DETROIT – Nearly seven months removed from winning the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, Tony Kanaan was overjoyed to fulfill a promise to his 6-year-old son.
Kanaan was presented the BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy – commonly referred to as the “Baby Borg” -- by BorgWarner CEO James Verrier during a dinner in conjunction with the Automotive News World Congress, and son Leonardo received a replica to display in his bedroom in Brazil.
“I promised him that I was going to get him a nice trophy,” Kanaan said soon after winning his first Indy 500 in his 12th attempt.
Leo inferred that it would be the Borg-Warner Trophy, which stands more than 5 feet tall and is valued at more than $3.5 million, so Dad had to “shrink the trophy to fit in a bag.”
Verrrier called a surprised Leonardo to the stage to present him a "mini Baby Borg" courtesy of the company.
"It's an awesome night," said Kanaan, who had to convince Leonardo that both trophies weren't for him. "Winning the '500' was special enough and now this just added to it. I'm extremely glad we both have trophies; it's a feeling that I really can't describe to share this with him. Thank you, BorgWarner. What a nice surprise."
The full-scale Borg-Warner Trophy, which contains the bas relief image of Kanaan (the 100th face on the sterling silver trophy), provided the backdrop for the presentation. Also, KV Racing Technology co-owners Jimmy Vasser and Kevin Kalkhoven were both presented a BorgWarner Championship Team Owner’s Trophy.
Click it: Where have other '500' winners displayed their Baby Borg?
The 14-inch-tall, sterling silver Championship Driver’s Trophy rests on a 4-inch by 8-inch beveled black marble base that includes a three-dimensional sterling silver image of the winning driver’s face hand-crafted by noted American sculptor William Behrends, and an inscription of the winning team and year of victory.
The first recipient of the BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy was Rick Mears, winner of the 1988 Indianapolis 500.
"Now I know why all these guys enjoy winning Indy so much; they can celebrate for a whole year," said Kanaan, who will move to the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car for the 18-race IndyCar Series season that kicks off March 30 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. "A lot of things have happened since last May, and I have to say a lot of the good things that happened after the win were because of the win.
"There are days when I go to YouTube and type in my name and Indianapolis 500 just to watch the final three laps. It's been a dream come true.
"It's such a big event that you become a legend; that's the way (three-time Indy 500 winner) Dario (Franchitti) put it to me and I agree. It is a type of victory that you enjoy the rest of your life."
Also a replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy, the Championship Team Owner’s Trophy has a band of art-deco racing cars accentuated in gold to symbolize the importance of the team, recognize the importance of the team owner’s role in the IndyCar Series, and pay tribute to the value of teamwork in auto racing and the automotive business.
"When I retired from driving, I figured I'd probably never get the chance to win that beautiful trophy," said Vasser, who recorded 10 victories in his Indy car career. "We gave it our best effort to give (Kanaan) the best car in his hands to try to win the race and he did, which is a testament to the guys at the shop and a lot of hard work from a lot of other people."
The inaugural Championship Team Owner’s Trophy was presented in April 1998 to Fred Treadway of Treadway Racing to commemorate the 1997 Indianapolis 500 victory of driver Arie Luyendyk. It also marked BorgWarner’s 70th year as an innovator in the automotive industry. For the 2014 IndyCar Series season, BorgWarner will supply the twin turbocharger for the 2.2-liter V6 engines manufactured by Chevrolet and Honda.
"The trophy really is a symbol of technology and innovation in racing," Verrier said, "and it's become the most prestigious trophy in all of sports. We are very proud and honored that we get a chance to be a part of the Indianapolis 500 and its iconic trophy. I can say not only for the BorgWarner team, but all his fans and for all of motorsports that the (Indy 500 win) couldn't have gone to a more deserving guy."
BorgWarner and its predecessor companies have been associated with the Indianapolis 500 since that racing tradition began in 1911. The Wheeler-Schebler Trophy was awarded from 1911 through 1935. The trophy was named after Frank Wheeler, one of the Speedway's four original founders, and George Schebler, one of two partners in a carburetor company that merged into the group that formed BorgWarner in 1928. The founding organizations were Borg & Beck, Warner Gear, Marvel-Schebler and Mechanics Universal Joint.
In 1935, the Borg-Warner Automotive Company commissioned designer Robert J. Hill and Spaulding-Gorham of Chicago to create the trophy at a cost of $10,000.
Unveiled at a 1936 dinner hosted by then-Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker, the Borg-Warner Trophy was officially declared the annual prize for Indianapolis 500 victors. It was first presented that same year to champion Louis Meyer, who remarked, “Winning the Borg-Warner Trophy is like winning an Olympic medal.”
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