INDIANAPOLIS – One of the lesser-known prizes on the entry form for the 105th Indianapolis 500 could pay off in a big way for defending winning Takuma Sato.
It’s BorgWarner’s $380,000 Rolling Jackpot and is available to a driver if he wins back-to-back Indianapolis 500s.
It’s a prize that has been in existence since 1995 and Helio Castroneves is the only driver to have ever won the jackpot in 2002, when he won his second-straight Indianapolis 500.
BorgWarner’s prize fund increases by $20,000 a year and rolls over to the following Indianapolis 500 if no driver wins the race two years in a row. Because it’s been 17 years since a driver claimed the prize, it is now at $380,000, or in Sato’s case, ¥41,300,000.
“The Indianapolis 500 is a cherished pastime for our company and the rolling jackpot, on top of the coveted Borg-Warner Trophy®, brings an added level of excitement to the race,” said Frédéric Lissalde, president and CEO, BorgWarner Inc. “We are delighted to have accumulated this sizeable reward and eager to witness the next back-to-back victor claim the prize for their remarkableaccomplishment.”
This tradition was started in 1995 as a way for BorgWarner to add more excitement to this already highly anticipated motorsport classic. The back-to-back win is a rare feat in this legendary race, with only five drivers ever accomplishing it since the race’s inception in 1911. The noteworthy drivers include Wilbur Shaw (1939-1940), Mauri Rose (1947-1948), Bill Vukovich (1953-1954), Al Unser (1970-1971) and most recently, Castroneves (2001-2002).
If Sato, who has two Indianapolis 500 wins (2017 and 2020), clinches victory, the rolling jackpot will startover at $20,000 for the 2022 race. If Sato does not take the trophy, the $380,000 will carry over to next year with an additional $20,000 added by BorgWarner.
Beyond the possibility of winning $380,000, this year’s winner will also have a sculpted replica of their face forever affixed to the iconic Borg-Warner Trophy. In addition, the champion will receive a miniature version of the Borg-Warner Trophy, recognized as the BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy or “Baby Borg” as their personal keepsake.
Sato, along with team owners Bobby Rahal, David Letterman and Michael Lanigan, received their Baby Borg trophies on April 23 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race weekend.