WHY THE INDY 500 WINNER ALWAYS DRINKS MILK AFTER
THE RACE
By AARON HOMER
History - Science
The reason Indy 500 winners drink milk has to do with two of the most important threads in the American cultural fabric: mothers, and marketing. Back in 1936, Louis Meyer won the big race and took a swig of milk while cameras were snapping, because his mother suggested that a glass of milk would be refreshing on a hot day.
An unidentified dairy industry executive saw this as an opportunity for a marketing tie-in, contracts were signed, and Indy 500 winners have been drinking milk following their win ever since. Ironically Meyer was drinking buttermilk, a dairy product that is close to but not exactly regular milk — and it was fresh from his mom's farm, at that.
Even if you’re lactose intolerant or don’t like milk, if you enter the Indianapolis 500, you will be getting milk — although you can request lactose-free milk. Additionally, the rules state that milk has to be white, so the cameras will see that you're drinking milk, which rules out strawberry or chocolate milk.
While some have hesitantly taken the smallest sip or poured the milk over their uniforms, one driver, Emerson Fittipaldi, refused the customary glass of milk for a glass of orange juice, earning the jeers of the crowd. That 1993 incident got his boss, team owner Roger Penske, to "encourage" him to take a sip of milk, which he did.