On Sunday, May 26th, 32 men and 1 woman will start their engines and rocket around the 2.5 mile, 4-banked corners of Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the quest for an ice cold quart of milk – skim, 2% or whole (with the choice of lactose-free or not), according to the winning driver’s preference. Buttermilk is not offered, nor is chocolate, strawberry, banana or coffee-flavored milk.
This year Alex Neuenschwander, a 4th generation dairy farmer from Bluffton, Indiana, will be the Veteran Milk Presenter. Last year, he passed his rookie presenting duties, delivering milk to the winning team owner (Roger Penske) and chief engineer (Luke Mason). This year he’s been promoted to the milk run at the Winners Circle.
The roots of this tradition date back to 1936, the same year the Hoover Dam was completed. It was the inaugural year during which the now coveted 5’4”, 153 lb., sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy was offered, with 3-time Indy 500 winner Louis Meyer its first recipient. He asked for and received a “refreshing” swig of buttermilk after his gruelling victory from 28th position on the starting grid.
The tradition became a permanent fixture of the Indy 500 experience when the American Dairy Industry decided to offer $400 to the winner and $50 to the winner’s chief mechanic in 1954. What a stroke of marketing genius!
The only driver who has ever broken with this tradition is 2-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, who, in 1993, chose to drink orange juice instead – as a nod to his Brazilian orange plantation. After a huge public outcry and an apology, no Indy 500 winner has dared to refuse milk ever since.
If you aren’t lucky enough to be in the famous Snake Pit as part of this weekend’s Indy 500 festivities, and/or if you find yourself needing more excitement before Sunday’s 108th running of the Indianapolis 500, I encourage you to watch “Winning” (1969), a classic Paul Newman (who raced cars in real life) film about a race car driver who aspires to win the Indy 500.
“Winning isn’t everything. It’s just all there is.” (Paul Newman)
Now that you’ve read today’s blog, why not take what you’ve learned and play today’s matching quiz on your Quizefy app? Many of the answers can be found right here. We publish an on-trend, hint-filled blog at www.quizefy.com every Tuesday, along with a matching quiz in your Quizefy app. We think they’re a great combination and a great way to Strut Your Smart.