Find out why the winner of the Indy 500 drinks milk in victory lane!
The tradition of the Indy 500 winner drinking milk dates back to 1936 when Louis Meyer drank buttermilk after his third victory, inspired by his mother’s advice as a child.
The tradition started when a film captured Meyer’s buttermilk consumption that year, and a marketing executive ensured milk was provided to winners from 1938-1941, continuing after the war in 1946.
Between 1947 and 1955, winners drank water until milk returned in 1956—years before champagne became popular in motorsports.
In 1993, F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi broke the tradition by choosing orange juice after his second Indy 500 win, favoring promotion of his citrus farms from Brazil.
Despite Fittipaldi’s deviation, nearly every Indy 500 winner since 1956 has opted for milk in victory lane, with different milk options available to drivers, such as whole milk, 2%, or fat-free.
