BorgWarner Honors Mario Andretti and the 50th Anniversary of his Indianapolis 500 Win with the Coveted BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy®

• 2019 marks the 50^th anniversary of Mario Andretti’s win in the 1969 Indianapolis 500
• BorgWarner established the driver’s trophy in 1988 to provide the driver with a personal keepsake of their victory
• A one-of-a-kind replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy^®, the BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy^® which is a sterling silver trophy is 14 inches high and weighs 5 pounds
• The base of the Baby Borg is inscribed with the winner’s name and year of victory, and includes a hand-crafted, three-dimensional bas-relief style sterling silver image of the winner

Indianapolis, Indiana, May 24, 2019 – BorgWarner will present the coveted BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy^®, affectionately known as the “Baby Borg” to legendary racer Mario Andretti on Sunday, May 26, 2019, commemorating the 50^th anniversary of his 1969 Indianapolis 500 win. The Baby Borg tradition didn’t begin until 1988, so at the time of Andretti’s win, there was no driver’s trophy for the winner of the race.

“Mario Andretti is one of the greatest racers of all time, his accomplishments are legendary and likely will never be equaled by another racer,” said Frederic Lissalde, President and CEO, BorgWarner Inc. “It is truly our honor to create a Baby Borg trophy for Mario, and present it to him in commemoration of the 50^th anniversary of his Indy 500 win.”

            A one-of-a-kind replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy^®, the BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy has been awarded each year since 1988 to the winner of the Indianapolis 500. The sterling silver trophy is 14 inches high, weighs 5 pounds and rests on a beveled black marble base. The base is inscribed with the winner’s name and year of victory, and includes a hand-crafted, three-dimensional bas-relief style sterling silver image of the winner, traditionally a duplicate of the image affixed to the full-sized Borg-Warner Trophy. BorgWarner established the driver’s trophy in 1988 to provide the driver with a personal keepsake of their victory.

            “Receiving this Baby Borg trophy is like winning the race again,” said Mario Andretti. “It is incredibly thoughtful of BorgWarner. I am honored to have a Baby Borg and cherish what it means. I am genuinely appreciative of everyone who continues to acknowledge my Indy 500 win 50 years ago. Looking ahead, I will continue to enjoy watching young drivers in pursuit of this trophy. And, with a touch of sentiment, I will let this trophy bridge the gap between past and present for me.” 

     Mario Andretti is arguably the most successful American driver in the sport of automobile racing. To date he is the only driver to ever win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship. Over the course of his career, Andretti chalked up 111 career wins in major race series, and he is the last American to date to win a Formula One race, with his 1978 victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.

            Andretti’s career highlights are lengthy and impressive. His list of racing accomplishments in so many different automotive racing disciplines will likely never be seen again. He has won in every major automobile racing discipline

            Over the course of his illustrious career, which spanned five decades, Andretti’s career highlights include:

• Four-time Indy car National Champion (1965, 1966, 1969, 1984)
• Indianapolis 500 winner (1969)
• Three-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner (1966, 1967, 1987)
• Formula One World Champion (1978)
• Daytona 500 winner (1967)
• Pikes Peak Hill Climb winner (1969)
• Three-time 12 Hours of Sebring winner (1967, 1970, 1972)
• USAC National Dirt Track Champion (1974)
• IROC (International Race of Champions) Champion (1979)
• All-time leader in Indy car pole positions won (67)
• All-time Indy car lap leader (7,595)
• All-time leader in Indy car race starts (407)
• All-time leader in wire-to-wire Indy car victories (14)
• Second all-time in Indy car victories (52)
• Only driver ever to win Indy car races in four decades (1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s)
• Won races in five decades (1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s)
• Oldest race winner in Indy car history, with 1993 victory at Phoenix at age 53
• Only driver to win the Indy 500, Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship
• Only driver to be named Driver of the Year in three different decades (1967, 1978, 1984)
• Named Driver of the Quarter Century (1992) by vote of past Drivers of the Year and a panel of 12 journalists
• Named Driver of the Century by The Associated Press (December 10, 1999)
• Named Driver of the Century by RACER magazine (January, 2000)
• Named Greatest American Driver Ever by RACER magazine (May, 2002)
• From 1961 to 2000, competed in 879 races, had 111 wins and 109 poles (includes all forms of motorsports)

The 103^rd running of the Indianapolis 500, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” takes place on Sunday, May 26, 2019 and is televised by NBC.