy. Mackenzie was a student at Butler University in Indianapolis when he became the caretaker of the trophy in 1953. He earned $75 for his first year in that role and was responsible for transporting the trophy to various events throughout the month of May. Mackenzie stored the 80-pound sterling silver trophy in his dorm room at his fraternity house. He hauled it around town in the backseat of his car, often covering it with an army blanket for added security. Despite his best efforts, the trophy once vanished from his room in the fraternity house. Mackenzie said when he returned home from a date, the Borg-Warner Trophy was missing. He eventually found it in the basement of his fraternity house where it was being used as an impromptu drinking vessel. Mackenzie relinquished his trophy duties following the 1983 Indianapolis 500 saying at the time, "I've had my fun, I've enjoyed going to all the different activities associated with the speedway. It's time to let somebody else have some fun." The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has maintained control of the Borg-Warner Trophy ever since. "It's something all the drivers look forward to having their face on if they can win the Indianapolis 500," Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR President Doug Boles said. Bruce Martin is a veteran motorsports writer and contributor to Follow him on X at @BruceMartin_500. BEST OF FOX SPORTS' INDY 500 COVERAGE:
Washington Post
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Washington Post
Indianapolis celebrates an epic sports weekend with Pacers, Fever and the Indy 500
INDIANAPOLIS — Drive through the neighborhoods surrounding Indianapolis Motor Speedway and it looks like Christmas in May. Checkered flags and 'Welcome race fans' signs on every block. Neatly trimmed lawns decorated with cutout Indy cars, a mock Borg-Warner Trophy, even an inflatable version of the track's familiar golden, winged logo. Yet the 'Racing Capital of the World' is eagerly and happily sharing the Memorial Day weekend stage with the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever, two teams straight from the Hoosier State's lifeblood of basketball.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
2025 Indy 500: Expert picks for the 109th running of the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing'
2025 Indy 500: Expert picks for the 109th running of the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing' The grid is set. The practices are wrapping up. Everything is just about ready to go for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. After a week of drama following the Team Penske scandal, things have fallen into a familiar pattern at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — well, aside from the tremendous addition of the inaugural Wienie 500 on Carb Day. So now that we know where all the cars and drivers stand, all that's left to do is make some picks on how the race will shape up. We gathered our brightest motorsport minds to predict what will happen at the Brickyard on Sunday. The green flag drops for the Indianapolis 500 at 12:45 p.m. ET on May 25, 2025. Best of luck to those who tail (or fade)! Who will win the 109th Indianapolis 500? Blake Schuster: Alex Palou Don't let the fact he's starting sixth distract you from the four wins Palou already has this season driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Ahead of his sixth Indy 500, Palou has proven he knows this track well and fired off the fastest post-qualifying practice lap at 226.765 mph in his car's race trim. We will absolutely take his 5-1 odds. Michelle Martinelli: Pato O'Ward This is Pato's year. The Arrow McLaren driver is supremely talented and has had about as much success at the Indy 500 as a driver could have without actually winning it, racking up three top-5 finishes in his five starts. Two of those were absolute heartbreakers as he finished second, including in 2024. He's experienced, he's starting from P3, he's the favorite and this year, he'll finally get that victory and cold bottle of milk. Nick Schwartz: Scott Dixon The former Indy 500 winner has shown plenty of speed all month, and the Penske woes could work in Dixon's favor. Josef Newgarden and Will Power will have a major challenge in front of them starting at the back, and it's unclear if Scott McLaughlin will be at the same level in a rebuilt car following his severe practice accident. Who's a lock to finish top 3? Blake Schuster: Pato O'Ward Echoing what Michelle said above, he's come so close to kissing the bricks and once again has a fast ride this year. Don't be surprised if his face ends up on Borg Warner Trophy this time next May. Michelle Martinelli: Scott Dixon The Chip Ganassi Racing driver almost always shows up to the Indy 500 with a fast car, and he qualified fourth this year. Between a solid starting position, his speedy car and his ample experience (including winning the 2008 Indy 500), he's a good bet for the top-3 finishers. In 22 starts, he has nine top-5 finishes and has been on the podium three of the last seven Indy 500s. Nick Schwartz: Takuma Sato In a one-off appearance, the two-time Indy 500 winner was mega fast in qualifying and has all the experience necessary to manage the race and deliver a strong finish after 500 miles. Who will log the fastest lap? Blake Schuster: Helio Castroneves I don't think he's going to win, but I refuse to watch an Indy 500 without rooting for him to do something incredible. I will not put any money down here but I'm praying for some Helio Magic just to make me feel young again. Michelle Martinelli: Scott McLaughlin This will be the only quasi-win and silver lining for Team Penske at Indy this weekend, as the team is embroiled in controversy over modified parts. Nick Schwartz: Robert Shwartzman This is an impossible question to answer, as so much depends on the draft and catching a perfect run over one lap, but Prema has been fairly aggressive with Shwartzman's setups and doesn't appear to be afraid to trim out the rookie's car to the edge. Will Kyle Larson complete the Memorial Day Double? Blake Schuster: Yep! There's minimal chance of rain for either race and Larson will have every tool at his disposal to make this happen after missing out last year. He's gonna get it done. Michelle Martinelli: Unlike last year when rain in both Indianapolis and Charlotte derailed his first Double attempt, Larson will compete in both races, but he'll only finish one of them and will fall short of the 1,100-mile mark. But it'll be motivation for a third Double attempt in an effort to match Tony Stewart, who's currently the only driver to finish both races on the same day. Double 2.0: Kyle Larson reveals approach for Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 attempt Nick Schwartz: I think Larson will run both races, but will he complete 1,100 miles and join Tony Stewart as the only driver to ever fully complete the double? Tough to say. Larson's 2025 Indy 500 hasn't been as easy as it was a year ago, where he had a very balanced car throughout May and only ran into trouble due to a speeding penalty. Larson's had multiple issues in practice, and will be starting in the middle of the pack where chaos is likely to happen. If he can finish all 200 laps at Indianapolis, I think the full double is very possible.
