'He's just a happy man,' says Sato of Borg Warner likeness

Takuma Sato was a vision of joy during this week's unveiling of his likeness on the $3.5 million Borg Warner trophy. The winner of May's Indy 500, who became the first Japanese driver in 101 editions of America's defining motor racing, could barely contain his enthusiasm at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum event.

"I almost want to scream today because I'm so happy," he said. Driving for Andretti Autosport and representing Honda, Sato waged an epic fight for victory with Team Penske's Helio Castroneves to capture his first Indy 500 win. He came close while dueling with Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti in 2012, but a spin and crash ended his hopes against the Turn 1 wall.

In beating Castroneves in a straight fight, Sato erased any doubts as to whether he had the ability to deliver on IndyCar's biggest stage.

"You laid it all on the line in Turn 1," IMS president Doug Boles said during the ceremony. "You were going to win that race or crash trying. I think our fans knew that. When you had an opportunity to win this year, the people stayed around, they were excited, and that was really because they know that you know how important it is to win the Indy 500."

After seeing his face memorialized on the Borg Warner trophy, Sato couldn't help but notice the smile he wore while posing for sculptor Will Behrends. For the 40-year-old, who recently joined Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, it's a perfect encapsulation of what it has meant to become an Indy winner.

"Today," he said, "I look at the face, and he's just a happy man."