Indiana Dairy Association Milk Preference Poll: Whole milk still the favorite among this year’s Indy 500 drivers

INDIANAPOLIS — The results are in, and whole milk is still the favorite among this year’s Indianapolis 500 drivers.

The Indiana Dairy Association released the results of its annual milk preferences poll on Tuesday afternoon. The IDA found that 26 of the drivers participating in the 108th Indianapolis 500 prefer whole milk. Five drivers want 2% milk if they win the race on Sunday. Two others indicated that they like skim milk.

According to the IDA , the Indianapolis 500’s milk tradition began in 1936, when driver Louis Meyer requested buttermilk to quench his thirst after winning the race. Since that day 88 years ago, it has become a ceremonial practice for winning drivers to receive a glass bottle of milk from an Indiana dairy farmer after the race.

As the tradition has developed, the phrase “Winners Drink Milk” has been coined by race officials and the IDA.

Now, two dairy farmers carry milk at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every year. Each dairy farmer is given two years by a dedicated milk deliverer.

During their first year, dairy farmers are considered to be rookies. The IDA’s rookies deliver milk to winning chief mechanics and team owners.

After their first year of training, dairy farmers return for a second Indianapolis 500. During their second race, the farmers become the IDA’s official Milk Person and give the winning driver their dairy beverage of choice.

Each year, drivers can choose to have skim, 2% or whole milk brought to them. Below is a complete list of preferences given to the IDA by this year’s Indianapolis 500 drivers:

• Scott McLaughlin — Whole
• Will Power — Whole
• Josef Newgarden — Whole
• Alexander Rossi — Whole
• Kyle Larson — Whole
• Santino Ferrucci — Whole
• Rinus VeeKay — Whole
• Pato O’Ward — 2%
• Felix Rosenqvist — Whole
• Takuma Sato — 2%
• Kyle Kirkwood — Whole
• Ryan Hunter-Reay —Whole
• Colton Herta — Whole
• Alex Palou — Whole
• Callum Ilott — Whole
• Marcus Armstrong — Whole
• Ed Carpenter — Whole
• Kyffin Simpson — Whole
• Marco Andretti — Whole
• Helio Castroneves — 2%
• Scott Dixon — Whole
• Agustin Canapino —Whole
• Sting Ray Robb — Whole
• Christian Rasmussen — Skim
• Tom Blomqvist — Whole
• Romain Grosjean — 2%
• Linus Lundqvist — Whole
• Christian Lundgaard — Skim
• Conor Daly — Whole
• Pietro Fittipaldi — Whole
• Katherine Legge— Whole
• Marcus Ericsson — Whole
• Graham Rahal — 2%

Multiple drivers changed their milk preferences from 2023 to 2024 . Last year, Katherine Legge and Romain Grosjean both requested skim milk. Ahead of the 108th Indy 500, Legge and Grosjean indicated they wanted whole and 2%, respectively.

Pato O’Ward wanted whole milk in 2023. He changed his preference to 2% this year.

Previous reporting indicates Indiana is home to more than 700 dairy farms. About 95% of those farms are family-owned.

The Hoosier State’s dairy farms house more than 174,000 cows. The Indiana State Department of Agriculture has reported that Indiana is home to more than 20 dairy processing plants.

ISDA data also indicates that Indiana ranks 14th in the nation in milk production.

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