New Trophy Introduction Enjoys Cleavage Accompaniment

Cameron the Izod Trophy Girl and a few assistant beauties helped introduce the new Izod IndyCar trophy pool side in Miami Tuesday. Immediate feedback on the trophy, which was created by acclaimed sculptor Ted Gall, was decidedly mixed.

Gall was going for the intertwined nature of human and machine. "We're not just a human form; we're what we use all the time," Gall said. "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."

 Gall "intends all his work to be both visually and psychologically intriguing" according to an article on the unveiling no Racer.com (read it all here.)

He got his wish, because some of the faithful went into a froth over the semi avant-garde nature of the new hardware.The most fabulous Silent Pagoda even went so far as to interview Mr. Man & Wheel. Read it HERE.

I kind of like it. I like it a lot better than the old GIANT CUP, which was super unexciting with a serious 1970s flavah. I also like it a little better than the NBA and NFL trophies since they are, as well, too literal and safely un-intriguing for me. Bottom line, it's just a trophy, and as such not something to get your panties bunched about too much.

IndyCar Official News Release by Super Dave Lewandowski:

MIAMI -- Either Dario Franchitti or Will Power will receive the inaugural IZOD IndyCar Series Championship Trophy following the Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 2.

Both title contenders were part of the unveiling of the 3-foot-tall, 45-pound trophy during a media event Sept. 28 at the W Hotel on South Beach in Miami.

IZOD collaborated with and commissioned acclaimed sculptor Ted Gall to design and create the award, which conveys the intertwined nature of man and machine in the 21st century. The stainless steel sculpture of man with outstretched arms balanced on a single wheel rests atop an African Pedauk hardwood base.

“We’re not just a human form; we’re what we use all the time,” said Gall, who added he intends all his work to be both visually and psychologically intriguing. “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.”

Through a 16-race duel across three continents, Verizon Team Penske driver Power and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Franchitti have been piling up points in seeking that golden ring – the IZOD IndyCar Series title.

Power takes a tenuous points advantage into the season finale, which will feature a 27-car field on the 1.5-mile oval. Power’s sixth victory of the season would secure his first IZOD IndyCar Series title. Franchitti, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion, needs to finish at least two positions ahead of Power in the 200-lap race to claim his third championship in four years.

After informally talking with IZOD IndyCar Series drivers, other motorsports participants and Izod principals, Gall sought to create a piece of artwork for the champion to proudly display as a testament to their accomplishments throughout the season on the most diverse set of racetracks in motorsports.

“The drivers were really tired of getting bowling trophies,” Gall said. “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.”

The angular-cut base of African Pedauk, which has a natural orange or yellow hue, was darkened by a process of ebonizing, and Gall added some texture to either side for “a little bit of an art deco feeling to it.”

“The combination of stainless steel and the dark wood is wonderful,” Gall said. “The steel is very strong and very industrial and very gutsy and the wood is very warm and beautiful. It’s a nice combination of strength and richness.”

Similar trophies will formally be presented to the second- and third-place championship finishers at the Championship Celebration on Oct. 3 at the W Hotel on South Beach in Miami. Only one arm is outstretched on each of these 26-inch-tall trophies.

“They’re a little bit more aggressive; they’re reaching out, they’re grabbing for that win,” Gall said.

In addition to Franchitti and Power, Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon are in the running to receive the runner-up and third-place awards.

"What better way to end our first year as the title sponsor of the IZOD IndyCar Series, than to collaborate on the design of a Championship trophy that will lead us into a new era of IndyCar racing," said Mike Kelly, executive vice president of marketing for Phillips Van-Heusen (parent company of IZOD). “We wanted to create something that would truly represent the speed, excitement and innovation that is the IZOD IndyCar Series and we feel that Ted Gall, with his compelling aesthetic and thought-provoking vision, was the perfect artist for the project.

"The final result, with its outstretched arms reaching into the future, is a stunning statement that pays tribute to the amazing athletic champion that will win it."

Comments

[Nathan]

I'm digging the AJ/Mario trophies more now.

That trophy could've been better....shinier, perhaps? Solid silver? Gold?

Not "bad", but....

[Jeremy from Harrisburg]

Wow. I have a graphic design degree and twenty years in the picture framing business. I think that trophy is terrible. It looks like a misguided High School sculpture project. It may be what the client wanted, but the client forgot to keep the the real target of the project, the fans, in mind. Plus, I'm not real sure what is going on in the lower abdominal area of the figure.

In short, Trophy Fail.

[DougC]

What trophy...??? ;)

[pressdog]

Exactly, DougC. In fact, IZOD has it in their contract that the trophy can only be presented by the bikini-clad trophy girl in order to divert virtually all attention from Wheelie Man.

[Sue B]

Apparently the trophy model was John Menard.

[Roy Hobbson]

I didn't "interview" the Trophy demon! He spoke directly through me, much like "The Keymaster" spoke through Rick Moranis in "Ghostbusters."

[Jim Bob]

Looks like something a high school kid made in shop class.

Very minor league looking trophy. For a series, that is desperately trying to shed its "minor league" status, this is a huge swing-and-miss.

The only thing "wrong" with the old trophy, was it had the words Indy Racing League on it. Of course, we can't have anything associated with that term or era, can we? So this is what you get, when you try to dis-associate yourself from that.

Cameron's Cams look rockin' though. THAT is a trophy.

[JP]

A new trophy is almost always a no win situation. People still make fun of the Oscar trophy. Snark on Pagoda and my site aside, they missed a chance to involve the fans and ask for submissions. If the fans can be trusted to mock up aero packages...or they could have taken submissions from art schools around the country. Either way reached out to fans or potential fans. Either would have better PR than settling for something they saw energing from a creek at Barber motorsports park.

[pressdog]

As I said, I won't miss the old trophy. Oversize bowl on a pedestal. Designed by committee, certainly, and very unimpressive.

[Travis R]

After about 45 minutes of staring at the picture, I realized there is a trophy there.

After another 10 minutes or so, I realized I like the new trophy. It's different.

Then, I unleashed my (not so) inner Beavis and Butthead and went back to staring at the cleavage.

[H.B. Donnelly]

Whatever happened to the freakin' Vanderbilt Cup? Yes, I understand that the history behind the revival of that cup is rooted in The Split, but it's a damn fine trophy. At least it has, y'know, a CAR on it...suppose it's too much to ask that something having to do with auto racing is on a racing series' championship trophy.

[billytheskink]

Should have reached back to the past and esurrected an old American championship racing award.

Like CART did with the Vanderbilt Cup, but pick a different old trophy.

[Jane]

ummm sooo we are giving a medival figure on a "unicycle"- aka wheel.. remind me again this is IZOD INDY CAR not irreverent
icky car.... I am not a artist but dontcha think could been a wee bit more gender neutral and for petes sake something you would wanna see on your fireplace mantel? good heavens..I can see the other racing groups laughing uncontrollably.. thats a WHAT????

[Chris Lukens]

Yes, it took several minutes to realize that there were two other guys in the picture, and then another few seconds to see the trophy.
I’m not sure I like it. It reminds me of some well endowed space alien riding a Segway.
Incidentally, the guy who owns the Segway company just drove off a cliff. I hope the parallels end there.

[Dylan]

I'd take a Cup/Bowl over that....

[Mike Silver]

What trophy? I see two of them.

[Andy Bernstein]

"...compelling aesthetic and thought-provoking vision..."

That's a good description of feelings evoked by a visit to the Speedway Museum. I don't remember seeing any jury-rigged discards on display.

[Larz]

It's the Delta Wing of trophies.