The Borg-Warner Trophy is one of the most famous, most iconic and most historic trophies in all of sports. It forever honors every winning driver of the Indianapolis 500, starting with the first winner, Ray Harroun in 1911. The latest is Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, who won the Indy 500 in 2025.
The Borg-Warner Trophy has a baby brother, and like most younger siblings, it can act like a “Hot Dog.”
It’s the Borg-Wiener Trophy that will be in Victory Lane for to the winning Wienermobile in the highlight of Friday’s Carb Day for the 110th Indianapolis 500, the second annual Wienie 500.
Last year, Oscar Mayer brought all six Wienermobiles to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a high-stakes race built around a key hot-dog moment: Memorial Day Weekend. What started as a four-month build became a breakout moment as 85,000 fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway witnessed the “Run For the Mustard” on the 2.5-mile oval. That crowd surpassed Super Bowl attendance by nearly 20,000. Another 8 million livestream viewers made the even a viral sensation as it trended No. 1 on X.
More importantly, it worked for the business – selling nearly half a million more wieners vs. the prior year, making it the brand’s most successful Memorial Day window in four years.
This year, the race will be aired live on FOX at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, creating an afternoon television audience to watch the “Battle of the Buns.”
Indianapolis 500 And the Famed Borg-Warner Trophy
Indianapolis 500 fans know the Borg-Warner Trophy – a 5-foot, 4-inch, 110-pound trophy cast in sterling silver that is customized with the name, face and average speed of each year’s Indianapolis 500 champion. It is presented with a custom wreath from BorgWarner and a bottle of milk from the American Dairy Association of Indianapolis in Victory Lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
At the Wienie 500’s Wieners Circle, winners participate in a condiment spray and bask in hot dog glory, and this year, BorgWarner is getting involved.
Enter The Borg-Wiener Trophy
Behold the “Borg-Wiener” Trophy: a hot dog-ified take on the Indy 500 trophy custom designed by BorgWarner and Oscar Mayer.
Ironically, the Borg-Warner Trophy and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile both date back to 1936. That year, the original Wienermobile made its first appearance by touring the country to help promote Oscar Meyer Wieners.
On Memorial Day 1936, Louis Meyer became the first driver in Indianapolis 500 history to win the famed race three times in his career. When he arrived in Victory Lane, the Borg-Warner Trophy was there for the first time after the Indianapolis 500.
The Borg-Wiener Trophy is 2-foot, 3-inches tall, the equivalent of about 5 hot dogs. The Borg-Wiener Trophy is designed with curved hot dog handles and adorned with 55 engraved Wienermobiles. Encased in metal for a polished metallic finish, the trophy is complete with a removable lid that opens to fit Oscar Mayer wieners inside for the winners to relish post-race.
“The Borg-Warner trophy is an Indy 500 legend — just like our iconic Wienermobile, it dates back 90 years,” said Kelsey Rice, Director of Brand Communications for Oscar Mayer. “Having the opportunity to co-create a new trophy with a Wienermobile spin is a dream come true. Our trophy presentation in the Wieners Circle was one of the most memorable moments of last year’s inaugural race, and we relish the opportunity to take it to the next level this year with the experts at Borg-Warner.”
BorgWarner Will Present The Borg-Wiener Trophy in the Wiener’s Circle After Wienie 500
BorgWarner CEO Joe Fadool will present the trophy to the winning Hotdoggers in the “Wieners Circle,” emulating the same celebratory traditions as Sunday’s Indy 500 (subbing a milk chug with a condiment spray).
“The Wienie 500 deserves a trophy as unforgettable as the race itself – and that’s exactly what BorgWarner set out to create,” Fadool told me exclusively. “We’re excited to partner with Oscar Mayer to craft a one-of-a-kind Official Borg-Wiener Trophy, ready for the ultimate full throttle finish.
“May the best Wienermobile win, and we look forward to relishing the victory and bestowing the Borg-Wiener wreaths in Wieners Circle.”
The second annual Wienie 500 returns with all six Wienermobiles in a bun-to-bun battle around the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a high-stakes race to crown the Top Dog. The race kicks off summer and serves as a key promotion for both the Oscar Mayer and the Indianapolis 500.
Earlier this year, Oscar Mayer handed the keys to fans with its first-ever “Pick Your Dog” bracket, letting America decide who would claim the coveted sixth spot.
Corn Dog was the favorite and is officially in, bumping Sonoran Dog and joining Chi Dog (Midwest), New York Dog (East), Chili Dog (South), Seattle Dog (Northwest) and reigning champion Slaw Dog (Southeast) in a high-stakes race around the Brickyard to see who cuts the mustard. With a new contender in the mix, teams are hungrier than ever and ready to show off their well-cooked strategy to make it to the “Wieners Circle.”
All six Wienermobiles and racing suits
will debut new colors, decals and designs, and for the first time in over a
decade, the brand is dropping limited-edition Wiener Whistles to mark the
occasion. And this year, Oscar Mayer is bringing serious horsepower with
IndyCar drivers Nolan Siegel, Sting Ray Rob, Scott McLaughlin and fellow drivers
who will coach the Hotdoggers, offering pro-level racing tips as teams compete
for the coveted Borg-Wiener Trophy.
There is even a line of Wienie 500 merchandise at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway gift shops that have been quite popular among fans and even drivers throughout the days of practice and qualifications leading into the 110th Indianapolis 500 on May 24.
The merchandise is available on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website shop.ims.com. Instacart is also involved
asking fans to cast votes for who will take Top Dog on Instacart. Correct predictions will
score free Oscar Mayer wieners while supplies last.
“Last year’s inaugural race proved the
Wienie 500 is more than just a one-time spectacle, it’s a real race cemented in
culture,” said Kelsey Rice, Brand Communications Director at Oscar Mayer. “This
year, we are turbo-charging all race elements to give fans a fresh take on the
disarmingly delightful experience they fell in love with year one. From
ushering in Team Corn Dog to bringing in the pros, we are going all-in to
encourage fans everywhere to pick up Oscar Mayer wieners, kick off summer and
enjoy the ride with us.”
Race day coverage begins live on FOX and
FOX One at 2:00pm ET on Friday, May 22. FOX IndyCar play-by-play announcer Will
Buxton again calls the race alongside FOX IndyCar analysts Townsend Bell and
James Hinchcliffe, with pit reporting by Georgia Henneberry and Kevin Lee.
There are even watch parties at Tom’s Watch Bar locations across the country and get in on other fan engagement opportunities, at @OscarMayer, @Wienermobile, @IndianapolisMotorSpeedway and @IndyCarOnFox on Instagram and TikTok.
Why The Wienie 500 Is A Massive Marketing Victory For Oscar Mayer And Indianapolis 500
All puns aside, (or maybe its buns?), the collaboration between the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500, Oscar Mayer, BorgWarner and FOX is one of the most creative promotional and marketing campaigns in recent history. It brings some giants in each industry together and that is massive in terms of marketing.
Oscar Mayer is part of Kraft Heinz (Nasdaq: KHC), one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, with approximately $25 billion in net sales in 2025 and a portfolio of iconic brands enjoyed by consumers in more than 40 countries.
It is also important to create interest with kids and younger fans, who have taken an interest in the Indy 500. Younger fans have gravitated to the Indianapolis 500 and that is a big reason why this year’s Indy 500 is a sellout for a second-straight year with over 350,000 spectators filling the grandstands and infield for the most famous race in the world.
Many of those fans will probably consume an Oscar Mayer Wiener or two, or six during the Indianapolis 500.
