() A sold-out crowd of about 350,000 will eagerly watch to see who crosses the Indy 500 race finish line first at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.
When the 109th champion is crowned at Victory Lane, he can expect to chug a refreshing drink of a nice, cold glass of… milk. Not water, but milk.
The tradition started in 1936 when driver Louis Meyer drank buttermilk in Victory Lane when he was hot and thirsty after the race. Over a century later, the custom is synonymous with racing culture.
Each year, two Indiana dairy farmers carry out the tradition. This year, for only the second time in history, the milk presenters will both be women: rookie Ashley Stockwell and veteran milk presenter Abbie Herr.
“My daughters, they definitely think I’m a little bit cooler. And I asked them the other day, ‘Would you guys want to be handing out the milk?’ They’re like, ‘Yeah, yeah, one day I want to,’ so to think that that’s even inspiring them,” Herr said. “It is so cool to think that this is only the second time and to be a part of history. I mean, we’re already a part of a great tradition and history here at the track, and to be two women presenters doing it. It’s going to be so exciting.”
The milk will be in a special case under lock and key until the end of the race.
Each competing driver picks their choice of milk. Twenty-nine picked whole milk, while four picked 2%. For the first time this year, fans can buy their own at concession stands.
Although buttermilk was the tradition’s first annual drink, it is no longer an option. The kind Meyer drank was left over from his mom’s butter, whereas dairy products today are highly produced and perishable, the American Dairy Association Indiana told the Indy Star in 2019.
