Indianapolis, IN
Alex Palou’s latest honor is his face affixed on Borg-Warner trophy after Indy 500 win. How it happened
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IndyCar switched out its season finale and moved Nashville to the heat of summer for TV exposure. It was one of several key changes to the 2026 schedule.
INDIANAPOLIS — Alex Palou has dominated the IndyCar series, but Wednesday night was a first for his storied career.
The 28-year-old Spaniard unveiled the Borg-Warner trophy with his face, the 112th, affixed on it in bas-relief, sterling silver. Palou for the first time May 25 won the 109th Indianapolis 500 and will be commemorated on the Borg-Warner, which was unveiled at The Above Event Center at Commission Row.
“This is one of those days that I knew I wanted to be part of at some point in my career,” Palou said. “I knew it was going [to] take a lot of work, and finally to be here and to get to see the trophy for the first time, it’s amazing.
“I know that it’s always going to be there forever, if I race one more year or if I race 50 more years. And whatever the history of IndyCar is going to be, it’s always going to be there. So, it’s great to be part of all those amazing drivers. And, yeah, I feel that now. I want to get that face again on that trophy. Try and be part again of the history of our sports.”
The four-time IndyCar champion was off to a dominant pace to the 2025 IndyCar season and passing Marcus Ericsson on Lap 187 led to his crowning Indy 500 win. He has said in past interviews it was his greatest win, and it also was his first oval win.
Pacers & Racers was renewed, albeit a smaller-scale version. Palou took the Borg-Warner to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where he was able to display the Borg-Warner in front of Pacers fans as they hosted the Charlotte Hornets.
Palou celebrated winning the Indy 500 by attending Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
It is expected that Palou will receive a Baby Borg, a smaller model of the trophy, early next year.
“I’m honored to continue one of the greatest traditions in all of sports and unveil the latest addition to the iconic Borg-Warner Trophy at this beautiful venue,” Michelle Collins, BorgWarner global director, marketing and public relations, said. “Alex’s victory exemplifies that tenacity and constant commitment to excellence will result in success, on and off the track. On behalf of everyone at BorgWarner, congratulations to Alex and the team at Chip Ganassi Racing.”
How faces are sculpted onto the Borg-Warner Indy 500 trophy
Every Indy 500 winner since 1911 has a face sculpted onto the Borg-Warner trophy, which was originally designed in 1935.
Behrends, a renowned sculptor, has created every winner’s face for the trophy since 1990. He begins by studying 360-degree photos of the winner. Palou visited Behrends’ studio in Tryon, North Carolina, for construction of a full-scale clay model to be used as a reference point.
Behrends then constructs a smaller model out of oil-based clay that is turned into a mold and cast in wax to be sent to a jeweler to transform into sterling silver. It then returns to Behrends, who polishes it and buffs it before it is affixed on the trophy.
How big is the Borg-Warner Indy 500 trophy?
The Borg-Warner trophy is 5 feet, 4 3/4 inches tall. It weighs more than 110 pounds.
When is the 2026 Indy 500?
The 110th Indy 500 will take place May 24, 2026.
How to buy tickets for the 2026 Indy 500
How to order tickets for all the racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Indianapolis, IN
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin, MLB’s No. 1 prospect, opens season in Indy with Indians
INDIANAPOLIS — For the second time in three years, the biggest draw in minor league baseball has landed at Victory Field.
Konnor Griffin, MLB’s No. 1 prospect, nearly made Pittsburgh’s Opening-Day roster at the tender age of 19 years old, sparking the imagination of Pirates fans when he launched two home runs in the same Grapefruit League game in late February.
By all accounts, Pittsburgh considered bypassing the Triple-A level with Griffin altogether, keeping the young shortstop in major league camp until the final weekend of spring training.
But the Pirates ultimately decided Griffin needed to open the season with the Indians when they take on St. Paul at 6:35 p.m. Friday at Victory Field, turning Pittsburgh’s loss into a big gain for Indianapolis for the second time in three seasons.
Two years ago, the Pirates decided to ramp up superstar pitching prospect Paul Skenes slowly, a decision that gave fans in Indianapolis seven starts to see a pitcher who would almost immediately turn into one of the best pitchers in the game.
For longtime Indians broadcaster Howard Kellman, the chance to see Skenes and Griffin in Indianapolis uniforms in a span of three short years brought to mind the 1989 season, when future Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Larry Walker played on the same Indians roster.
Griffin and Skenes obviously won’t play in Indianapolis together.
Their presence leaves an impact.
“That means a great deal,” legendary Indians broadcaster Howard Kellman said. “You’re looking at the stars of tomorrow.”
Griffin’s path to Indianapolis wasn’t like the one Skenes took to Victory Field.
Skenes was already battle-tested, a star who’d made his name pitching LSU to a College World Series title and a pitcher everybody knew was ready for the big leagues. The Pirates sent Skenes to Triple-A as part of an effort to ramp him up slowly, limiting the young pitcher’s innings in his rookie year.
Griffin still has something to prove.
Drafted out of high school with the No. 9 pick in 2024, Griffin shot up the prospect rankings by batting .333 and slugging .527 while going from Low-A Bradenton to High-A Greensboro to 21 games with Double-A Altoona to end the 2025 season.
The raw tools are undeniable. The power that got the baseball world talking in February is accompanied with speed, good defense at shortstop and every other tool a team could want.
“Tremendous young man, very mature for his age, goes about his work the right way, goes about the game the right way, great with his teammates,” Indians manager Eric Patterson said.
But Griffin still has to improve his pitch recognition. Frustrated by the insane amounts of spin that big-league pitchers put on the baseball, Griffin hit .148 with 11 strikeouts in his final 10 games, 27 at-bats in total.
He wanted to make the big-league team, and he probably pressed a little.
“I’m at my best when I’m playing freely, playing fun, having a good time,” Griffin said. “I’m trying to get back to that, not worrying too much about the pressure outside.”
Griffin is also adjusting to life as baseball’s top prospect, a level of attention that essentially changed overnight. While he was obviously a top-10 pick in 2024, there were eight players taken ahead of him, including Oakland’s Nick Kurtz, who won the American League Rookie of the Year award.
A high school pick like Griffin is supposed to take a couple of years to develop into a top prospect, attention building along the way.
Griffin essentially went from a relative unknown to carrying the weight of Pittsburgh’s expectations in a span of about six months, although he’s adamant that the increased attention doesn’t affect him.
“It’s definitely internal,” Griffin said. “I don’t worry too much about the outside noise. I have high expectations for myself.”
Whatever the reason for Griffin’s slide in the final two weeks of spring training, he knows what he needs to change.
“Being thrown into the fire, facing those big-league arms, that was a good experience for me,” Griffin said.
Big-league pitchers are going to take advantage of a hitter who chases too many offerings outside the strike zone, and Griffin was swinging too much, uncharacteristic of a player whose on-base percentage was .415 across three levels last season.
“Take your walks, get on base, affect the game,” Griffin said. “Being patient, getting the right pitches to hit, not trying to do too much every time I go up to the plate.”
The paths Skenes and Griffin took to get to Indianapolis are different.
The goal, now that they’re here, is the same. Skenes was called up to the big leagues on May 8; Griffin wants to force the Pirates to bring him up to Pittsburgh as soon as possible.
“For all of these guys, you’re an injury away from the big leagues, you’re a sneeze off the field away from the big leagues,” Patterson said. “It’s about preparing these guys for when they get the call.”
The entire baseball world thought Griffin would get the call before his 20th birthday.
And there’s still time. Griffin doesn’t turn 20 until April 24th.
Better get out to Victory Field to catch a glimpse of baseball’s No. 1 prospect while he’s still here.
Indianapolis, IN
Recorder Rewind; Indy Eleven defeats Detroit FC 2-1 (Photos) – Indianapolis Recorder
Indy Eleven got the win over Detroit FC 2-1 on March 21 in Indianapolis. Check out photos froms Walt Thomas below.
For Indy Eleven tickets, visit indyeleven.com/tickets.
Multimedia Reporter Noral Parham compiled this gallery. Contact him at 317-762-7846 or email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on X @3Noral.
For more Indy Eleven coverage, visit indianapolisrecorder.com.
Noral Parham is the multi-media reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (WISH) — WISH-TV Sports Director Anthony Calhoun is in San Jose covering Purdue basketball in the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue will play Texas in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. If it wins that game, it will play the winner of Arizona and Arkansas in the Elite 8, with a chance to advance to the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Tune in to WISH-TV for live coverage starting on Wednesday in San Jose.
The Boilermakers are in the Sweet 16 for the third straight season. Tipoff against the Longhorns is scheduled for 7:10 ET on Thursday.
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