IZOD IndyCar Series championship contenders Will Power (pictured above) and Dario Franchitti took part in the unveiling of IndyCar’s brand-new championship trophy today at the W Hotel on Miami’s South Beach.
The new trophy weighs in at 45 pounds and features a stainless steel sculpture of a man with outstretched arms balancing on a single wheel, which sits atop a base of African Pedauk hardwood. According to the trophy’s sculptor Ted Gall, the award is meant to have a visual and psychological aspect.
“We’re not just a human form; we’re what we use all the time,” he said in an IndyCar press release. “It used to be if you were a cowboy, you’d ride a horse. Now we’re really attached to wheels our whole lives. The arms are imploring; they’re reaching out for that golden ring, for that big win.
“The drivers were really tired of getting bowling trophies. They’re bowls or something that doesn’t relate to what they’re doing. IZOD has gone beyond other sports. Rather than give out the run-of-the-mill trophy, they’re giving artwork to the drivers about what they are.”
It’s certainly different from the Indy Racing League Cup, which will now go by the wayside in favor of this unique piece of work. But is it too different? While Gall disparages the bowl/cup-style trophies, they’re a standard in sports for a reason.
How many people are going to read into the story behind the trophy, about how man and machine are “intertwined in the 21st century” as the release says? The trophy makes sense with that bit of information, but I wouldn’t be surprised if most people don’t bother to find out and just see the Silver Surfer’s cousin on a wobbly unicycle.
What’s more, an argument can be made that the trophy’s not even a truly original piece — check out this photo of one of the statues at Barber Motorsports Park (thanks, Pop Off Valve) and compare it with the one above. But one of my readers, Indianapolis resident John Wertz, has since pointed out to me that those Barber “wheelmen” statues are Gall’s work, too, so I’m not sure how far you could go with said argument. You decide.
On the positive side, it’s certainly different from the norm and it’ll make for an interesting conversation piece whenever the champion decides to throw a dinner party.
What’s your take on the new trophy? Is it a thought-provoking piece of art or is it simply too complex for a championship?
Photo credit: IZOD IndyCar Series (all rights go to them).
