Rosenqvist's 'surreal' experience at Borg-Warner portrait sculpture reveal

For an Indy 500 winner, the spoils don’t end once the milk has been chugged and the bricks have been kissed. Months removed from race day, another cherished tradition awaits: the reveal of the hand-sculpted clay head that will serve as the base for the bas-relief portrait that will immortalize them on the Borg-Warner Trophy alongside the visages of every other victor in the race’s history.

This year, it’s Felix Rosenqvist’s turn to be memorialized on the trophy’s 90-year-old metal. Rosenqvist traveled to sculptor Will Behrends’ studio in North Carolina on Tuesday to get his first look at the finished artwork, the 37th such model Behrends has produced since taking on the project in 1990. The experience had the Swedish driver pinching himself throughout.

“It was super cool to do the unveiling with Will,” Rosenqvist told RACER. “Super unique experience. Finally getting to see your own face, it's kind of creepy. It felt surreal, especially when I walked around and the light struck it from different angles. It just really brought it alive. He did an amazing job with it. [I’m] also the first bearded winner of the race, which was, I think, a unique challenge for Will.

“It was kind of like seeing your lost twin brother. He got all the little details that we all have, our little things and quirks, which makes it look like you, right? That's, in the end, where the personality comes in.”

"Finally getting to see your own face, it's kind of creepy. It felt surreal," Rosenqvist said of the reveal. BorgWarner

“It's definitely something I never thought I'd experience,” Rosenqvist continued. “I don't think I could ever have dreamt about what it was going to be like. It was very exciting when he pulled the cover off. My heart rate was definitely jacked. I don't know why, but it was a very tense moment. But it's cool, man. He put so much work into it, and he makes this trophy what it is.”

In an age where automation, corner cutting, and quality reductions in artisan industries grow more commonplace by the day, Rosenqvist appreciates that Behrends and BorgWarner remain dedicated to the high standards of craftsmanship they’ve held themselves to from the very beginning.

“I think it could have been done in so many easier or cheaper ways,” he said of the creation process, which begins with a photoshoot the morning after a 500 winner is crowned. “BorgWarner really takes a lot of pride in making this part of history. I'm just thankful that everyone puts their heart and soul into it, especially Will. It's a really, really cool tradition that hopefully is going to stay forever.”

Behrends first Borg-Warner sculpture was of 1990 Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk. BorgWarner

Coming face to face with the finished sculpture for the first time brought Rosenqvist back to the electric May afternoon when he earned his history-making win by beating David Malukas to the flag by just .0233s, an achievement he says is still sinking in four months later.

“It definitely feels like the victory is a bit more solidified in a way. Obviously, I've won other big races in my career, but this one definitely has a different vibe to it and feels like more of a forever thing in a different way. It's definitely becoming more real.

“I feel like I celebrated it really hard, which I'm happy I did, but then everything was kind of put on pause a little bit with how busy the season is. Your mind's got to be there for the season; otherwise, you're going to fall behind. So, yeah, I've been longing for the moment where I can sort of relax and sit back and enjoy the win a little bit.

“I think, you know, [enjoying] it is something you deserve, something you earned. And also the team, Meyer Shank Racing. This is something we did together and that we're super proud of.”

Rosenqvist plans to visit MSR’s Ohio headquarters later this week to say a final farewell to the team and relive the thrills of his 500 win one last time with the crew who helped him pull it off.

"There's, you know, 100 people behind this victory, not only me. That's something I really want to emphasize. They're a huge part of this.”