Borg-Warner Trophy heads to Japan for first ever trip outside USA
The 82-year-old Borg-Warner Trophy is being transported to Japan today, to help Honda celebrate Takuma Sato becoming the first Japanese driver to win the Indianapolis 500.
Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
The Borg-Warner Trophy, insured for $3.5m and first created in 1936 to be awarded to each Indy 500 winner, has never previously left U.S. soil, despite including the faces of subsequent victorious drivers from Britain, Brazil, Holland, Canada, Sweden, Colombia and New Zealand.
However, today it is being taken from Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum via van to Detroit, flown from there to Minneapolis, and from Minneapolis to Tokyo. Its first public appearance will be at Honda Racing’s ‘Thanks Day’ at Twin Ring Motegi, along with 2017 Indy 500 winner Sato.
The Trophy’s Japanese tour will then include the BorgWarner plant in Nabari and the Honda World HQ in Tokyo, before being flown out of Japan on Dec. 12. By the time it returns to the IMS Museum, the Trophy will have traveled almost 13,000 miles.
Sato, who won the 101st Indianapolis 500 in an Andretti Autosport-Honda, said: “I think it is very special that the Borg-Warner Trophy is traveling to Japan. The trophy represents winning the greatest race in the world and I am very proud to have won the 2017 Indianapolis 500 and have my image on the trophy.”
Sato, who will return to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Honda next season, added: “For nearly two weeks the trophy will be seen throughout Japan by fans and media. I am honored to be the first Japanese driver to win the Indy 500 and extremely grateful the Borg-Warner Trophy will be traveling outside United States for the first time ever to celebrate my team's and Honda's accomplishments. Let's do it again next year too!"
Scott D. Gallett, VP of marketing at BorgWarner Inc. stated: “It's BorgWarner's honor to help celebrate Honda’s 12th Indy 500 win – and Takuma's first "500" win – in their home country.
"We are very proud to show the Borg-Warner Trophy to the people of Japan, race fans, media members and our employees. This historic and iconic trophy which weighs 110 pounds and stands over 5 feet tall represents the wonderful history and tradition of the Indianapolis 500 and its winners dating back to the first ‘500’ in 1911."
Created out of sterling silver by Gorham, Inc. of Rhode Island through Spaulding Jewelers of Chicago, the Borg-Warner Trophy was first publicly unveiled in New York in February 1936 and at IMS in the spring of the same year.
The faces immortalized in silver on the trophy were backdated to include all winners since the inaugural Indy 500, as well as the renowned savior and owner of IMS, Tony Hulman, whose visage is cast in 14-karat gold.
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