It’s that time of year again - except a little earlier.
This year’s 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil champion, Takuma Sato, paid a visit to Tryon, N.C. this week to get the process going for his face and likeness to be revealed on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
He met with sculptor William Behrends at his studio; Behrends will create his image to get added to the Borg-Warner Trophy, and unveiled in October at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
This is a first step in the process that sees the silver image added to the trophy.
Sato posted a few tweets about this this week.
A full gallery is below. All photos: Scott LePage/LAT for BorgWarner
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage
5 September 2017 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato sitting for Borg-Warner Trophy bust at William Behrends studio. Tryon, North Carolina USA ©2017, Scott R LePage