It was an extended wait, however reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou and group proprietor Chip Ganassi have been introduced with their respective ‘Child Borg’ trophies on Tuesday night time in a ceremony held at Phoenix Raceway.
The 20-inch trophy is a miniature model of the enduring Borg-Warner Trophy, with Palou’s that includes his title, group title, common pace and sculpted sterling silver likeness.
Palou, driver of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, has loved loads of experiences since profitable the 109th Working of the Indianapolis 500 final Might, together with having the Borg-Warner Trophy journey to his residence nation of Spain for particular festivities over the offseason. Nonetheless, receiving the ‘Child Borg’ truly set within the realization of his accomplishment.
“Actually, it is a kind of moments that lets you sink within the second and to understand that you simply received the five hundred,” Palou instructed Motorsport.com. “A kind of moments was as effectively the primary time that I noticed my face on the trophy, however it is a fairly cool one as a result of I can take it residence and see it day-after-day. You get the ring and stuff, however you perhaps do not see it as a lot day-after-day. So yeah, tremendous cool.”
Palou has hoisted the Astor Cup Trophy because the IndyCar Collection champion 4 of the final 5 years, together with the final three straight, and famous how there’s a buildup with profitable a title. On the subject of profitable the Indy 500, although, it is sort of a swap flips right away.
“That is the largest distinction with the five hundred and some other race or championship on the earth,” stated Palou, 28. “You get up that day and also you might need a great automotive or a nasty automotive, however you do not know if you happen to’re gonna end thirty third or first. And even throughout the race, you do not know. You are preventing, you are not eager about the result.
“For those who enable your self to really feel, it is dangerous. You can not lose your thoughts even on the final pit cease as a result of, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re there within the prime three.’ No, you can’t enable that. You are simply totally focused on the following lap and the following lap. Even over the past lap you are focused on what’s behind since you do not need to lose it on the final nook of the final lap.
“Out of the blue, your mind goes from no feelings to loads of feelings. I feel it is actually the identical for everyone, like your group and stuff. So, the best way additionally that you simply get to have fun there may be very cool.”
Whereas this was the primary ‘Child Borg’ for Palou, it was the seventh for Ganassi. In flip, he’s the second-winningest group proprietor in IndyCar historical past behind solely Roger Penske (20).
Ganassi has secured victories as a group proprietor with the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi (1989), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Scott Dixon (2008), Dario Franchitti (2010, 2012), Marcus Ericsson (2022) and Palou (2025).
“Yeah, you look again on it, it is surreal,” Ganassi instructed Motorsport.com. “It is a testomony, actually, to the folks which can be on the group and the drivers we have been in a position to collect up collectively and get in our vehicles. Yeah, after I take into consideration days like at present and these trophies, I simply take into consideration all of the folks that have fingerprints on these trophies.
“The fellows that engineer the vehicles, put the vehicles collectively week in and week out, take them aside, put them collectively, clear them, study them, engineer them, change the tires, name the methods. Individuals within the accounting division paying the payments and the insurance coverage folks taking good care of the insurance coverage and HR. Simply lots of people.
“It takes loads of effort on lots of people’s half to return to a pinnacle of a day like at present if you obtain the Borg-Warner Trophy.”
There was additionally a particular feeling for Ganassi being given the trophy at Phoenix Raceway, the identical monitor he made his driving debut again in 1982; the place he began eleventh however was pressured to retire with a mechanical situation after 147 laps. “This was the primary place I drove an IndyCar,” Ganassi stated.
“I feel again to that day and that night time earlier than after I did not sleep and I drove a 750-horsepower Indy automotive with massive fats tires on it. My ft have been out in entrance of the entrance axle. I used to be scared shitless going into, in these days, Flip 1, which is now Flip 3. You have bought 750 horsepower beneath you.
“You are happening into flip one at 170 miles an hour in these days. You have bought Gordon Johncock and Johnny Rutherford and (A.J.) Foyt and Mario (Andretti) and people guys respiratory throughout you.
“So to return again right here and obtain this trophy right here 35 or 36 years later, it is fairly particular.”
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