BorgWarner, Al Unser Jr. salute IMS’s ‘Wreath Lady’
As Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s official ‘Wreath Lady’, Julie Vance is usually accustomed to making things to be presented to other people. But after 33 years and counting of making the BorgWarner Victory Lane Wreath for the Indianapolis 500, she found herself on the receiving end on Tuesday when her contributions were recognized with a special signed and framed poster.
With Vance having created the Victory Lane Wreath for the first time in 1992, it fell to that year’s winner, Al Unser Jr, to do the honors.
“You just don’t know what Indy means!” Unser joked. “It means very special things to different people, but Indy connects us all! It was great meeting Julie – history connects us forever and it’s through the Indianapolis 500. My first win was her first Victory Lane Wreath – something neither of us will every forget. Julie’s work is so cool – she’s done a super job every single year. Photos of the BorgWarner Victory Lane wreath appear yearly on TV, and in newspapers and magazines, it’s something to be proud of, for sure.”
As owner of Buck Creek in Bloom in Yorktown, Ind., Vance has lost count of the number of ‘everyday’ wreaths she’s made over the years, but the Victory Lane Wreath is a very different beast. More than 1,000 feet of red, white and blue ribbon have been used in its construction over the years. As a point of comparison, the pylon at IMS is just over 92 feet tall.
In addition to the ribbon, the wreath has featured more1,000 small checkered flags through the years, and more than six gallons of glue has been used to hold it all together. The finished article weighs 30 pounds, and takes about seven hours to construct.
“What a fantastic surprise, I never imagined I’d meet Al Unser Jr. let alone at Indianapolis Motor Speedway celebrating 33 years of making the Victory Lane Wreath,” Vance said.
“I want to thank BorgWarner for letting me pursue my passion and for their loyalty over the past 33 years. I’ve enjoyed creating the wreath every single year and I’m so honored to represent small-town Indiana on a worldwide stage. The Indianapolis 500 is truly Christmas for myself and my family – very special. Thank you, this poster is beautiful and I can’t wait to hang it in my shop with all the other great Indy 500 photos from over the years. I’m excited May is finally here, I’ve been a race fan since I was a little girl – I can’t wait!”
