Louis Schwitzer Award

The Louis Schwitzer Award for engineering innovation and excellence at the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race recognizes individuals with the courage and conviction to explore and develop new concepts in motorsports technology. This prestigious award has been presented annually since 1967 by the Indiana Section SAE International in honor of early racing pioneer and past Indiana Section Chairman Louis Schwitzer. The award winner is selected by a committee consisting of Indiana Section SAE International members and Indy Racing League technical officials. Award sponsor Borg Warner Inc. provides a $10,000 cash prize to the winner. The Indiana Section SAE International also provides a $1,000 scholarship to the engineering school of the winner’s choice, and doubles the scholarship amount if the winner was a past Formula SAE participant. In addition, the winner’s name is added to a permanent trophy on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

Recent Louis Schwitzer Award winners include the developers of the HANS® Device, the SAFER Barrier and the Earpiece Sensor System. All three have contributed significantly to improved driver safety at the Indianapolis 500 and in many other motorsports venues.