Ahead of the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 the drivers’ choices of their potential race-winning drink of milk have been revealed.
The victor’s milk is one of the many traditions which surrounds the prestigious event along with the 33-car field, the singing of ‘Back Home Again In Indiana’, and the winner kissing of the yard of bricks.
It first began in 1933 when Louis Meyer won his second Indy 500 and chose to drink a glass of buttermilk; upon winning for the third time in 1936 he drank milk again, but did so from a large glass bottle and thus the tradition began.
There was a hiatus on milk from 1946 through 1955, but since 1956 the tradition has carried on every year, albeit with the occasional controversy.
After winning his second Indy 500 in 1993 Emerson Fittipaldi greatly upset the post-race tradition when he chose to drink orange juice in order to promote his own 500,000-acre grove in his native Brazil.
He did follow it up with a glug of the milk on offer but still issued a statement of apology shortly after the event.
The American Dairy Association of Indiana polls the 33 drivers ahead of the event for their preference with three official options of whole, skimmed or two per cent.
However, this has not stopped some drivers asking for a different choice, such as Ed Carpenter or Simona De Silvestro, who have written in to have buttermilk, while two-time winner Juan Pablo Montoya has asked for chocolate.
However, officially, all three have made their traditional choices, as noted on the list below.
To go with the estimated $1.75million prize money, drivers are also offered a further $10,000 by the ADAI to drink the milk in victory lane.
The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday May 30.
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