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Rookies make milk choice at IMS, highlighting history of the tradition

WFYI Public Media | By Jill Sheridan

Published May 20, 2026 at 2:51 PM EDT

Bertha is a dairy cow from Purdue University Dairy Farm, rookie Jacob Abel took a turn at milking Bertha at the rookie celebration.

Of all the traditions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, milk may be the most refreshing. For 90 years, winners of the Indianapolis 500 have celebrated with a glass bottle of milk.

All drivers have to choose what milk they would drink ahead of the running of the Indianapolis 500. They can choose between whole, two percent or skim milk.

The 52nd annual Rookie Celebration at the IMS highlighted the tradition ahead of the 110th Running of the 500 this week. Rookie Jacob Able said he chose whole milk. He said he had a complicated past with the drink.

"My parents used to make me sit at the dinner table until I finished my glass of milk, and I'd be there for hours some nights," Able said, "So I've really come full circle on this whole milk thing."

Able joined the event with fellow rookies Mick Schumacher, Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger. He even milked a dairy cow from the Purdue University Dairy Farm. Bertha, a 6-year old female, produces 80 lbs of milk a day.

Three time winner Louis Meyer first requested buttermilk, and the tradition just stuck. American Dairy Association Director of Communications Brooke Williams said it is one of the longest track traditions.

"The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is big on tradition and having a drink of milk as part of it since 1936 – I'll say it's priceless," Williams said.

There are two official milk presenters every year, both are Indiana dairy farmers. Indiana is home to nearly 700 dairy farms and most of them are family owned. Every year a rookie presenter is chosen and then they move up to a veteran position.

Williams said the presenters are in charge of delivering the milk to the winner, and it is serious business.

"It's [the milk] held under lock and key," Williams said, "We bring in a cooler that goes immediately into the pagoda and it gets locked up, and with 25 laps left, we go and get the cooler, and then we have the milk poll with us to let us know what driver chose what type of milk."

Whole milk is the most popular choice of the drivers.

Contact WFYI Managing Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org