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Kings of Indy 500: At Henry Ford, Newgarden and Penske awarded Baby Borg trophies
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 18, 2025
Dearborn — Two is terrific. Twenty is titanic.
Team Penske superstar Josef Newgarden celebrated his second straight Indianapolis 500 victory at The Henry Ford on Thursday evening — and the 20th that his boss, Roger Penske, has won at the famous brickyard.
The dynamic duo accepted their “Baby Borg” trophies at a ceremony in The Henry Ford museum’s “Driving America” exhibit — seven months after Newgarden crossed the finish line on Memorial Day and took a traditional swig of milk on the victory stand.
“Go Lions!” Newgarden exclaimed, cradling the trophy in front of a Michigan crowd as goosed about football as the IndyCar year ahead. “Winning back-to-back is beyond my wildest dreams. I left Indy for many years with a broken heart. You never know if you’ll ever win it.”
Now he has won it twice in 13 starts around the legendary oval — one of only five drivers to claim that distinction. His second win was in a race for the books — featuring a last lap pass to win (only the fourth time that’s happened), 16 different leaders, 48 lead changes, and 649 total passes through the field. For his back-to-back achievement, Newgarden took home an extra $440,000.
“The pass you made to take the lead (over Pato O’Ward) was amazing,” Penske, 87, said of his ace river. “The skill, the guts.”
Newgarden and Penske both received “Baby Borgs” — a miniature version of one of the most famous trophies in sport, the Borg-Warner. The massive, sterling silver trophy stands just over 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. Commissioned for the 1936 race, the trophy bears small busts of every driver to win the 500 (including retroactively to the 1911 winner). Other Team Penske drivers on the trophy include 2018 winner (and current Newgarden teammate) Will Power and Helio Castroneves, who won the race four times and has four tiny busts on the trophy.
Newgarden’s Baby Borg also has his likeness on its base — sculpted by North Carolina artist William Behrends. “There is no other trophy in the world like this,” said Newgarden.
The respect between the driver and owner is palpable.
“I’d like to thank my boss, Roger Penske,” Newgarden said. “He’s one of the titans of the industry, and on eof the best men I know. I‘ve learned so much under him.”
Handsome and glib, Newgarden has become one of the faces of IndyCar as it goes into its first full season with Fox TV network, which will telecast all 17 races, including the Detroit Grand Prix. Fox’s first ad for the 2025 features Newgarden has gone viral for its humor and action. It’s already been seen by 39 million viewers.
“This 20th win is special for us,” Penske said. “You can’t make any mistakes and win the Indy 500.”
The race has become core to the Bloomfield Hills-based businessman’s global business empire.
“In 1951 my dad took me to the Indy 500 as a young kid,” he said. “Racing became a passion, and continuous thread through our business. The consistency of our partnerships — with Shell, Chevy — is key.”
Borg-Warner Executive Vice President and COO Joe Fadool presented the Baby Borgs to Penske and Newgarden. While the Borg-Warner trophy resides at the Indy 500 museum, Penske’s 20 Baby Borgs will soon join them as the museum is remodeled. Newgarden, 34, is just building his trophy case.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne