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Putting a spotlight on dairy at the Indianapolis 500

The Fastest Rookie award luncheon is one of two events that highlights the Indiana dairy industry during race week and on race day.  Deb Osza, general manager of the American Dairy Association of Indiana says the drink of milk in Victory Lane at the Indianapolis 500 is a tradition that puts the dairy industry front and center.

Osza says she’s thankful racing legend Louis Meyer requested a cold drink of buttermilk following his Indy 500 victory in 1933.

Milk became a permanent part of the post-race celebration in 1956 and today she says it opens the door to talk with consumers about the dairy industry.  “We’re able to have some of those conversations and let people know that milk is a great food and its great to drink milk,” she says.  “I think people know the ‘Winners Drink Milk’ slogan that we’ve been using for many, many years and is catching on.  I think people know that winners really do drink milk – and it’s good for you.”

AUDIO: Deb Osza, American Dairy Association of Indiana 

The luncheon is the chance to introduce new drivers to the post-race drink of milk tradition.

This year’s Fastest Rookie is Alexander Rossi of California.  He says taking part in the tradition during the 100^th running of the race is pretty special.  “It’s one of the major things that signifies this race and its history,” he says.  “It’s not just important to the motorsport industry, but the US and globally as well.”

AUDIO: Alexander Rossi, 2016 Fastest Rookie

In celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the race, Osza says this year’s post-race milk-toast will be a little different.  “We’ll have 100,000 milks in honor of the 100^th running of the Indy 500,” she says.  “We’ll have five trucks in five locations in the southwest quadrant of the Speedway.  Put it in your cooler, keep it until it’s time for the toast, and we’ll all toast together.”

Each year drivers are polled prior to the race to see which type of milk they’d prefer if they were to win the Indy 500.  They have the choice of skim, 2 percent, or whole milk – the most popular selection is 2 percent.