BorgWarner CEO James Verrier acknowledges there will be a hint of nervousness leading up to his first presentation of the Borg-Warner Trophy and wreath to the winning driver of the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

But any rookie jitters will quickly be overcome by the excitement in Victory Circle following "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" for Verrier, who took over as CEO in January for the retiring Timothy Manganello. It could be the greatest perk of the job.

Verrier was based in Indianapolis as a member of the BorgWarner’s management team in 1999 when it acquired Schwitzer and integrated it into BorgWarner Turbo Systems. A native of Birmingham, England, he attended the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in 2000.

“My most defined memory is when Tim asked me to do the drivers meeting presentation. I was excited and honored and a little nervous, too,” he said. “You’re on the track with all those drivers, all those celebrities and past winners and dignitaries and all those race fans in front of you. I practiced my speech and then you walk up to the podium and say, ‘Oh my gosh.’

“Last year I was in the winner’s circle and that’s a pretty incredible experience with all the emotion and drama. It kind of hits you that it’s us, it’s BorgWarner and this is the biggest spectacle in the world and you’re there. Having grown up in Europe, the part nobody could get their arms around was that there are 400,000 people. It’s staggering.

“It’s just been amazing for me. It will be a little different this time in the winner’s circle as I won’t just be watching but will have to do the job this time. That will be my next great memory.”

BorgWarner is in its second season as the manufacturer/supplier of turbochargers for the 2.2-liter, V6 engines for Chevrolet (twin turbocharger) and Honda (single turbocharger) for the IZOD IndyCar Series. Last month, BorgWarner Turbo Systems was among the winners in the product category of the 19th Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence (PACE) Awards, adding a seventh such honor to its list.  

“The reliability and durability (of the Engineered For Racing turbochargers) has been phenomenal, and that’s something we feel good about,” Verrier said. “It’s a little different when it’s in a race application versus a regular street application. For us to prove ourselves with that kind of durability in that environment is phenomenal and we’ve done it with some new technologies.”

Added 2012 Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti: “All season the pace of development in power, in reliability and fuel consumption was something special,” Franchitti said of the first season of engine manufacturer competition since 2005. “I’m excited to see as the years go on those developments trickle down to the (passenger) cars. BorgWarner has a much bigger role now and it’s great to see their expanded role in IndyCar racing and showcase their technology.”

BorgWarner’s relationship with the 500 Mile Race and presentation of the Borg-Warner Trophy to the winning driver dates to 1936. Driver and team owner championship trophies are presented annually in January as part of the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.

“It’s a wonderful coming together of Indy, BorgWarner and turbo and it’s kind of like a little capsule of me,” Verrier said.