How Borg-Warner Trophy Sculptor William Behrends dealt with Hurricane Helene as he creates a second face for Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden

Pit Pass Indy

PIT PASS INDY – SEASON 4, EPISODE 57 – How Borg-Warner Trophy Sculptor William Behrends dealt with Hurricane Helene as he creates a second face for Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden

November 5, 2024

Show host Bruce Martin has an exclusive interview with William Behrends, the famed sculptor who creates the face of the Indianapolis 500 that becomes part of the permanent Borg-Warner Trophy.

Behrends art studio and home are located in Tryon, North Carolina. On September 27, 2024 Hurricane Helene ravaged the Western North Carolina area, including Tryon. Behrends was in the process of creating Josef Newgarden’s face in clay – part of the lengthy process that is ultimately reduced to the size of an egg and cast in sterling silver before it is attached to the trophy.

Newgarden was scheduled to sit in for a live study at Behrends’ studio in Tryon on October 4, but the damage in Western North Carolina left many communities devastated with many of the citizens stranded as roads and bridges were washed away.

Behrends explains how he was able to complete the process while giving an update on the ongoing recovery effort in Western North Carolina.

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