How IndyCar’s largest trophy was nonetheless made within the wake of a pure catastrophe

There’s no scarcity of traditions on the subject of the Indianapolis 500, however the main half that Will Behrends performs within the race’s heritage — crafting the race winner’s likeness on the famed Borg-Warner Trophy — needed to forgo its personal normal custom after the devastation attributable to Hurricane Helene. 

Helene shaped within the Caribbean Sea on September of this yr, growing right into a Class 4 hurricane in simply 4 days because it moved by the Gulf of Mexico and broke landfall within the Huge Bend area of Florida. Crushing winds reaching 137 mph left wreckage in its path throughout Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. The aftermath noticed greater than 230 deaths as Helene grew to become the deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina in 2005.

Behrends’ city of Tryon, situated in Polk County on the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment in western North Carolina , has an estimated inhabitants of 1,600 individuals, and was amongst these hit by Helene. The state of North Carolina, particularly, was sufferer to flooding, mudslides, numerous downed timber, washed-out bridges and impassable roadways, whereas additionally leaving greater than 700,000 residents with out energy.  

Behrends counts himself amongst these extra lucky.

“There’s a number of devastation round us,” Behrends advised Motorsport.com. “For these two weeks that we have been down, my spouse and I have been on the market doing volunteer work, bringing and getting provides to different individuals. 

“We have been with out energy, however we have now a generator and Starlink web, so we have been the fortunate ones. We’re on excessive floor, so we didn’t get flooded. Lots of people proper round us misplaced their houses and had nothing.” 

Borg-Warner Trophy

Photograph by: BorgWarner

Uniquely, Helene swept by the identical week that Josef Newgarden, winner of the final two Indy 500s, was initially scheduled to return in for a sitting — a second when Behrends provides last particulars to a life-sized facial sculpture earlier than transferring all of it to the small model that is forged in silver and put in on the historic trophy. Behrends was almost completed with Newgarden’s life-sized head, prepared for the final step, when the storm hit. 

Behrends used the generator to supply energy to the home, however any time spent engaged on the ultimate levels of the clay mannequin within the studio solely got here courtesy of the pure gentle filtering by his many home windows. 

“This yr was already a problem as a result of the latter a part of my course of is casting these photos in silver — and for the final 34 years, I’ve had one particular person doing that who I’ve come to belief. And he retired,” Behrends stated. “So, on prime of all these different challenges, that got here up. 

“Nothing bought performed for 2 weeks as a result of we had no energy for 12 days. And that was in the course of the time that Josef was going to return right here. Him not coming right here, principally, took away what has change into a really priceless instrument for males— and that’s, having the ability to sit with the particular person face-to-face, discuss to them. For a portrait sculpture that may be very priceless, as a result of you possibly can solely get a lot from images. You do higher work, and it’s extra pleasing, when you possibly can truly interact with them eye-to-eye. We didn’t have that, in order that was one other problem.”

The sittings initially started in 2015 after Juan Pablo Montoya captured his second Indy 500. That is additionally when the life-sized fashions grew to become part of the method. Earlier than then, Behrends labored off a quick 15-20 minutes with the winner the day after the race and any portraits gathered from it. 

Helene’s affect set his apply again a decade, however added its personal particular challenges. Roughly 60 p.c of Newgarden’s face remained unfinished when the “freak storm,” as Behrends calls it, struck. He wasn’t positive he would even make the deadline.

“It got here right down to the wire,” he stated. “Happily, it turned out properly. We bought a very good product and bought it on time, however there have been a number of wheels turning throughout that point.”

Will Behrends engaged on Josef Newgarden’s 2024 Indy 500 Borg-Warner Trophy face sculpture

Photograph by: BorgWarner

With an illustrious profession in his personal proper, Behrends has spent the previous 50 years creating sports-related sculptural masterpieces. Past the Borg-Warner Trophy, he is created statues of Main League Baseball legends equivalent to Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Jackie Robinson, most dwelling at their groups’ ballparks. In wanting again over this newest problem, there’s a sense of pleasure in crafting Newgarden’s likeness, particularly towards the chances that Mom Nature supplied.

“This one I’m happy with,” Behrends stated. “It’s humorous, that is the one factor that I’ve performed in my 50-year profession that I do yr after yr. Every little thing else is one-of-a-kind. Doing this yr after yr, how do you make it recent yearly? My problem to myself is that I strive to not do what I did final yr; to deliver slightly bit extra to it yearly. Which, after 35 years, turns into slightly tough.”

Newgarden, who grew to become the first back-to-back winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” since Helio Castroneves in 2001-02, was lastly in a position to see his likeness unveiled on the Borg-Warner Trophy earlier this month in a ceremony on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Behrends could not attend, however the second left the Workforce Penske driver all smiles, whereas additionally heaping reward on the sculptor for having the ability to push by and end the undertaking. 

“I believe it simply speaks to Will’s character,” Newgarden advised Motorsport.com. “He’s such a beautiful particular person. He’s bought a gorgeous household, bought to satisfy all of them, together with his granddaughters. They’d a number of obstacles this yr, together with everyone in that area, and he nonetheless simply charged ahead and made an unimaginable piece. He’s a real skilled.”

The Borg-Warner Trophy, that includes Josef Newgarden’s Indy 500-winning faces

Photograph by: BorgWarner

The wreck left by Helene in simply North Carolina alone possible triggered $53 billion in damages and restoration wants, in line with Gov. Roy Cooper, with 126,000 houses broken by the drive of Helene. The earlier document set for harm was $17 billion from Hurricane Florence in 2018, which hit the japanese a part of the state. 

“It’s only a actually unhappy scenario,” stated Behrends. “There have been a number of timber down round us, however we survived it higher than most round us. Proper under us within the valley, there’s a restaurant that everyone beloved as a result of it’s proper on the river and has a lined bridge going throughout the parking space to the restaurant. The bridge, the restaurant, it’s all gone now. It’s simply washed away. Folks misplaced companies, in addition to houses.”

Amongst one of many oddities, although, was that one among BorgWarner’s amenities in Asheville was additionally within the hurricane’s path, however was fortuitously spared, together with the staff.

Michelle Collins, the World Director of Advertising and Public Relations for BorgWarner, shared her sympathies for the individuals enduring the aftermath. She was additionally grateful that Newgarden had the expertise final yr with Behrends after successful his first Indy 500.

“It could have been nice to have performed it once more this yr, however I used to be joyful that he already had that have,” Collins advised Motorsport.com. “In fact, it’s fully potential he can nonetheless win once more. And we’re relying on that from him, too. However Will, like all the time, did a unbelievable job and works with what he’s bought.”

And there are already ideas for Newgarden to make historical past as the primary driver to ever win three consecutive Indy 500s in 2025 and getting an opportunity to return to Tryon. 

“It was simply unlucky that we didn’t get down there this yr,” Newgarden stated, “however I advised him I’d love the chance to win three years in a row and to return again and go to, and I hope we get that likelihood.”