02/23/2021
03/12/2021
03/26/2021
04/02/2021
05/21/2021
07/27/2021
08/03/2021
08/10/2021
05/01/2021
03/16/2021
02/19/2021
08/15/2021
07/25/2021
08/01/2021
04/09/2021
03/02/2021
04/23/2021
05/07/2021
Beloved Song Traces Back to 1946
BACK HOME AGAIN
First African-American To Qualify for Indianapolis 500
Willy T. Ribbs
First Woman To Qualify for Indianapolis 500
JANET GUTHRIE
Stars Shine Bright at the Brickyard
CELEBRITIES
A New Era Commences in 2001
HELIO CASTRONEVES
All-Time IMS Speed Record Holder
Arie Luyendyk
Stock Cars Make IMS Debut in 1961
FIRST STOCK CAR TEST
Johnson Rebounds at the Brickyard
2006 Brickyard 400
Menard Scores Shock Win for Family
2011 Brickyard 400
Thanks to Louis Meyer, Winners Drink Milk
THE MILK
BorgWarner Commissioned History in 1936
THE TROPHY
Tribute Quickly Becomes Fan Favorite Tradition
KISS THE BRICKS
Five-Time Brickyard 400 Winner ('94, '98, '01, '04, '14)
JEFF GORDON
Four-Time Brickyard 400 Winner (’06, ’08, ’09, ’12)
JIMMIE JOHNSON
Four-Time Indy 500 Winner (’70, ’71,’78, ’87)
AL UNSER
Four-Time Indy 500 Winner (’61, ’64, ’67, ’77)
A.J. FOYT
Two-Time Indy 500 Winner (’05, ’11)
DAN WHELDON
RICK MEARS
Four-Time Indy 500 Winner (’79, ’84, ’88, ’91)
WHERE TRADITION NEVER STOPS
03/23/2021
03/30/2021
HELIO CASTONEVES
05/04/2021
05/18/2021
Stock Cars Make IMS Debut in 1960
03/09/2021
BORG- WARNER
07/06/2021
04/06/2021
AJ FOYT
04/13/2021
04/20/2021
04/27/2021
07/13/2021
07/20/2021
For more than a century, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been home to some the greatest stories in sports. Each year, millions of race fans around the world witness odds-defying accomplishments that turn time into history and drivers into legends, setting in stone legacies that will live forever. This immersive web series chronicles the greatest moments, traditions and heroes of the Racing Capital of the World, Where Tradition Never Stops.
THIS WEEK’S FEATURES STORY
VIEW STORY
THIS WEEK’S FEATURED STORY:
Picture this: The largest single-day sporting event on the planet is moments away from roaring to life, and the Racing Capital of the World falls silent. The 33 drivers and a crowd of more than 300,000 are ready for an Indianapolis institution: the singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana.”
And for 75 years now, we have all been coming Back Home Again. “Back Home Again in Indiana” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway can be traced back to 1919, when a trackside brass band performed the song as Hoosier Howdy Wilcox was on his way to victory. However, it wasn’t until 1946 that this beloved Indianapolis 500 tradition became a staple of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
On May 30, 1946, the Indianapolis 500 returned from its four-year hiatus due to World War II. To commemorate the special Thursday morning, famed singer James Melton, of the New York Metropolitan Opera and an avid car collector, performed the ballad about one hour before the race began.
Back in a time when pre-race festivities were not common, Melton’s booming voice over the public address brought the Speedway to a hush. The response to Melton’s performance was so overwhelming that he was invited back for the next few years. In 1949, the performance was moved closer to the start of the race, approximately where it is today, and Melton performed several times between 1946 and 1954.
From 1955 through 1972, the pre-race tradition was performed by a rotating cast of celebrities and students from Purdue. The singers were usually a last-minute surprise for fans in attendance. Then, the 1972 surprise stuck around intermittently for the next 42 years.
has accompanied a majority of the “Back Home Again in Indiana” performers since 1946. However, the marching band performing on race morning can be traced back to 1919 when the marching band’s first director, Paul Spotts Emrick, forged a relationship with Indianapolis Motor Speedway management.
– J. Douglas Boles, IMS President
Nabors’ stirring rendition of “Back Home Again in Indiana” was so moving that he was asked to return in 1973 – the first consecutive repeat performer in 20 years – and the next year. And the next year. In all, Nabors sang his way into Hoosier hearts 36 times between 1972 and 2014 and became as much of a “500” tradition as fast cars and Foyt.
In March 2014, Nabors announced that year would be his last performing the revered song, and adoring fans said goodbye to the man who took the microphone as a last-minute favor and gave it back as one of the most beloved figures in racing history.
For the next few years, IMS experimented with who should follow in Nabors’ voice notes as the “Back Home Again in Indiana” singer. Nabors, an Alabama native and resident of Hawaii, had no Hoosier origins, and IMS looked for someone with Indiana ties. Straight No Chaser, a male a cappella group that originated just down the road at Indiana University, performed a stirring rendition in 2015. For the historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500, Josh Kaufman, the season six winner of NBC’s hit show “The Voice,” performed alongside the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. Then, in 2017, IMS struck gold when Indiana University alum and Chicago Blackhawks national anthem singer Jim Cornelison made the trip from Chicago to sing the beloved song.
– Jim Cornelison
The sound of this song fills the Indiana air with a buzz of energy that cannot be explained. Whether Indiana natives or Hoosiers at heart, the words of this special song strike a chord with all of us. Look into the mammoth grandstands and you will see strangers embracing each other, swaying arm-in-arm to the music, while others around them are moved to tears. A sense of appreciation, pride and togetherness consume the legendary Speedway in one of the most special moments in all of sports.
And he hasn’t stopped since.
“ P e r f o r m i n g a t t h e I n d i a n a p o l i s 5 0 0 i s o n e o f t h e u l t i m a t e h i g h l i g h t s a n d p r i v i l e g e s o f m y c a r e e r , a s t h e e l e c t r i c i t y a n d m a g i c o f R a c e D a y a r e i n c r e d i b l e . I ’ m s o g r a t e f u l f o r t h e w a r m w e l c o m e f r o m I n d y 5 0 0 a n d I n d y C a r S e r i e s f a n s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d . ”
– J i m C o r n e l i s o n
“ W e l o v e d t h a t v o i c e , b u t w h a t w e l o v e d m o r e w a s t h e h e a r t . T h e h e a r t o f a m a n w h o u n d e r s t o o d w h a t t h a t m o m e n t m e a n t . ”
– J . D o u g l a s B o l e s , I M S P r e s i d e n t
On the morning of the 1972 Indianapolis 500, IMS owner Tony Hulman ventured into the grandstands and found celebrity Jim Nabors, who was in attendance as a guest of casino magnate Bill Harrah. Hulman spontaneously asked Nabors, famous for his television character Gomer Pyle, if he would like to “sing a song.” Nabors obliged with no idea what he was about to sing for the hundreds of thousands of race fans in attendance, and certainly unprepared to become an Indianapolis Speedway icon.
The Purdue Univeristy All-American Marching Band
This isn’t just a song. It’s an anthem for a community of millions that has turned into its mantra.
“I k n e w e v e r y t i m e ( t h e y ) s a n g t h a t s o n g b e f o r e t h e r a c e , i t w o u l d b e o n e o f t h e f i n a l m o m e n t s o f c a l m b e f o r e w e s t a r t e d r a c i n g . I t h e l p e d s e t t h e s t a g e a n d w a s a l w a y s a g r e a t r e m i n d e r t o m e o f h o w p o w e r f u l ' B a c k H o m e A g a i n ' w a s d u e t o i t s m e a n i n g f o r t h e r a c e . ”
- H E L I O C A S T R O N E V E S
BACK HOME AGAIN–75 YEARS
THE YEARS
T H E P e r f o r m E R S
THROUGHOUT
Check back soon to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Dan Wheldon's incredible 2011 Indy 500 victory.
years
decade
2017-Present
2016
2015
2008-2014
2007
1987-2006
1986
1985
1983-1984
1982
1981
1980
1979
1972-1978
1971
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
1964
1963
1962
1961
1960
1959
1958
1957
1956
1955
1954
1952-1953
1951
1950
1949
1946-1948
Jim Cornelison (IU Alum, Chicago Blackhawks Anthem Singer)
Josh Kaufman with Indianapolis Children’s Choir (Indy-based singer, winner of “The Voice”)
Straight No Chaser (Male a cappella group, IU origins)
Jim Nabors
Race Fans and Purdue “All-American” Marching Band
John Davies with 74th U.S. Army Band (Indianapolis Opera Co.) *Nabors couldn’t make rescheduled race date
Walt Disney World Singers
Louis Sudler (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Phil Harris (Musician and voice actor – “The Jungle Book,” “The Aristocats”)
Richard Smith (Purdue Glee Club soloist)
Peter Marshall (The Hollywood Squares)
Jim Nabors (“The Andy Griffith Show”)
Peter DePaolo (1925 Indy 500 winner)
Saverio Saridis (NYC Policeman-turned vocalist)
Mack Shultz (Purdue student, Varsity Glee Club)
Purdue “All-American” Marching Band
Russell Wunderlich (Purdue Varsity Glee Club member)
Ed Ames (Actor/singer)
Johnny Desmond (Actor/musician)
Vic Damone (Singer)
Brian Sullivan
David Cochard (Purdue student, Varsity Glee Club)
Mel Tormé (Celebrated Jazz singer)
Dennis Morgan (Actor/singer)
Purdue Varsity Glee Club ( Men’s vocal ensemble founded in 1893)
Jerome Hines (New York Metropolitan Opera)
Brian Sullivan (New York Metropolitan Opera)
Dinah Shore (Singer/TV Personality)
James Melton
Morton Downey Sr. (Singer)
Frank Parrish
Frank Parrish (Indianapolis singer, radio personality)
James Melton (New York Metropolitan Opera)
NEXT STORY >> hero: dan wheldon's 10 anniversary.
NEXT STORY >> MOMENT: THE trailblazing tale of Willy T. Ribbs.
No, the winner of the Indianapolis 500 does not get to keep the Borg-Warner Trophy, not even for a minute. It is permanently housed and displayed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. They do, however, get a miniature version of the trophy. Officially called the BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy, it is affectionately referred to as the “Baby Borg.” And if it weren’t for four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears, this trophy might not exist. Starting in 1936, the winner of the race received a wooden plaque with a small, half replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy affixed on it as their take-home prize. After the 1988 Public Drivers’ Meeting, Mears inquired with BorgWarner representatives about how much it would cost to get two more halves of the replica trophy, because he wanted to build miniature versions of the trophy on a base. Oh, and he also wanted a copy of his face that is featured on the Borg-Warner Trophy that he could put on that base. The next day, Mears won his third “500,” and he assumed his inquiry got lost in the hype that surrounds the race. However, he got a call a month later from BorgWarner telling him that they were creating a new trophy, called a “Baby Borg.” The kicker? It was exactly what Mears had described. In January 1989, Mears received a 14-inch version of the Borg-Warner Trophy with his likeness sculpted on the black marble base, and so has every winning driver since.
“BABY BORG”
In 1998, BorgWarner established the BorgWarner Championship Team Owner’s Trophy so owners can have a keepsake from the monumental win, as well. This trophy is different, though, as it features a band of Art Deco race cars accented in gold to symbolize the importance of teamwork.
“I don’t know how much I had to do with it other than we just had the conversation, but it was great. It did surprise me. They basically did what I was wanting to do with mine. It did cross my mind, but I just thought it was cool, whether it was because I said anything or not. It’s a classy trophy.”
– RICK MEARS
In 1935, Borg-Warner Corporation commissioned designer Robert J. Hill and Spaulding-Gorham Inc. to create a commemorative trophy honoring the winner of the Indianapolis 500. In early 1936, then-Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker unveiled the trophy at a dinner, declaring it the annual prize for Indianapolis 500 winners. While the trophy was new when it arrived that May, it also went back in time. Sculpted on the trophy’s cup were the 24 faces of every race winner from 1911 through 1935 with their name, year and average speed engraved below their quarter-sized faces. The trophy in its original form was 52 inches tall, 80 pounds of sterling silver and cost $10,000. Over time, the trophy has grown. Originally crafted to commemorate 70 race winners (the last being Bobby Rahal in 1986), two bases have been added to the trophy in 1987, and 2004. The trophy is now valued at $3.5 milion, and the current base can accommodate each Indy 500 winner through 2033. It is pure coincidence that Louis Meyer, one of the most influential people in Indy 500 history because of his love for buttermilk, which spawned the tradition of the winner drinking milk, was the first recipient of the trophy. However, the trophy didn’t appear in Victory Lane until 1939, when another iconic name won the “500” – Wilbur Shaw.
– Louis Meyer
– Simon Pagenaud
The Borg- Warner Trophy
is so recognizable because it is one of the most constant pieces of the Indianapolis 500 aside from the racetrack itself. Celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2021, the Borg-Warner Trophy has lived through three different Speedway ownership groups, one World War and 82 500-Mile races. There’s nothing else like it. The name, year and average speed of each winner is engraved on the trophy, but what sets this work of art apart from the rest is the faces.
The Borg-Warner Trophy is one of the most recognizable prizes in all of sports. It’s art, speed and elegance all wrapped in one, chronicling every moment of the Indianapolis 500 it has witnessed.
BORG-WARNER – 85 YEARS
The sculpting of the face happens over a period of months, and world-renowned sculptor Will Behrends is the face behind the faces. Behrends got his first opportunity to create a face for the Borg-Warner Trophy in 1990, when BorgWarner commissioned a different prominent American sculptor each year. BorgWarner and the Speedway were so captivated by how Behrends captured 1990 winner Arie Luyendyk’s luscious locks of hair that they have continued to commission him ever since.
SCULPTING GREATNESS
BorgWarner Inc.
“I’m humbled to have my work on the Borg-Warner Trophy, because it is a piece of art and a piece of our culture. It’s absolutely the best, most prestigious trophy out there in sports. I have to pinch myself.”
– Will Behrends
Behrends’ work begins shortly after the race is over when the winning driver sits for a photoshoot that gives provides a 360-degree view of their head. He then takes those photographs and creates a life-sized version of their head, as he describes in the video below about the process following the 100th Running of the Indy 500 in 2016 After nailing down the details on the life-sized version, he replicates it on a smaller scale – smaller than an egg – to fit on the trophy. It’s not done mechanically or digitally. Simply by memory and two hands. Back in 1990, Behrends mixed his own clay to build Luyendyk’s face – enough for just one face (in his defense, he thought this was a one-year gig). As Behrends has been brought back for 30 years now, he has used the exact same clay every year. Behrends said the clay model of the winner sits on his shelf for a year until a new winner is crowned, and only then does he morph the previous winner’s face into the next winner’s likeness.
• At 74,538-square feet and 303 feet tall by 246 feet wide, the world largest Borg-Warner Trophy was featured on the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis, welcoming race fans for the 100th Running in 2016.
• There is one gold face on the Borg-Warner Trophy: Former Speedway owner Tony Hulman, whose face was the first one to be featured on the base in 1987.
• There are two sets of two drivers’ faces for one year on the trophy, as they co-drove to victory: L.L. Corum / Joe Boyer in 1924 and Floyd Davis / Mauri Rose in 1941.
• Four-time winner A.J. Foyt has just two different faces on the trophy. The same likeness was used for his wins in 1961, ’64 and ’67, while a second likeness was used in 1977.
• Al Unser’s 1970 likeness is the last to feature an open-face helmet.
• 1983 winner Tom Sneva is the only driver on the trophy wearing glasses, at his request.
• There are 13 countries and 21 U.S. states represented on the trophy.
FUN FACTS
BORG-WARNER–85 YEARS
It’s one of the most recognizable trophies in all of sports. It’s art, speed and elegance all wrapped in one that has chronicled every moment of the Indianapolis 500 that it has witnessed.
“The trophy and BorgWarner have a big impact on this event. It’s amazing to think this likeness will live forever. No other trophy gives you that except the Borg-Warner Trophy.”
is so recognizable because it is one of the most constant pieces of the Indianapolis 500 aside from the racetrack itself. Celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2021, the Borg-Warner Trophy has lived through three different Speedway ownership groups, one World War and 82 500-Mile races. There’s nothing else like it. The name, year and speed of each winner is engraved on the trophy, but what sets this work of art apart from the rest is the faces. These faces don’t just honor the newly crowned winner, their position on the trophy cements their place in history alongside every winner of this legendary sporting event.
In 1935, Borg-Warner Corporation commissioned designer Robert J. Hill and Spaulding-Gorham Inc. to create a commemorative trophy honoring the winner of the Indianapolis 500. In early 1936, then-Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker unveiled the trophy at a dinner, declaring it the annual prize for Indianapolis 500 winners. While the trophy was new when it arrived that May, it also went back in time. Sculpted on the trophy’s cup were the 24 faces of every race winner from 1911 through 1935 with their name, year and average speed engraved below their quarter-sized faces.
ORIGINS
The trophy in its original form was 52 inches tall, 80 pounds of sterling silver and cost $10,000. Over time, the trophy has grown. Originally crafted to commemorate 70 race winners (the last being Bobby Rahal in 1986), two bases have been added to the trophy in 1987, and 2004. Now valued at $3.5 million, the current base can accommodate each Indy 500 winner through 2033. It is pure coincidence that Louis Meyer, one of the most influential people in Indy 500 history because of his love for buttermilk, was the first recipient of the trophy. However, the trophy didn’t appear in Victory Lane until 1939, when another iconic name won the “500” – Wilbur Shaw.
• The trophy in its original form was 52 inches tall, 80 pounds of sterling silver and cost $10,000.
• There are two sets of two drivers’ faces for one year on the trophy: L.L. Corum / Joe Boyer in 1924 and Floyd Davis / Mauri Rose in 1941.
“Winning the Borg-Warner Trophy is like winning an Olympic medal.”
Behrends’ work begins shortly after the race is over when the winning driver sits for a photo shoot that provides a 360-degree view of their head. He then takes those photographs and creates a life-sized version of their head in his studio in the hills of western North Carolina. After nailing down the details on the life-sized version, Behrends replicates it on a smaller scale – smaller than an egg – to fit on the trophy. It’s not done mechanically or digitally. Simply by memory and two hands. Back in 1990, Behrends mixed his own clay to build Luyendyk’s face – enough for just one face (in his defense, he thought this was a one-year gig). As Behrends has been brought back for 30 years now, he has used the exact same clay every year. Behrends said that the clay model of the winner sits on his self for a year until a new winner is crowned, and only then does he morph the previous winner’s face into the next winner’s likeness.
The sculpting of the face happens over a period of months, and world-renowned sculptor Will Behrends is the face behind the faces. Behrends got his first opportunity to create a face for the Borg-Warner Trophy in 1990 when BorgWarner commissioned a different prominent American sculptor each year. BorgWarner and the Speedway were so captivated by how Behrends captured 1990 winner Arie Luyendyk’s luscious lochs of hair that they have continued to commission him ever since.
In 1998, BorgWarner established the BorgWarner Championship Team Owner’s Trophy so that owners can have a keepsake from the monumental win as well. This trophy is different, though, as it features a band of art deco race cars accented in gold to symbolize the importance of teamwork.
No, the winner of the Indianapolis 500 does not get to keep the Borg-Warner Trophy, not even for a minute. It is permanently housed and displayed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. They do, however, get a miniature version of the trophy. Officially called the BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy, it is affectionately referred to as the “Baby Borg.” And if it weren’t for four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears, this trophy might not exist. Starting in 1936, the winner of the race received a wooden plaque with a small, half replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy affixed on it as their take-home prize. After the 1988 public drivers’ meeting, Mears inquired with BorgWarner representatives about how much it would cost to get two more halves of the replica trophy, because he wanted to build miniature versions of the trophy on a base. Oh, and he also wanted a copy of his face that is featured on the Borg-Warner Trophy that he could put on that base. The next day, Mears won his third “500,” and he assumed his inquiry got lost in the hype that surrounds the race. However, he got a call a month later from BorgWarner telling him that they were creating a new trophy, called a “Baby Borg.” The kicker? It was exactly what Mears had described. In January 1989, Mears received a 14-inch version of the Borg-Warner Trophy with his likeness sculpted on the black marble base, and so has every winning driver since.
NEXT STORY >> MOMENT: the trailblazing tale of Willy T. Ribbs.
THE MILK–85 YEARS
An ice-cold bottle of milk after 500 miles of racing is one of the most iconic celebrations in all of sports. It is a simple representation of a lifetime of dreams, a symbol of our proudest moments and motivation for 33 of the best drivers in the world to achieve the unimaginable. Whether it’s Simon Pagenaud’s face covered entirely in milk or white droplets flying off Takuma Sato’s hat, chugging milk in Victory Circle after winning the Indianapolis 500 is an iconic tradition and creates scenes that last a lifetime.
– Jill Houin
“Water from Wilbur”
When the Indianapolis 500 returned from its four-year hiatus due to the war, it was under the ownership of Tony Hulman. Now, another three-time Indy 500 winner was orchestrating the post-race drink of choice.
Shaw died in a private plane crash in October 1954, and “Water from Wilbur” continued a little while longer until being retired as milk made its return with the help of dairy industry executives.
Now, for the 65th consecutive 500-Mile race and 72nd time overall, the winner of the 2021 Indianapolis 500 will drink milk.
The origin of the milk tradition at the Indianapolis 500 is simple, really.
After having just won his third Indy 500 in 1936, Louis Meyer parked his No. 8 machine in Victory Circle and sat atop it, exhausted from making history as the first person to win the “500” for a third time. With a cheering crowd around him, Meyer held up three fingers with his right hand, and in his left hand he held a bottle of buttermilk. “Somebody has given him a bottle of milk,” the announcer remarked nearly a century ago. “Well, that race would make anybody thirsty.” Simple as that. And the rest, as they say, is history.
– Donald Davidson
Meyer was a regular drinker of buttermilk, dating back to his childhood days in Yonkers, New York. His mother told him buttermilk would refresh him on a hot day, and it was a personal preference he carried. Meyer claimed he drank milk at IMS in 1933, the year he won the race for a second time. Considering it was his drink of choice, he likely did so. However, there is no photographic evidence of this, and 1934 winner Bill Cummings and 1935 winner Kelly Petillo did not drink milk after their respective wins in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
As the story goes, a dairy industry executive saw the footage and enthusiastically requested milk be made available to the winner of each Indianapolis 500 thereafter. Each winner from 1938 through 1941, and in 1946 after the race returned from hiatus due to World War II, drank milk in Victory Circle.
Little did that cameraman know he had just capturedone of the most significant moments in Indy 500 history.
So why, then, did Meyer’s milk stick after 1936? It all goes back to that scene above with Meyer holding a bottle of milk. That moment was captured by a Movietone News cameraman. Movietone News was a newsreel that ran in the United States from 1928 through 1963.
A Defining Drink
Each year, two Indiana dairy farmers are present in Victory Circle. One practices the handoff of the ice-cold milk to the winning driver, while the other delivers bottles of milk to the winning chief mechanic and team owner.
The “rookie,” as the latter is referred to, must also take notes, because they will be the one performing the coveted handoff the following year. In 2020, Plymouth, Indiana, dairy farmer Jill Houin delivered Takuma Sato his bottle of milk in Victory Circle.
2020 – Takuma Sato: 2% milk | 2019 – Simon Pagenaud: Whole milk 2018 – Will Power: No Preference | 2017 – Takuma Sato: 2% milk 2016 – Alexander Rossi: 2% milk | 2015 – Juan Pablo Montoya: Whole milk 2014 – Ryan Hunter-Reay: 2% milk | 2013 – Tony Kanaan: 2% milk 2012 – Dario Franchitti: Whole milk | 2011 - Dan Wheldon: Fat-free milk
These days, buttermilk is no longer offered as an option. All 33 drivers entered in the Indianapolis 500 submit their milk preference to the Dairy Association in advance. They can choose between fat-free, 2%, whole milk or no preference. Whole milk is the most popular choice, but there are some drivers that still request buttermilk in honor of Meyer.
NEXT STORY >> MOMENT: CELEBRITIES of the Indy 500.
In 1956, milk returned, this time being offered as an accessory prize. The winner received $400 for drinking milk, and his chief mechanic was awarded an additional $50. That year, the prize went to Pat Flaherty, who coincidentally enough was an avid drinker of milk due to a slight calcium deficiency.
Wilbur Shaw, the winner of the 1937, ‘39 and ‘40 Indianapolis 500s, was president and general manager of IMS. In place of milk, Shaw handed the winning drivers from 1947 through 1954 cold water in a silver chalice. Engraved on the cup was “Water from Wilbur.”
An ice cold bottle of milk after 500 miles of racing is one of the most iconic celebrations in all of sports. It is a simple representation of a lifetime of dreams, a symbol of our proudest moments and motivation for 33 of the best drivers in the world to achieve the unimaginable. Whether it’s Simon Pagenaud’s face covered entirely in milk or white droplets flying off Takuma Sato’s hat, chugging milk in Victory Circle after winning the Indianapolis 500 is an iconic tradition and creates scenes that last a lifetime.
Meyer was a regular drinker of buttermilk, dating back to his childhood days in Yonkers, New York. His mother told him buttermilk would refresh him on a hot day, and it was a personal preference he carried himself. Meyer claimed he drank milk at IMS in 1933, the year he won the race for a second time. Considering it was his drink of choice, he likely did so. However, there is no photographic evidence of this, and 1934 winner Bill Cummings and 1935 winner Kelly Petillo did not drink milk after their respective wins in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Little did that cameraman know they had just captured one of the most significant moments in Indy 500 history.
When the Indianapolis 500 returned from its four-year hiatus due to the War, it was under the ownership of Tony Hulman. Now, another three-time Indy 500 winner was orchestrating the post-race drink of choice. Wilbur Shaw, the winner of the 1937, ‘39 and ‘40 Indianapolis 500s, was president and general manager of IMS. In place of milk, Shaw handed the winning drivers from 1947 through 1954 cold water in a silver chalice. Engraved on the cup was “Water from Wilbur.”
Shaw died in a private plane crash in October 1954, and “Water from Wilbur” continued a little while longer until being retired as milk made its return with the help of dairy industry executives. In 1956, milk returned, this time being offered as an accessory prize. The winner received $400 for drinking milk, and his chief mechanic was awarded an additional $50. That year, the prize went to Pat Flaherty, who coincidentally enough was an avid drinker of milk due to a slight calcium deficiency.
When the Indianapolis 500 returned from its four-year hiatus due to the War, it was under the ownership of Tony Hulman. Now, another three-time Indy 500 winner was orchestrating the post-race drink of choice.
Each year, two Indiana dairy farmers are present in Victory Circle. One practices the hand-off of the ice cold milk to the winning driver, while the other delivers bottles of milk to the winning chief mechanic and team owner. The “rookie,” as the latter is referred to, must also take notes, because they will be the one performing the coveted handoff the following year. In 2020, Plymouth, Indiana, dairy farmer Jill Houin delivered Takuma Sato his bottle of milk in Victory Circle.
2020 – Takuma Sato: 2% milk 2019 – Simon Pagenaud: Whole milk 2018 – Will Power: No Preference 2017 – Takuma Sato: 2% milk 2016 – Alexander Rossi: 2% milk 2015 – Juan Pablo Montoya: Whole milk 2014 – Ryan Hunter-Reay: 2% milk 2013 – Tony Kanaan: 2% milk 2012 – Dario Franchitti: Whole milk 2011- Dan Wheldon: Fat-free milk
Check back next week to learn which celebrities can't get enough of the Indy 500.
The last 10 drinks
