Special Borg-Warner Trophy edition with Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, winner of the 107th Indianapolis 500

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Speakers: Bruce Martin, William Behrends, Michelle Collins & Josef Newgarden

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Roger Penske:

This is Roger Penske, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin:

IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcasts. I'm your host Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar series.

Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar series, in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport.

I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as nbcsports.com, si.com, ESPN Sports Ticker, Sports Illustrated, Autoweek and Speed Sport. So, let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy.

Welcome to this week's edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Today's podcast celebrates Team Penske Driver Josef Newgarden's victory in the 107th Indianapolis 500 on this special BorgWarner trophy edition of Pit Pass Indy.

It might be the off season in IndyCar, but testing for the new hybrid assist unit that will be introduced next season is well underway. It's also a chance to celebrate the great accomplishments of the 2023 NTT IndyCar series season.

IndyCar held its annual victory lap award ceremony on Thursday night, September 21st at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as team owner, Chip Ganassi was honored for his 15th IndyCar National Championship and his driver, Alex Palou, for his second IndyCar title.

Chip Ganassi driver, Marcus Armstrong, was also honored as the 2023 IndyCar Rookie of the Year. And Christian Rasmussen of HMD Motorsports was hailed as the 2023 Indy Next Champion. Pit Pass Indy congratulates all the winners from this past season.

The following day in the picturesque foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tryon, North Carolina, Team Penske driver, Josef Newgarden saw his clay face unveiled by famed sculptor William Behrends at his studio.

Newgarden will be the next face attached to the BorgWarner Trophy as the winner of the 107th Indianapolis 500 on May 28th, 2023. Newgarden's victory in the Indy 500 was a record extending 19th win in the world's greatest race for a team owner, Roger Penske.

The driver met with Behrends’ for a live study, is the sculptor added finer details to the life-size clay face of Newgarden’s. Through painstaking artistic process, the life-size face will ultimately be reduced to the size of an egg that will be cast in sterling silver and attached to the permanent BorgWarner Trophy, which will be unveiled later this year.

Pit Pass Indy spent the day with Newgarden and Behrends at the artist studio for this special BorgWarner edition of Pit Pass Indy. Our first guest on today's show is the sculptor who tells us his thoughts on working with Newgarden, who will be the 34th face he has sculpted on the famed BorgWarner Trophy.

Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is William Behrends, the sculptor of the BorgWarner Trophy. William, you've been a regular on this throughout the year. We're at a very special day today at your studio. You're getting a chance to show Indianapolis 500 winning driver Josef Newgarden do the live study, as you call it, of his face that will eventually become the BorgWarner Trophy.

First off, what are your impressions of working with Josef Newgarden?

William Behrends:

I've enjoyed working with him and getting to know him a little bit very much. I really appreciate him coming down and the other drivers who have, coming down here and taking the time to spend some time with me and letting me do this sitting. It enriches what I do and it really, I think, makes for a better product. Plus, it's really enjoyable.

Bruce Martin:

I ask you this every year, but what do you think of Josef's face compared to other faces that you've sculpted?

William Behrends:

He’s got to be one of my favorites. He's got a very strong … sculptors look at the structure of the face, how strong is that jaw? And he has just a very strong face, very distinct features. A great subject for a sculpture.

Bruce Martin:

The 34th face that you will sculpt for the BorgWarner Trophy. It probably seems like five years ago you sculpted the first, which was Arie Luyendyk in 1990. But when you think of the continuity that you've had with 34 faces now, what do you think?

William Behrends:

It's funny. Well, first of all, when I did Arie in 1990, I thought it was a one-off. I thought I was going to do it just that year. And then BorgWarner asked me to come back in subsequent years. And I’ve enjoyed it and then really got comfortable with it and now it's the highlight of our year going to the race and doing this process here, starting with the winning driver coming here. I'm comfortable with it and we just really love doing it.

Bruce Martin:

Josef is a long line of Team Penske drivers that have been down here now to have their face sculpted, even though you didn't really do the live study until 2015.

But if you could just rattle off some of the Team Penske drivers and the fact that your studios in Tryon, North Carolina, their race shop is in Mooresville, North Carolina. So, in a lot of ways, it's kind of become a North Carolina tradition here. When an Indy 500 winner from Team Penske wins, that he gets to come to over to the western side of the state in Tryon.

William Behrends:

Yeah, I don't mind that. It is a North Carolina deal. And of course, Penske's based over there. This is the 10th Penske driver winner of the Indy 500 that I've done for the BorgWarner Trophy. And I've done of course, Hélio Castroneves four-time winner. I've done all four of his, and he was here the year before last, of course.

But I think this is four Penske drivers, Juan Pablo Montoya, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, and well, the last time, of course, Hélio won. He wasn't with Penske, but he was here two years ago. And now Josef, so either the fourth or fifth Penske driver who’s come here to the studio depending on how you count it.

Bruce Martin:

Josef Newgarden was the best driver in IndyCar that had yet to win the Indianapolis 500, entering the race in 2023. In a lot of ways, was he a driver that you were really saying, “I really want to see him win it,” because what he means to the series?

William Behrends:

I really was, I mean, that's my thinking exactly. He was one of those that I thought before the race last year and in the past few years, that this guy is a winner. He's going to win this race, and he has everything it takes. He's certainly with a team that knows how to win the race. And so, he was due. I think he's a very deserving winner and a great driver, great Indy 500 winner.

Bruce Martin:

And as far as the way he won the race, sitting in on your live study when you were speaking with him about all the drama that was involved, three red flags on the final 10 laps really set up for an unusual Indianapolis 500 finish. And in a lot of ways, it probably made his, so far only Indy 500 victory that much more memorable.

William Behrends:

Certainly, memorable for him, I imagine. And for the fans, I was asking him what those last 12 laps were like because as a fan sitting in the stands, it was just a nailbiter with three red flags. And I just can't imagine what kind of tension or what kind of thought processes those drivers went through. And it was an exciting finish. It was one for the ages, certainly.

Bruce Martin:

Getting back to the sculpting aspect of Josef Newgarden, you talked about his strong jawline and his other features. Obviously, as an artist, those are the things that stand out most to you. So, how difficult is it to be able to convey those in a work of art?

William Behrends:

Well, that's sort of the foundation. That's the basic, what I start with. And then, that's sort of the basics of doing a portrait sculpture. You start that way with anybody.

But with Josef, not only does he have those strong features and very good looking, very strong features, he also has a great deal of personality in his face and a great expression. And I tried to in these works, to try to bring a little bit of the person's personality. So he’s, as I said, a great subject.

Bruce Martin:

And how much pride do you feel every time an Indy 500 winner arrives at your studio, which is nestled here in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Appalachians, when they come here and they talk about how beautiful it is here, that you get to live this life every day of the year?

William Behrends:

Well, I'm blessed. Charlotte, my wife, and I are blessed to be able to live here and to do what I do. I'm very fortunate to be able to do what I do and to live here. And we love having visitors like the winning drivers come here and spend a day with us. And they all seem to kind of relax a little bit when they come here, which we're very happy about.

Bruce Martin:

This year, you're able to turn it into more of a family affair. If you could describe everybody that was here today.

William Behrends:

Well, this year, for the first time, my daughter Molly, and her husband Caleb, and their two lovely daughters, our granddaughters, Ella and Delaney were here to join us. And so, they got to meet Josef and just experience this, which we're really happy about. The two granddaughters are second and fourth graders now, and missed a day of school, but I think it's worth it.

Bruce Martin:

Do they show any type of artistic promise?

William Behrends:

Well, they do. Not in sculpture yet, but they do all kinds of very artistic things, a couple of which they're going to surprise Josef with here in a little bit.

Bruce Martin:

I've asked you this in the past, but when you look at the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or the Indianapolis 500, there's probably going to be a chapter on the people who made the faces for the BorgWarner Trophy. You've made more than any of them. So, when you think about it in those terms, that's got to be pretty prestigious.

William Behrends:

Well again, I feel fortunate and privileged to be able to do it. And gosh, in a couple years, I think, well, I will have done a third of them on there so far. And I think the BorgWarner Trophy is by far the most beautiful and prestigious trophy in Motorsport. And it's my favorite event, any kind of trophy. And to have my work on the BorgWarner Trophy, to me, again, I feel very honored to be able to do it.

Bruce Martin:

And how about working with the people at BorgWarner, Michelle Collins, the Vice President of Global Marketing and Public Relations. It's almost like whenever the BorgWarner people are at your studio, it's almost like a homecoming in many ways.

William Behrends:

Well, it is. It feels like family. BorgWarner is such a wonderful company and group of people to work with. Fred Lissalde, the CEO. Michelle Collins and Steve Shunck, and everybody who we work with at BorgWarner are just delightful to work with. And we are so grateful for that. They do feel like family to us.

Bruce Martin:

And as a sculptor that lives in the Southern United States, how do you describe to people the process that goes into creating a work of art? In the past, we've talked about the process of making the face on the trophy.

In many ways, it has to go from the way you conceptualize and visualize something until the time you actually sit down and do the hard part, which is to put it on a piece of clay and ultimately on sterling silver.

William Behrends:

Well, this summer actually marks the 50th year, my 50th year in this profession as a full-time sculptor. And I'm kind of unusual for my profession now. I wasn't 50 years ago, but now I am in that I use traditional classic methods. I don't use digital technology. I don't 3D print these things. I still do it the way it's been done for centuries in sculpture.

I work with clay and created in clay, and then casted in this case, sterling, but in other things in bronze and carving marble. So, I'm sort of anachronism. I'm an old school sculptor in that respect. And that's just the way I'm comfortable working now.

Bruce Martin:

Well, in the days of AI, it won't be long until somebody else is doing my podcast and it won't be-

William Behrends:

Well, there you go. Won’t be one computer talking to another.

Bruce Martin:

But in many ways, that's the only way that you save the craft, is to be able to do it individually.

William Behrends:

Well, I think so. And it's funny. I mean, digital technology is wonderful, but some things are lost. And I really believe not only do I enjoy doing it, I believe in craft and human expression in the way it's traditionally been exercised. So, yeah, I hope those skills or the passion to master those skills, never goes away.

Bruce Martin:

You spoke about this being the 10th Team Penske driver that you've been able to sculpt the face on, on the BorgWarner Trophy. Now that Roger Penske owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Josef is the first driver to win the race since Roger Penske purchased the Speedway at the end of 2019. And how big of an honor is that, to be able to connect all the dots on that? Because Roger Penske is obviously a giant among men in the business world and in the motorsports world.

William Behrends:

Well, he certainly is, every race fan, certainly every Indy fan reveres Mr. Penske and has a real gratitude for him for what he's done with the Indy 500 and with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And for him to get this first victory there at Speedway as an owner of the facility is really special.

Bruce Martin:

And this'll be his 19th Baby Borg that will eventually be presented to both him and Josef Newgarden, probably sometime early 2024. And when you think of one man's got that many Baby Borgs, what do you think?

William Behrends:

Well, I think that's a record that will never be matched. Again, he's impressive and he's been a paragon of the sport. And I think he's really something special.

Bruce Martin:

And in your time that you've spent here in Tryon, North Carolina, of course you went to high school here, even though you're originally from Wisconsin, but have you been able to create interest in IndyCar amongst your neighbors and the other residents here in Tryon, which is a very beautiful, mountainous community?

William Behrends:

Well, it's funny, somewhat with this event, the driver coming here and the things we do, we go down to the local theater, to the Tryon Theater and have the driver's picture taken with his name on the marquee. And that really gets a lot of local attention, and a lot of people are aware of that and look forward to that every year.

But as far as the other work I do, we're up on this hilltop and I'm kind of quiet about what I do, and it's done and it goes out and put in place, and then I move on to the next one. But the event here is really what people know in the community.

Bruce Martin:

You have some other projects in sports that you're involved in. You can't really talk into detail about what they are. But if you give our listeners a little bit of an idea of some of the other sports and other things that you're involved with doing.

William Behrends:

Well, the one I'm focused on now, which I'm sorry, I can't reveal what it is, but it's in the field of baseball, professional baseball, in which I've done a lot of sculptures.

Over the last 25 years, I've done a number of Hall of Fame baseball players. The most recent of course, was the Tom Seaver sculpture that's in front of City Field in New York.

And this next one next year will be unveiled. And it's a special one for me. It's a player that I've admired, and I think it will be a very well-deserved honor to him.

Bruce Martin:

The Tom Seaver statue, to be able to unveil that in front of the New York Mets on opening day in front of the Seaver family. The fact that Tom is no longer with us. How emotional, how special was that for you?

William Behrends:

That was very emotional. I never got to meet Tom. When I was first commissioned, he was still with us, but he was in his final weeks, and so I never got to spend time with him, which I really wanted to.

But I did get to know his wife Nancy, and his two daughters quite well. And they're just wonderful people. And I think they really appreciated this honor that the Mets was bestowing upon Tom.

And so, that was really wonderful. The three of them and all the other people in baseball who admired Tom Seaver for the player and the man he was, it was really very special.

Bruce Martin:

And as an artist, how do you feel with the responsibility that you have being the man who immortalizes people, because your artwork will live on well past the time that we're on earth?

William Behrends:

Well, I take that very seriously. It's a challenge to me to bring my best, because if an organization like The Mets or some other organization goes to the trouble of … wants to honor somebody for their life's work for their career, it really deserves my best effort.

And so, I really do that on every one of these. And I don't create as many sculptures as I could, or as many as a lot of sculptors do, but each one is very special and a hundred percent dedication for me.

Bruce Martin:

And then finally wrapping up on Josef Newgarden, the fact that he shows up at the studio, it's got to be worth more than money when you take the wrap off the face, and you see their reaction the first time they respond to what you've created.

William Behrends:

Well, it's fun. It's very rewarding. First of all, you're hoping they like it. But with all of these guys, none yet have ever had a sculpture done of themselves. So, the reaction is, I'm noticing this with a lot of them, it's very similar, it's eerie.

And I think Josef even used that word to see yourself in three dimension, that you can walk around and look at yourself from the side and everything. And I think it is fun experiencing or watching someone go through that experience.

Bruce Martin:

William Behrends, the sculptor for BorgWarner, who makes the faces of the winners that are on the BorgWarner Trophy. Congratulations on your latest project. I'm sure you've got more work to do on it before it gets attached to the trophy here in a few months.

Good luck in the future. Hopefully we'll have a lot more interviews with you here in the future. You'll be doing a lot more faces of the winners of the Indianapolis 500. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

William Behrends:

Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin:

We will be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Will Power:

This is Will Power of Team Penske, and you are listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin:

Welcome back to this special edition of Pit Pass Indy. Michelle Collins is BorgWarner's Global Director of Marketing and Communications. She joins me for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview to discuss the company's long relationship with the Indianapolis 500 and BorgWarner's relationship with the automotive industry.

Joining us now on Pit Pass, Indy is a semi-regular every time we do something on the BorgWarner Trophy we have her on the show, it is Michelle Collins, the Director of Global Marketing and communications for BorgWarner.

Michelle, once again, we're in Tryon, North Carolina at William Behrends Studio. Only this time it was to unveil the clay image of Josef Newgarden, who won the 2023 Indianapolis 500. This is a real highlight of the year for you when you get to really meet the driver and really spend some time with Josef and see the artwork that William Behrends, your sculptor's been able to achieve. So, what were some of the things that stood out for you about Josef Newgarden?

Michelle Collins:

Hey, Bruce, thanks for having me on again. Always a pleasure. Well, like every year, each driver is just unique personality wise, looks wise. I think Josef was very excited to see his face today, and he has such a recognizable and strong facial features and structure. I know Will enjoyed that as well.

So, very distinctive look, of course, great hair, like a lot of other drivers too, but also very distinctive jawline and like I said, cheekbones and facial features. So, it turned out great. It looks awesome as usual.

Bruce Martin:

And also, one of the things that is probably that you enjoy the most is when the drivers show up here, they really don't know what to expect, but as the day goes on, you see them really get into this, and that has to be one of the cool parts of this event.

Michelle Collins:

Yeah. Will just has such a beautiful home and studio here in Tryon that he graciously opens up to us every year. And I had seen Josef a couple days ago at the Penske Partnership Summit and had told him, “Just wait until Friday and you’ll see the studio in Will's home, it's really just stunning in the Blue Ridge Mountains.”

And you could see as he came in today, like you said, kind of taking it all in and then asking a lot of questions. How do you do this? Where did this come from? And just because Will has so many interesting stories about it, and just the architecture and the items in his studio are really just so intriguing and interesting.

Bruce Martin:

How much of a responsibility do you believe your company has in being the company that really immortalizes these guys?

Michelle Collins:

It's very important for us. We're a company that's been around for over 130 years, so a lot of things steeped in tradition and the BorgWarner Trophy being one of those things. I think in the past years at least, I hope that I've helped to elevate that and maybe even change some things around a little bit to give more kind of feeling and exposure to those types of things that we do. It's very important to us, something that we will continue doing for as long as we can.

Bruce Martin:

And to be able to connect business to business. How valuable is IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500 been to BorgWarner?

Michelle Collins:

That's very important to us, and something that I think we’ll always do. As long as we're able to, as long as the company's around. People know us, a lot of people know us through that connection and some that don't, it's a great way to introduce them to our company as well.

There's a lot of people that don't make the connection between the trophy and our company, even though it's the same name. So, that's a great opportunity to educate them about it. And I know when I inform people about that, they're excited because it's something tangible that they can relate to.

And then it's like, “Oh, you work there, then what does the company do?” And gives me a chance to tell them what we're all about.

Bruce Martin:

And as far as your involvement with IndyCar, you build the turbochargers for every IndyCar engine. IndyCar’s going to move toward a hybrid system. I know that BorgWarner is moving toward electrification and hybrid units.

And to see both that event and your company moving in that direction, how important do you believe that is for not only the future of auto racing, but the future of the automotive industry?

Michelle Collins:

This shift to electrification is very interesting because I think BorgWarner does work in every region, every continent all around the globe. And every country is at a different stage of this phase. So, you see some countries that maybe have a faster pace towards electrification because they have the infrastructure to support that.

Then you see a lot of other regions that are going into this hybrid mode first as a step before they go full electric.

So, it's really a balance of both. I don't think that it's something that's going to happen overnight. And like I said, it's different everywhere. So, as this evolves, we're evolving with it, and of course supporting in any way we need to.

Bruce Martin:

How big a role do you see the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar to be able to convince a lot of the people in the country that that is the direction the automotive industry is going?

Michelle Collins:

I think it would definitely have an influence. Again, it's really dependent on the infrastructure, which some states are a little bit ahead of others, at least in the U.S.

But I think the more that it's commercialized and available and showing people that this does actually work, I think the adaptation will be there once it becomes a part of our day-to-day life. And we see things changing over that we can relate to, like you said, in Indy.

Bruce Martin:

Team Penske's based in Mooresville, North Carolina. William Behrends studio is west of there in Tryon, North Carolina. He's a driver from Nashville, Tennessee. So, in a lot of ways, you not only have an all-American connection, you have a Southeastern connection with this year's Indianapolis 500 winner. And as a company based in Michigan, that's an international company, how big a deal is it when the Indy 500 winner is from the United States?

Michelle Collins:

It's cool. It's been quite a few years since we've had a U.S. native win, the Indy 500, so you kind of have to recalibrate because we've been so used to doing things on a more of a global level with that.

But yeah, Josef is a known face and name in his hometown and within the circuit and outside of that. So, I'm hoping over these next few months as we do the Baby Borg presentation and the face unveil that we have an opportunity to really execute a good event whether it be in his hometown, whether it be in Nashville, where he is living now, Mooresville.

We'll get together and kind of see how we can make that work. But of course, we just want to make it something that people can join in and enjoy and have a connection to something meaningful for Josef.

Bruce Martin:

As a team owner, Roger Penske's drivers have won 19 Indianapolis 500s, but this is the first year that a Team Penske driver has won the Indianapolis 500 since he purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the end of 2019.

So, in a lot of ways, how special was that just to any interaction you had with Roger Penske or anybody at the Penske Corporation about how important his victory in 2023 in the Indianapolis 500 was?

Michelle Collins:

Yeah, it's always exciting when somebody from Team Penske wins just because we know them so well. I mean, we're rooting for everybody. We're not tied to one particular team.

But we know that group really well. And when we were in victory lane there and Josef crossed the finish line, you could see almost a collective sigh of relief from that team. I think they kind of had a weight on their shoulders. It had been quite a few years since they had won.

Like you said, first win since Roger purchased the track in IndyCar. And I think for them it was really like, okay, now this weight is off of our shoulders. You hear the drivers who have tried for many years to win Indy say that they have that feeling once they finally won and they feel like they can relax a little bit. That's almost what it seemed like to me. And I was super happy for them. It's always great.

Bruce Martin:

And every time a new winner gets a chance to have his face sculpted on the trophy, how much curiosity do you have when you say, I wonder how well William's going to do with this face, and how often are you just get the attitude, wow, he really nailed it again.

Michelle Collins:

Yeah, Will is just awesome. I don't even know what adjectives I could use to describe him, but his work is impeccable. And what he does, like what we saw here today, he's only met Josef a couple times. He had short interactions with him. We get the day after the race photos, and that's really what he uses to build.

So, it's really amazing and just uncanny the likeness that he's able to do without really knowing the person that intimately.

And then we take today to kind of do those small refinements to make it even more perfect. But you even look to the detail down to the shape of the ears, and it's exact, he's just amazing. I would like to have his brain for one day and understand how it works for him to do these types of things.

Bruce Martin:

And when you look at the strong connection between the BorgWarner Trophy and the Indianapolis 500 goes all the way back to when the trophy was created, I believe in 1935. And when it made its debut in Victory Lane with Louis Meyer in 1936, which is also the year another great tradition started, the bottle of milk in Victory Lane.

What is the reason or the key to having such a long-time relationship with any sporting event? Because I cannot think of any other sponsor relationship with any other professional sports organization in the world that comes close to BorgWarner’s with the Indianapolis 500.

Michelle Collins:

Yeah. Even this week at the Penske Summit, they had a slide that they were showing with partnerships that had exceeded 20 years, and of course, our name was on there, and I was thinking, gosh, we've had a multiplication factor of five plus with that.

It really is unheard of, like you said, because there's a lot of things that haven't even been around that long. So, for us, it's an honor.

I got to connect with some people from the Dairy Association this week. We're thinking about some things that we could potentially do together next year for the race, something special, really leveraging the tradition, like you said. So, we're brainstorming some cool projects and we hope to have something to share with everybody next year on that.

Bruce Martin:

And wrapping up here with Michelle Collins, Director of Global Marketing and Communications for BorgWarner. It's often been said the Indianapolis 500 is the gift that keeps on giving. And a lot of those gifts are from BorgWarner, whether it be today or the face on the trophy unveiling, or the Baby Borg, or when the Speedway unveils the ticket with the winner on it.

Those are all things that probably exceed anything else that a driver gets from winning the Indy 500 in terms of money's great, but these are things that last a lifetime.

Michelle Collins:

Yeah. These will be things that they can show their kids and their grandkids and future generations that not many people in this world have done. So, we try to really make that just as special as we can for them, really celebrate that moment and make this year all about them. They deserve it.

Bruce Martin:

Michelle Collins, Director Global Marketing and Communications, congratulations on another outstanding event here at William Behrends Studio. Good luck in the future and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Michelle Collins:

Thanks, Bruce.

Bruce Martin:

We’ll be right back to Pit Pass Indy, after this short break.

Josef Newgarden:

Hey, everybody, this is Josef Newgarden, winner of the 107th Indianapolis 500, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin:

Welcome back to this special edition of Pit Pass Indy. And now let's hear from the man himself, Team Penske's Josef Newgarden, winner of the 107th Indianapolis 500 on this exclusive in-depth interview for Pit Pass Indy.

It is an honor to be joined by the winner of the 107th Indianapolis 500. It's Team Penske's Josef. Newgarden. Josef, we're not at a racetrack today. We're in Tryon, North Carolina. And even though this is an audio podcast, I guess you say we can't beat the scenery we got right now.

Josef Newgarden:

Well, this is a very beautiful day, don't you think, Bruce? It's beautiful weather. Unfortunately, no one's getting to experience exactly what we are right now, sitting down here, but what a beautiful part of the country.

And I didn't know what to expect coming here today. And we got a really pretty day and excited to be here with Will, his family, learning about the process of putting this trophy together. And you have such a deep appreciation for it now that …

It's hard to get that perspective until you've really done it. And I've been saying to people, it's like trying to explain the Indianapolis 500, unless you've been there in person, it's hard to gain the full appreciation of it.

Bruce Martin:

And the reason we're in Tryon, North Carolina, we're at BorgWarner sculptor William Behrends studio in his lovely estate here, which Tryon is on the North Carolina, South Carolina state line for those who have never been here. It's in the foothills of Blue Ridge Mountains of the Appalachians, and it really is a beautiful place to be, especially in the third week of September here.

But when you walked in and saw the studio that Williams works out of, how curious were you when he got ready to unwrap the clay head that was going to be the next step in the process that Josef Newgarden's face being attached to the BorgWarner Trophy?

Josef Newgarden:

Well, I was very excited to get here, but again, I didn't know what to expect. And it's strange seeing yourself in this in this way. For most people, if you see yourself in the mirror, you gain a certain perspective.

But this is totally different to that. I mean, it's a 3D image. It's a real-life thing almost in front of you. And it's bizarre. I mean, it's just really bizarre to see it in person.

But one thing that just stood out to me was the accuracy of it. I think Will is super talented and you can really appreciate his talent when you're here. It's not easy what he does. And he's an incredible artist, to be able to create this sculpture.

If you see some of the other work that he's done, I mean, he does full scale things that are 10 feet, 20 feet in the air. I mean, they're amazing sculptures that he creates. This is almost, I think, more difficult for him because he creates the sort of life-size head, but then he is got to also distill that down into something that's an inch tall.

So, it's neat to see him go through that process. But yeah, just have a lot of respect for his skillset. And I think he really brings excellence to the trophy. He is the best of the best. If you're going to have someone create these iconic sculptures for the trophy, for the history of it, I think Will's probably the best guy that you could have doing it.

Bruce Martin:

You flew in from Indianapolis to the Charlotte Airport on the hour and a half, two hour drive from the Charlotte Airport up here. How excited, or I don't want to say nervous, but how much anticipation did you have to say, well, I really want to see what this is going to look like?

Josef Newgarden:

Yeah, I just had no idea. And I enjoyed it more than I could ever have imagined. I probably enjoyed it more than I imagined because you just don't know what you're walking into. I've seen photos of this, I've seen other drivers come out here and talk about it.

But it really is special to be a part of it and to see Will work in his workshop and exactly go through what he's doing and what he's looking for and to be the subject of his art is a real honor. So, I've just had a tremendous time that you couldn't have asked for a better day. So, that made it really lovely. And he's got a great family here that's been really welcoming. So, I've had a lot of fun.

Bruce Martin:

When a driver wins the Indianapolis 500, there are different layers to when it sinks in of what you've done. And is this another one of those layers and there's more layers that'll come after this?

Josef Newgarden:

Yeah, definitely. I mean, you just gain an appreciation for the impact. I think winning the Indianapolis 500 in a lot of ways is the highest of highs in motor sports. It's a subjective answer to, say it is perhaps the highest honor.

But I think it possibly is. It's certainly the most historic when you look at major motor sports across the entire world, there's really nothing that rivals the Indianapolis 500. So, there's a lot of prestige. And I think with that, a lot of pride, if you're able to be a part of it, and certainly to be able to win it is just a whole other level.

So, yeah, I just feel really lucky to have spent some time doing this in my life and having this career. And you gain more and more appreciation for it after the fact as you go through this process.

Bruce Martin:

The night before you came to Tryon, they honored Alex Palou at the IndyCar victory lap for winning the season championship. But in a lot of ways, I think people are going to remember the Indianapolis 500 winner longer than they remember the IndyCar champion.

You've been a two-time IndyCar champion. What are your thoughts on that? The fact that the race overshadows in many ways, the accomplishment of being a season champion?

Josef Newgarden:

Wow, they're both significant. I mean, the real answer from me is that I think in a lot of ways, maybe it won't be popular, but in a lot of ways it's more difficult to win the IndyCar Championship. I mean, it takes completeness to win the championship, and it's a huge deal to be able to do that.

So, I think for Alex, it's still a huge honor. The 500 to me stands alone. It is sort of this mythical event. It's a mountaintop that most people feel like they can't ever reach the top of, and most don't.

So, I don't categorize them the same. I don't look at them the same. I think they're both tremendous honors and for different reasons.

But to answer your question, as far as the gap between them, I think the prestige for the Indy 500 is warranted. It makes sense that it is the highest honor of the year, but I think we should raise the level of the IndyCar Championship.

I think we should continue to push its significance up the scale because it is significant, what Alex did this season and what any champion does in IndyCar, it's a big deal. It's very hard to do. And so, I think it deserves more praise than it gets. And we should continue to push that.

Bruce Martin:

What’s even harder to do is have a season like Alex had, his worst finish was eighth. We don't normally see a driver go through a 17-race season without having at least one or two finishes outside the top 10. For a driver to win five races and not have a finish lower than eight that's fairly mind-boggling, isn't it? With as tough as the competition is.

Josef Newgarden:

Yeah. I mean, look, I think when it's your year in a lot of ways, you don't question it. You let it happen. I mean, that's racing. I've seen that with other drivers in the past. I think, in some respects that was Will last year, where he had days, you could have sworn it was going to go differently, and it just worked out.

And I've seen Dixon have seasons like that. And this is not to take away from Alex. I think Alex did a tremendous job. He's one of the best competitors on the planet, in my opinion. He is got a great team. They're great to run against, and they've done a tremendous job.

But you get these years sometimes where everything just seems to fall into place. And there was a couple moments there for Alex where you're almost positive it wasn't going to be a good day. And for one reason or another, it just worked out.

So, they definitely had the timing on their side, but you know what, they made the most of it at every moment. And they’re some of the hardest people to beat every time you show up to the track. So, I don't think anybody can take anything away from them. They did a really great job.

Bruce Martin:

After you swept both races in the Hy-Vee IndyCar race weekend at Iowa Speedway, IndyCar went into the race on the streets of Nashville, your hometown, you had an opportunity to gain points on Alex in that race, and then Alex somehow found a way to end up on the podium.

I remember that particular day, you were a little bit down in the fact that that was an opportunity that you could have gained points and didn't, don't give up until the last race of the season. Was that when you started to wonder whether things were going to work out your way or not?

Josef Newgarden:

Well, you can't force it. That's why I say when things are going your way you just don't question it. You just let it happen. Nashville's a great example. On that 10 car, they took a huge flyer that shouldn't have worked out. And timing wise, it just did.

And look, I know on our side, I would love to have more days like that. If we had more days where things just worked out, I would not be unhappy about it.

But you can't control that stuff. And I think when it is going your way, you don't question it, you just let it happen. You can only work on what's in your control at the end of the day. And I think they try and do that in a lot of respects.

So yeah, when Nashville happens, you go to look at it and say, it is what it is. We go to the next one and we sort of focus on what we can and what's in our control.

Unfortunately, for us, it really went south from Nashville on, and we had a pretty horrendous slide in the championship, which was unfortunate. I think we neared DNF three out of the last four races, a couple of those that were not really of our own doing, and one of them was. But that was sort of a tough pill to swallow, particularly Laguna, just to end the year the way we did.

Bruce Martin:

Two 25th place finishes back-to-back, including one at a short oval, which a lot of us thought you would win. You had a fifth-place finish at Portland. But obviously those are, like you said, not a way you want to finish the season.

You had a streak of four straight seasons where you finish second in the championship, this year you were fifth. But if you don't win the title, does that even really matter whether you're second or fifth?

Josef Newgarden:

I mean, to me, whether you're finishing second or fifth, it really doesn't matter. That's probably my true feelings towards it. When you look at it from a professional standpoint, you want to finish as high as possible. If you can't win the championship, you're trying to finish second and all the way down the line, you're always trying to finish with the maximum place possible.

So, I'm disappointed that we weren't able to stay a little bit further up in the standings. But looking at the end of the year, I'm surprised we didn't slide more in the points, to be quite honest. I mean, it was just sort of a disastrous slide for a couple different reasons.

But yeah, I mean, if there's anything that keeps me going, it's that the potential of our team is still sky high. I mean, it really is. I don't say that with rose colored glasses. There's a lot of potential that we haven't realized yet on the two cars. So, that keeps me going and keeps me focused on the next thing.

Bruce Martin:

Speaking of potential, on Monday, IndyCar announced a return of Milwaukee Mile, and that's another short oval. I'm sure you're very excited about the addition of that, not only the fact that it's another oval on the schedule, which IndyCar needs, but also there's a lot of history at Milwaukee. So, how big of a deal is that to Josef Newgarden and IndyCar for IndyCar to be returning to the Milwaukee Mile?

Josef Newgarden:

I think it's good for the championship. It's good for the series. It's good for our fans. We have a lot of fans in Milwaukee. It's a great area for us. Road America's up the road and that's always a favorite of mine and I think a favorite of the fans in our sports.

So, I'm excited to see it. I've been to that racetrack. I really enjoy it. I'd love to see some others. I mean, Richmond was slated at one point. We never got to quite go there at least in my time. And I would've loved to have seen that too. But to get Milwaukee back on board is, I think a win-win for everybody.

Bruce Martin:

Now moving back to brighter moments for Josef Newgarden and Team Penske, it was Roger Penske's 19th Indianapolis, 500 victory, but his first, since he bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the end of 2019. So, in a lot of ways, how special was that for Joseph Newgarden to be the driver to give Roger what he wanted ever since he bought the track?

Josef Newgarden:

Just winning the race is a tremendous achievement and it's a real honor. But to run for Roger Penske and to win in these circumstances was pretty cool. He hadn't won the race since acquiring the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which started everything for him.

If you know Roger's story, it started at the Speedway. That's where he dreamed of racing and dreamed of the career he has made. And so, to win a race driving for him as the owner of the Speedway too, was special. It was a very significant day.

Bruce Martin:

And as far as BorgWarner's commitment to the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar, in a lot of ways, they're the ones that immortalize the winners of the race, because they're the ones that put the faces on the Borg Warner Trophy.

And to realize that your face is going to be on the same trophy as AJ Foyt, Rick Mears, Ray Harroun, the first winner in 1911, Wilbur Shaw, all the great names of the winners at the Indianapolis 500. How do you process that as a current race driver?

Josef Newgarden:

It's very cool. BorgWarner has done a tremendous job in immortalizing the event. There's no other trophy in the world like the BorgWarner Trophy. In my opinion, there's no other sporting trophy that rivals it. There's just nothing like it. It's so unique and special to be a part of it.

So yeah, I'm excited to have been given the opportunity to race at the Speedway and to now have won it. And to now know that that will be a part of the history forever is significant. And coming back to this day and what we're doing, yeah, it's been very special.

Bruce Martin:

And looking at the craft that William Behrends is able to bring as a sculptor, you will be the 34th face that he has sculpted and etched and cast in sterling silver that'll be attached to the trophy. And when you see the man at his work, how much do you marvel at what he's able to do? A lot of us marvel at what IndyCar drivers are able to do on the racetrack, but in some ways, we'll meet people in other professions where it's like, how does he do that?

Josef Newgarden:

Will, you can really appreciate his talent immediately. I mean, it is not easy to do. He does it in all ways. He's well-rounded whether it's a 10-foot-tall sculpture or it's a one inch sized sculpture like is eventually going to go on this trophy, he knows how to do it all.

I learned about how he does this with this particular sculpture and creating the life-sized head. I mean, he does that from adding clay together. Not whittling it down, but if he does something in marble, he starts from a big block and whittles it down.

So, he knows how to do it in all forms, but he's definitely the best of the best. They spare no expense when they try and find the best talent. And I think Will has really provided that world class talent to match the significance of what the BorgWarner Trophy is.

Bruce Martin:

Winning the Indianapolis 500 has been described as the gift that keeps on giving. This was one more gift that you were able to get by coming and seeing the clay head. You also got another gift, a retro lunchbox with a thermos. How surprised were you by that and just how cool of a gift is that?

Josef Newgarden:

It was a cool gift. I think Shunck, he definitely knocked it out of the park with that one is very classic. You win the Indy 500 and it's just this iconic deal. And to have something that's very vintage and kind of niche nowadays, people love that stuff. So, it's a lot of little fun things to immortalize the history.

Bruce Martin:

But there will be more gifts down the way. One will be when your face is actually unveiled on the trophy. We don't know yet whether that'll be done in Indianapolis, maybe done in Nashville, which is your hometown, which would be a cool place to have it, Opryland or the Grand Old Opry, maybe. You've got that coming up.

And then in early 2024, there'll be the Baby Borgs and to know you've still got more things that BorgWarner is going to do to remember your Indianapolis 500 victory. Just how special is that?

Josef Newgarden:

I think you got to enjoy it. There's a lot that comes with it and you never know if you're going to be lucky enough to win it again. So, you got to take the moment for what it is. So, there's a lot to do and I'm excited for all of it.

Bruce Martin:

And wrapping up here with Josef Newgarden, the winner of the 107th Indianapolis 500 on May 28th, 2023. Before we know it, the 2024 IndyCar series season will be starting. What are you doing now during the off season to get prepared to come out firing on all cylinders in 2024? There's a lot of testing for the hybrid system that'll be used, and I'm sure nothing slows down for Josef Newgarden in the off season.

Josef Newgarden:

Well, there’s a lot going on. I mean, this is going to go in phases. I don't think the real off season will start until mid-November and then things will slow up a bit. But there's been a ton of hybrid testing. I'm doing sports car stuff. The Indy 500 celebrations continuing, there's a lot.

But there's no doubt that the hybrid testing will do wonders for us to try and get ahead of the pack. And at least from a manufacturer's standpoint, it's really critical with our partner Chevrolet, that we figure this out as best as possible and it's going to add a new dynamic next year. A lot of things will change because of it, and we've got to be ready to seize the moment.

Bruce Martin:

Well, Josef Newgarden will once again be a main contender for the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series Championship, and of course, he'll be out on the track to try to defend the Indianapolis 500 victory.

Enjoy all the things, enjoy the moments, because this is what a race driver gets into the business to do. And hopefully when you get the Baby Borg, you'll be able to display your Josef Newgarden retro lunchbox right along with it.

Josef Newgarden:

Thank you, sir.

Bruce Martin:

Yes. Thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Josef Newgarden:

Thank you, Bruce.

[Music Playing]

Bruce Martin:

And that puts a checkered flag on this BorgWarner Trophy edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, BorgWarner Trophy sculptor, William Behrends, BorgWarner Global Director of Marketing and communications, Michelle Collins and Team Penske's, Josef Newgarden, the winner of the 107th Indianapolis 500 for joining us in today's podcast.

Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, your path to Victory Lane for all things IndyCar. And because of our guest and listeners Pit Pass Indy is proud to be the winner of the best podcast by the National Motorsports Press Association.

For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at Twitter at BruceMartin_500.

This has been a production of Evergreen Podcasts. A special thanks to our production team. Executive producers are Brigid Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcasts.com.

Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.