The story behind why Indianapolis 500 winners drink milk in victory circle

 

The winner of the upcoming 109th Indianapolis 500 will be given an ice-cold bottle of milk in the victory circle on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

But why milk? When did the tradition begin?

The origin of the tradition was in 1936, when Louis Meyer, after having won his third Indy 500, sat perched on his car and had a bottle of buttermilk in his left hand. 

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But the tradition began with an accident. Meyer drinking the milk post-victory was unplanned. 

“It was a hot day. I came into the garage area … and all I could think of was some nice, cold buttermilk,” Meyer said, per the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website. 

Meyer grew up in Yonkers, New York, and his mother told him that buttermilk would refresh him on a warm day. So, after a grueling race, Meyer wanted the drink he had growing up: buttermilk. 

The milk stuck because the moment of Meyer with the milk was caught by a cameraman. An executive in the dairy industry saw the footage of Meyer and requested that milk be given to every winner of the Indianapolis 500.

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Each winner from 1938 through 1941, and then after the race returned from a hiatus due to World War II in 1946, drank milk in the victory circle. 

However, there was a time when milk was not the drink handed to winners. Wilbur Shaw, who won the Indy 500 in 1937, 1939 and 1940, became president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and implemented some changes.

From 1947 through 1954, the winners of the iconic race were handed cold water in a silver chalice. However, the tradition did not last as Shaw died in a plane crash in 1954, and in 1956 the milk returned.

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But the milk returned as an accessory prize as winners were offered $400 for drinking the milk. 

Since then, 69 consecutive winners of the race and 76 overall winners have enjoyed milk in the victory circle.

The Indy 500 will be broadcast May 25 on FOX with coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET. It will also be available to stream live on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.

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