Approximately 300,000 fans cheered as American Josef Newgarden passed Pato O’Ward of Mexico in Turn 3 to secure the lead and win his second consecutive Indianapolis 500. After leading 26 of the 200 laps and averaging 167.763 mph, Newgarden was awarded the Borg-Warner Trophy by BorgWarner President and CEO Frédéric Lissalde.
Additionally, Newgarden gave Roger Penske a record-setting 20th win in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” dating back to Penske’s first win with Mark Donohue in 1972.
“BorgWarner is always excited to be a part of this racing tradition. We’re proud to recognize and celebrate racers from across the globe,” said Lissalde. “We’re honored to present Josef with this trophy for the second year in a row, along with the rolling jackpot prize, highlighting his commitment to motorsports.”
Newgarden crossed the yard of bricks 0.3417 seconds ahead of O’Ward. 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon of New Zealand was third and 2016 winner Alexander Rossi from the United States was fourth on an afternoon that saw 49 lead changes among 18 drivers.
To commemorate his victory, Newgarden’s face will be added to the 110 pound sterling silver trophy. With his win, Newgarden also claims the BorgWarner $440,000 rolling jackpot cash prize, resetting the pot to $20,000 for the 2025 race.
The jackpot had not been claimed in 22 years, since Helio Castroneves in 2002. Newgarden is only the sixth driver to win back-to-back Indy 500s, other drivers include Wilbur Shaw (1939-1940), Mauri Rose (1947-1948), Bill Vukovich (1953-1954) and Al Unser (1970-1971).
“There’s no guarantee that you’ll ever be victorious at the Indy 500, because you can’t win without the fastest car and the best team. I’m so grateful this team was able to break through last year and then again this year,” said Newgarden. “Someone had to reset the jackpot, and I’m glad it was my car the No. 2 Shell team, because it was a team victory in every way.”
The Borg-Warner Trophy has been presented to each Indy 500 winner for 88 years, first debuted by Eddie Rickenbacker, the previous owner of IMS, in 1936. Commissioned the year prior, the trophy was designed by Robert J. Hill and Spaulding-Gorham, Inc. of Chicago, and continues to serve as a symbol of success in the racing world today.
Beyond presenting the trophy, BorgWarner has a long-established relationship with the Indy 500 race. BorgWarner’s Engineered for Racing (EFR) turbochargers have powered every NTT INDYCAR SERIES vehicle since 2012. The EFR turbochargers have the capability to accelerate the vehicles to over 200 mph throughout the race.
