Winners drink milk. It’s been that way at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for almost a century, and honestly, it’s one of the weirdest things in sports if you stop to think about it. Imagine driving 500 miles at 220 mph, your cockpit is basically a furnace, you’re drenched in sweat, and the first thing someone hands you is a glass bottle of whole milk. Most of us would probably get sick. But in Indy, it’s the ultimate prize.
The milk tradition at Indy 500 isn't just some marketing gimmick cooked up by a PR firm last year. It has roots that go back to a guy named Louis Meyer. He was a three-time winner, a legend, and apparently, a big fan of buttermilk. When he won his second race in 1933, he didn't want champagne. He wanted a cold drink of buttermilk because his mom told him it was refreshing on a hot day.
By the time he won his third in 1936, he was photographed swigging it out of a glass bottle, holding up three fingers. An executive from what was then the Milk Foundation saw that photo in the newspaper and thought, "Hey, we can use this." They’ve been paying for the privilege ever since. Except for a brief gap between 1947 and 1955, the bottle has been a permanent fixture in Victory Lane.
The Milk Order: More Than Just a Drink
Every year, before the green flag even drops, the American Dairy Association Indiana does something pretty cool. They survey every single driver in the field. They ask one question: "What do you want to drink if you win?"
But you don't get to pick chocolate milk. You can't ask for a strawberry milkshake or a dairy-free almond latte. The choices are strictly limited to Whole, 2%, or Fat-Free. That’s it.
What the Drivers Choose
If you look at the 2024 or 2025 entry lists, the vast majority of these guys go for Whole milk. There’s a bit of a superstition there. Some drivers think asking for Skim milk is bad luck, like you're not fully committing to the richness of the win.
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- Whole Milk: The heavy favorite. It looks better in photos because it coats the bottle.
- 2%: The middle ground. Occasionally a driver who is really health-conscious or has a sensitive stomach after 200 laps will pick this.
- Fat-Free: Rarely chosen. It looks a bit watery on camera, and let’s be real, nobody celebrates a career-defining moment with skim milk.
The "Milk Person" is an actual job title. Two Indiana dairy farmers are selected each year—the "Veteran" and the "Rookie"—to deliver the bottle. They practice the handoff. They have to make sure the bottle is chilled but not so cold that it’s slippery. If you’ve ever wondered why the bottle is always sweating, it’s because it’s kept on ice in a dedicated cooler until the very last second.
That One Time Emerson Fittipaldi Broke the Internet (In 1993)
You can't talk about the milk tradition at Indy 500 without talking about the 1993 scandal. Emerson Fittipaldi, a massive star and former F1 champion, won the race and did the unthinkable. He pushed the milk away.
He drank orange juice instead.
The crowd went ballistic. People were booing in the stands. Why did he do it? He owned orange groves in Brazil and wanted to promote his own business. It was a classic "business over tradition" move that backfired spectacularly. Even though he eventually took a sip of the milk after the cameras stopped rolling, the fans didn't care. To this day, some hardcore Indy fans still haven't forgiven him for it. It proved that this isn't just about a beverage; it's about the sanctity of the Brickyard.
The Science of Drinking Dairy After a Race
Let’s be honest for a second. Drinking milk after sitting in a 130-degree cockpit for three hours sounds like a gastrointestinal nightmare.
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Drivers lose a massive amount of body weight in water during the race. They are dehydrated. Their core temperature is spiked. Putting dairy into that environment is risky. Most winners don't actually finish the bottle. They take a big swig, they pour the rest over their heads, and they let the "Milk People" take it back.
The pouring is just as important as the drinking. The milk mixes with the sweat, the grease, and the champagne (which is usually sprayed later) to create a very specific, very pungent smell that lingers in the winner's firesuit forever. Ask any winner—Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden, or Takuma Sato—and they’ll tell you that suit never smells the same again.
Why the Tradition Still Matters in a Modern World
We live in an era where everything is sponsored by energy drinks or crypto companies. The milk tradition at Indy 500 feels like a weird holdover from a different America. And that’s exactly why people love it. It’s authentic.
It connects a kid winning in 2026 to a guy like Louis Meyer in 1936. There’s a "Milk Money" bonus involved, too. The American Dairy Association puts up a $10,000 prize for the winner, provided they drink the milk. It’s probably the easiest ten grand an IndyCar driver will ever make, assuming they don't have a sudden urge to promote their own citrus farm.
There are rules, though. Very strict ones.
The bottle must be glass.
The logo must be visible.
The driver has to actually drink it.
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If a driver has a dairy allergy? That’s a conversation that has happened behind the scenes. Usually, the "Milk People" have a plan, but the tradition is so strong that most drivers would probably just suffer through the hives for the sake of the photo op.
How to Follow the Tradition Yourself
If you’re heading to the track or watching from home, the "Milk Order" is usually released to the public a few days before the race. It’s a fun thing to track. You can see which drivers are "Whole Milk" traditionalists and who is trying to be "2%" trendy.
- Watch the handoff: It happens immediately after the car pulls into the winner’s circle.
- Check the label: The bottle usually features the logo of the race and the year. These bottles are highly collectible.
- The "Toast": The winner usually toasts the crowd before dousing themselves.
What You Should Do Next
If you're a fan of racing history, don't just stop at the milk. Research the "Borg-Warner Trophy." It’s the massive silver trophy that features the bas-relief face of every winner. When a driver wins, they get their face sculpted in sterling silver and added to the trophy. There is even a tiny silver face of Louis Meyer—the guy who started the milk thing—somewhere on that massive piece of metal.
For those attending the race, head to the IMS Museum. They often have the historic milk bottles on display. It’s one thing to see it on a 4K screen; it’s another to see the actual glass that touched the lips of a legend.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Track the Polls: Follow the American Dairy Association Indiana on social media. They post the official driver milk preferences every May.
- Collect the Glass: If you’re at the track, look for the commemorative milk bottles sold in the gift shops. They aren't the ones from Victory Lane, but they're the closest you'll get.
- Respect the Buttermilk: While the current tradition uses standard milk, remember that it started with buttermilk. If you really want to be a purist, try a glass of cold buttermilk on race day—just don't expect it to taste like a milkshake.
The Indianapolis 500 is built on these small, strange rituals. From kissing the bricks to the singing of "Back Home Again in Indiana," the milk is just the icing on the cake. Or, more accurately, the cream on the crop. It’s a 90-year-old habit that isn't going anywhere, because in Indiana, some things are just sacred.