Auburn Hills, Michigan, May 31, 2011 – BorgWarner Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Timothy M. Manganello presented Dan Wheldon with the Borg-Warner Trophy in Victory Lane following his win of the 2011 Indianapolis 500. His sterling silver image will be added to the prestigious and historic trophy for the second time, acknowledging his triumphs in 2005 and 2011. The win marks the 100th anniversary of the “Greatest Race in History.”
“Celebrating the centennial of the legendary Indianapolis 500 is personal for everyone at BorgWarner. Both the Speedway and the trophy are part of our history, and embody the spirit of our company,” said Manganello. “We are very proud to be part of a century-long tradition of achievement, competitive performance and technology leadership at the Indianapolis 500 and look forward to beginning the next century as the exclusive supplier of turbochargers for the IZOD IndyCar Series.”
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was founded in early 1909 by four Indiana businessmen, including Frank Wheeler from the Wheeler-Schebler Carburetor Company, which later merged with several other companies to become part of Borg-Warner Corporation. In 1911, Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 race, driving a Marmon Wasp which was designed by Louis Schwitzer, an innovative engineer and founder of an early turbocharger business later acquired by BorgWarner. In 1936, the Borg-Warner Trophy made its inaugural appearance at the Speedway when it was presented to winner Louis Meyer. Made of over 100 pounds of sterling silver and standing five feet, six inches tall, the trophy originally cost $10,000 and is currently valued at $1.5 million.
The Borg-Warner Trophy stays on permanent display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. To give the winner and team owners a personal keepsake of their victory, BorgWarner established the BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy (also known as the “Baby Borg”) in 1988 and the BorgWarner Team Owner’s Trophy in 1998. Both are sterling silver replicas of the Borg-Warner Trophy. For more information about the trophies, visitwww.borgwarner.com and choose “The Indianapolis 500” from the “Company” pull-down menu at the top of the home page. The Borg-Warner Trophy, BorgWarner Championship Driver's Trophy, and BorgWarner Championship Team Owner's Trophy are trademarks of BorgWarner Inc.