BorgWarner to Present Trophies to Winning Indy 500 Driver and Team Owners at Automotive News World Congress Dinner

Buddy Rice, Bobby Rahal and David Letterman to be honored for 2004 victory

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 17 -- His May 2004 victory at the Indianapolis 500 earned Buddy Rice a permanent spot on the base of the world-famous BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy. On Wednesday, Rice will receive a one-of-a-kind replica -- the BorgWarner Championship Driver's Trophy. Rahal-Letterman Racing co-owners Bobby Rahal, himself a former Indy champion, and David Letterman will each receive the BorgWarner Team Owner's Trophy. BorgWarner Chairman and CEO Tim Manganello will present the awards at the January 19, 2005 Automotive News World Congress Gala Dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Michigan.

"BorgWarner is extremely proud to have been associated with the greatest spectacle in racing since 1936," Manganello said. "Every year since, the Indianapolis 500 has delivered an exciting and unpredictable finish, and the race last May was no exception. We are pleased to honor Buddy Rice, and team owners Bobby Rahal and David Letterman, for their shared victory at Indy -- and delighted to provide them with tangible symbols of their exceptional feat in the demanding world of auto racing."

The BorgWarner Championship Driver's Trophy, a replica of the BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy, is awarded each year to the winner of the Indianapolis 500. The sterling silver trophy, referred to in the automotive racing world as the "Baby Borg," is 14 inches high and weighs 5 pounds. It rests on a 4-inch by 8-inch beveled black marble base.

The base includes space for a hand-crafted, 2-inch, 3-dimensional sterling silver image of the winning driver's face, and also includes an inscription of the winning driver and year of victory. BorgWarner established the trophy in 1988, so that each winner of the Indianapolis 500 would have a lasting keepsake of the Speedway victory. (The BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy does not go home with the winner after it is presented in Victory Circle on race day; it stays on permanent display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.) The first Championship Driver's Trophy went to Rick Mears, winner of the 1988 Indianapolis 500.

In 1998, to mark the company's 70th year as a pioneering innovator in the automotive industry, BorgWarner established The BorgWarner Team Owner's Trophy, a companion to the Championship Driver's Trophy. As its name reflects, the Team Owner's Trophy goes to the owner of the racing team that wins the Indianapolis 500, and recognizes the significance of the team owner's role in the Indy Racing League. Like the Championship Driver's Trophy, the Team Owner's Trophy is a replica of the Indianapolis 500 trophy, but has a band of art-deco racing cars accentuated in gold to symbolize the importance of teamwork in auto racing and the automotive business. Its first recipient was 1997 Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk's team owner, Fred Treadway of Treadway Racing.

Auburn Hills, Michigan-based BorgWarner Inc. is a product leader in highly engineered components and systems for vehicle powertrain applications worldwide. The company operates manufacturing and technical facilities in 58 locations in 17 countries. Customers include Ford, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, Caterpillar, Navistar International, Renault/Nissan, Peugeot, VW/Audi and BMW. The Internet address for BorgWarner is: http://www.bwauto.com/ .