SWEDEN — The Borg-Warner trophy earned another stamp in its passport as it took a trip to Sweden for a memorable homecoming with 2022’s Indy 500 champion, Marcus Ericsson.
Ericsson’s year as the Indy 500 champion began much the same as those who came before him: the milk in Victory Circle, the winners photo the morning after the race and eventually his face added to the Borg-Warner.
However, this champion would get an extra special addition to his reign as winner. Ericsson and the Borg-Warner made a trip to his home country of Sweden.
“It’s pretty incredibly to go up there and get to share this victory with all of my people,” Ericsson said. “It also says how big IndyCar and the Indy 500 are, even in Sweden and Scandinavia. I think it’s pretty cool to see so many people on the other side of the world following it.”
The itinerary was packed full, including stops all over Stockholm, photo shoots with automotive fashion magazines, a long list of TV interviews and a warm welcome at the Swedish Embassy.
“Coming from Europe, you don’t really understand how big the 500 is and how unique all the traditions are. I think for me – I never really understood how unique this race is and how much it means to so many people,” Ericsson said.
On a chilly evening, Ericsson took the Borg-Warner trophy about 135 miles away to his hometown, Kumla.
“It’s a small town. Everyone knows everyone, and it’s home. It’s where I’m from [and] where I grew up. It’s always good to come back, especially for this occasion,” Ericsson said. “It was great.”
Kumla has a population of just over 20,000, and so many of them turned out for a nighttime bash to welcome home their Indy 500 winner. The show included a concert on stage and special guests all around.
“They called my whole family up [on stage]. My mom, dad, brothers, grandparents and my girlfriend were all up on stage,” Ericsson said. “It was really cool to share that with all of those people.”
Ericsson shared moments with fans who had been there from the very beginning, as well as those who he had won over along the way.
“I wanted to make sure every single person who was there got an autograph [or] picture. I was standing there for two-and-a-half hours signing autographs and meeting people,” Ericsson said.
As he gets ready to defend his title, Ericsson is learning how much the Indy 500 embodies passion for racing all over the world.
“Now I wait for May every year. It’s the highlight of the year and I love it. It’s the coolest race ever. To get to be a champion of it is incredible,” Ericsson said.
While Ericsson’s family is still in Sweden, he lives most of the year in Indy now.
This is just the latest passport stamp for the Borg-Warner trophy, after going to France and Japan in recent years.
The 107th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 28.
