Alex Palou has accumulated an impressive collection of racing trophies.
The Spaniard notched his 19th career points-paying NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory on July 27 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. He's also earned four Astor Challenge Cups, taking season titles in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
But no trophy is more iconic than the one he earned as the victor of the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 25.
In 1935, Borg-Warner Corporation commissioned the creation of a commemorative trophy for the Indianapolis 500. Unveiled in 1936, the Art Deco design featured wing-like elements symbolizing speed and the unique feature of sculpted faces representing the 24 winners up to that point.
Since then, every Indianapolis 500 winner has been added to the trophy, which stands 5 feet, 4¾ inches and weighs 110 pounds.
Palou became the 112th person to have his likeness added to the famed Borg-Warner Trophy – the 111 drivers who have won (including two co-drivers) and legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman.
“This is the best, honestly,” Palou said. “It’s crazy to know that my face is going to be on that trophy forever. It’s something I’ve never experienced before. When you win championships, you get your name engraved on trophies and in different places, but you never get your face on an awesome trophy like this with so much history. This is by far the best.
“To know that I can come to the (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) Museum in like 40 or 50 years, or wherever that trophy is, and see my face and hopefully remember the memories I’ve created this year, it makes it super special. I know my name and face will be there forever.”
Palou also echoed the sentiments of past winners who say the celebration of an Indy 500 win lingers like no other.
“It's incredible that a win lasts for so long and that lets you enjoy it so much,” he said.
“Now that I get to experience what it’s like to be the winner, I think, ‘Man, I can’t let anybody else do this.’ I want to do it again next year. I want to feel this feeling again. I want to be here again. I want these experiences again. So, yeah, it just burns. It puts more fuel in the fire to come back next year and try to win even harder.”
Palou traveled to Tryon, North Carolina, located south of Asheville near the South Carolina border, on Sept. 17-18 to meet with sculptor William Behrends to design the likeness.
Behrends, a Wisconsin native, studied architecture at North Carolina State University and earned a master’s degree in fine arts and sculpture at the University of North Carolina. He began sculpting at age 26 and has since immortalized subjects from sports, politics and business, including Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Tom Seaver, Henry Ford II, Bobby Jones and several U.S. vice presidents.
Palou’s win is not only meaningful to him and his family, but also to Behrends, who has crafted the faces of Indy 500 winners for the Borg-Warner Trophy since 1990.
Palou became the 36th winner Behrends has sculpted, but seeing Palou’s face on the trophy has a unique meaning.
This year, Behrends’ granddaughters attended their first Indianapolis 500.
“They were excited,” Behrends said. “Their mom was excited, too. She first came with me when she was their age in 1990, at my first time doing this. She wanted her daughters to experience the same thing she had. So, it’s another generation.
“They’ll always remember his face on the trophy. That’ll be a milestone for them.”
Behrends especially welcomed Palou’s visit since catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene last year had prevented 2024 Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden from traveling to North Carolina to have his image sculpted. Fortunately, since Newgarden had also won the year before, Behrends was able to get some close-up feedback on what adjustments to make.
Still, there’s nothing like hosting an Indy 500 winner and designing a likeness with them in person.
“I like a challenge,” Behrends said. “So, doing the same face two years in a row is definitely a challenge. But I always enjoy working on a new face. You just have to study it — and he's got a good one. I was complimenting him on his nose, and he said, ‘That’s a family nose.’ He thinks it’s big, but I think it’s very distinctive.”
All the faces on the trophy are cast in sterling silver except one. Hulman, who purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 and owned it until his death in 1977, is represented in 24-karat gold. Tom Sneva is the only driver whose image features glasses.
Palou is the 76th different driver to win the Indy 500, a race that has featured 804 drivers since its inception in 1911. His 2025 victory marked his sixth career start in the race, which began with a crash-shortened 28th-place finish in 2020 while driving for Dale Coyne Racing.
Since joining Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021, Palou has completed all 1,000 possible laps in the Indy 500 with the team -- one that has won the race six times, trailing only Team Penske’s 20 victories.
Behrends, who has welcomed winners personally in his North Carolina studio since 2015, reflects on how much he and his wife cherish the annual experience.
“The race is different every year, and so is this experience,” Behrends said. “But the longer I do it, the more we appreciate it. It’s something we look forward to. Getting to know the winners, not just working from photographs, it helps my work, and it’s a joy.
“Alex was kind enough to spend time with us. It’s wonderful. He got to experience a little of our life here, and for us, it’s just really a lot of fun.”
