Indy 500 winners always celebrate with a bottle of milk, and they get to choose what kind.
The 2020 Indianapolis 500 is going to look significantly different this year compared with previous race days, particularly because of the empty grandstands and the fact that it was pushed back to August from May because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But plenty of details from one of the biggest motor sports events in the world will remain the same, including the celebratory bottle of milk the eventual Indy 500 winners drink and pour over their heads. Now, a bottle of milk after several hours of racing on a hot summer day might not sound terribly appealing, but at least the drivers get to enjoy their preferred variety of milk.
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The American Dairy Association Indiana is in charge of delivering the milk to the driver after the Indy 500. And so it knows what type to bring out, it polls the drivers beforehand. The options are whole milk, two percent or fat-free, and here’s a look at what type of milk each 2020 Indy 500 driver selected this year.
The 2020 #Indy500 Milk Preference Poll is here. 24 drivers select whole milk. 1 driver selects fat-free. 2 drivers write in buttermilk though it's not an official option. #WinnersDrinkMilkpic.twitter.com/w2yAuIYTy3
As in previous years, whole milk is the top choice this time around, and the same goes for James Hinchcliffe and Ed Carpenter asking for the traditional buttermilk, even though that’s not an option.
“Whole milk. Originally, I said buttermilk because Louis Meyer did it, and then my friend gave me some. I’m not drinking that after a hot race. Man, it’s gross.”
Why buttermilk or milk at all? The tradition dates back to the 1936 Indy 500, and it actually started with buttermilk, as Indianapolis Motor Speedway explains:
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Louis Meyer regularly drank buttermilk to refresh himself on a hot day and happened to drink some in Victory Lane as a matter of habit after winning the 1936 race. An executive with what was then the Milk Foundation was so elated when he saw the moment captured in a photograph in the sports section of his newspaper the following morning that he vowed to make sure it would be repeated in coming years. There was a period between 1947-55 when milk was apparently no longer offered, but the practice was revived in 1956 and has been a tradition ever since.
So here’s how it works: The designated “milk people” — yes, that’s what they’re actually called — from the American Dairy Association Indiana have three bottles, one for each milk choice, chilled and waiting in a cooler, which one of the milk people is handcuffed to. When the race is over, they consult the above list and grab the correct bottle for the winner to celebrate with.
The 104th running of the Indy 500 is Sunday, August 23 at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.
“In 15 years, this might be my best shot” at winning the Indy 500, Marco Andretti told For The Win.
The Indianapolis 500 isn’t until Sunday, but Marco Andretti is already making race history — and family history too.
After a strong performance this weekend during the initial qualifying session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one of the biggest races in the world, Andretti won the Fast Nine Shootout for the prestigious pole position to lead the field to green.
And that means the 104th Indy 500 will mark the first time since 1987 that a member of the Andretti family will start on the pole. And Marco, looking to follow his grandfather, legendary racer Mario Andretti, could be the first Andretti in more than five decades to win it all.
Monday, For The Win spoke with Marco — who drives the No. 98 Honda for his father Michael’s team, Andretti Autosport — about winning the pole, his chances of winning the Indy 500 (1 p.m. ET, NBC) and whether or not the Andretti Curse, supposedly precluding the family from winning the race, is real.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
(Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)
You were the last driver to hit the track in the Fast Nine Shootout for the Indy 500 pole. What went through your mind as you climbed into the car to get ready?
I tried to clear my mind because there are so many things that we have to think about, and I just was so focused on the task at hand. Instead of thinking of the what-ifs, it was just: Execute. It was windy, so inside the car, I was very busy on the cockpit tools.
It came down to a gear shift, doing it just perfectly from first to second yesterday. We were so close so I just knew that if we nailed it and did everything right that we’d be on pole, and we did.
With such a storied family history in racing and your grandfather, Mario Andretti, winning the 1969 Indy 500 and three Indy poles, what does it mean to you to be the first Andretti to start this race on the pole in 33 years?
It’s pretty cool. I was two months old, and I was probably here, actually. I was born in March, so yeah, May 33 years ago. That’s crazy. They told me that stat yesterday, and it’s super special. Hopefully, I can be the first one in 51 years to win.
Who was more excited for you or your grandfather?
Maybe him, to be honest. It was awesome. I come here to win the race, but yesterday did feel like a win to me regardless. The support’s been crazy. I think the whirlwind that comes with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in combination with my family has just been incredible with the support — even with my peers and competitors.
I haven’t talked to him yet, but I saw an interview that he did. He said he jumped so high he hit the ceiling. You know, my grandfather, I don’t think he’s that tall, so I don’t know. He must have been pretty excited.
Marco and Mario Andretti before qualifying for the 2015 Indianapolis 500. (AP Photo/Sam Riche)
So is the Andretti Curse real?
I keep saying: Not in August, it’s not. So far, it’s just been incredible. Every time we go out on the track, we’ve been the quickest. So I’m trying not to assess it very much. I’m trying to just keep it going. I think our family plays with it with the media because it’s a huge story, but when we really talk internally, we’re really a blessed family. We’re unscathed. This is a very dangerous sport, and we’ve been able to do it and not get hurt. So I think we’re pretty lucky.
You said you haven’t talked with your grandfather, Mario, yet, but what did your dad, Michael, have to say after you won the pole?
We didn’t really have to say much to each other. I think the pair of us both knew. We hugged each other, but I think we both were just in such a sigh of relief because we knew how much I needed that, and it was right on time. The way this season’s gone, we’ve been super fast, but there’s been so much stuff go wrong that it’s just been like, “What’s going to happen next?”
But thank God for yesterday. It really lit a fire and ignited the team again. You could see the pep in their step, and that’s what we needed because now, I think we’re going to be tough to beat.
Have people outside of the racing world reached out to congratulate you? I saw Ice-T gave you a shoutout on Twitter.
Yeah, I have a lot of really cool friends, and the support has just been incredible. I was at dinner last night, and I left dinner and got in bed with 500 text messages, and I’m like, “Alright, I’ll answer a few.” And then I ended up getting through them all, and I’m like, “Oh my god, it’s three in the morning.”
How would you compare your chance to win this year from the pole with past years?
I was talking to Dad about this. In 15 years, this might be my best shot at it, and in 15 years, I was close to winning the race maybe four times. But I think as far as dominance goes, this has got to be No. 1. It’s been incredible. Every time we go out, it’s just been quick.
Speed is the No. 1 hurdle when you get to the speedway. It’s just the horsepower. Are we going to be fast? And we have that. So now, it’s about executing everything in our power, and then if the stars align, we win the race. So we’ll see. We’re just going to try to do our job.
Have you decided what kind of milk you’ll drink if you win?
Whole milk. Originally, I said buttermilk because Louis Meyer did it, and then my friend gave me some. I’m not drinking that after a hot race. Man, it’s gross.
Did you happen to see the video of Team Penske drivers cheering you on and celebrating your pole?
Before practice our guys were watching #Indy500 qualifying.
I was just so humbled to see that. It was so cool. Those guys are goofs. They’re so funny. And then when they stopped celebrating, they were like, “Wait, why are we celebrating?” It was so funny to see.
I think a lot of my friends and peers — they’ve seen a lot of heartbreak that I’ve gone through in this sport and been so close on so many wins and races and come up short. So it felt really good to me to see that.
What do you think that says about the IndyCar community when your competitors in one of the biggest races in the world are cheering for you to start out front?
I think it’s a community, but I think it’s that I have some pretty cool friends. I think that’s what it means because you don’t see that very often.
For the first time in 104 races, the Indy 500 will be held without fans.
There are a few “firsts” happening during Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 (1 p.m. ET, NBC) and the week leading up to it.
The most obvious is that it’s taking place in a month other than May for the first time ever, which is a big deal considering the whole month typically is filled with events and builds up momentum for race day. The IndyCar Series announced the race’s postponement back in March as major events across most sports in the U.S. were delayed or canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marco Andretti during qualifying for the 2020 Indianapolis 500. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
For one of the biggest motor sports events in the world with more than a century of history behind it, the lack of fans will surely be noticeable to viewers at home. But what about for drivers on the track?
For The Win spoke with 2020 Indy 500 pole sitter Marco Andretti on Monday about the potential impact of empty grandstands, noting what a difference it will make during the extravagant pre-race festivities.
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“Especially coming out to Gasoline Alley, this place is electric on race day normally,” said Andretti, who is the first member of his family to start on the Indy 500 pole since his grandfather and 1969 Indy 500 winner, Mario Andretti, did it in 1987.
Marco qualified first Sunday during the Fast Nine Shootout with a four-lap average of 231.068 miles per hour, edging out Scott Dixon, the 2008 Indy 500 winner, by just .017 miles per hour.
“So that’s going to be super strange,” Marco continued to explain about not having fans. “However, at 240 miles an hour, I don’t think we’re going to notice. But it’s one of those double-edged swords, right? Would I have wanted to celebrate yesterday with fans? Absolutely.
“But on the other hand, we’re super lucky that Roger [Penske] picked the series up and is keeping it going through these times. And so if we’re able to keep sport going in a safe way, I think the world needs it. I think it’s a good thing. So we’re happy to be driving, so I’m not complaining.”
The 104th running of the Indy 500 is Sunday, August 23 at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.
Mario Andretti was ecstatic when his grandson, Marco Andretti, won the Indy 500 pole.
After a 33-year wait, a member of the storied Andretti family will once again start on the pole and lead the Indianapolis 500 field to green. And although he wasn’t the one behind the wheel, no one seemed more excited about that than the family patriarch, Mario Andretti, who won the 1969 Indy 500 and was last on the pole in 1987.
It was Mario’s grandson, 33-year-old Marco Andretti, who won the 2020 Indy 500 pole Sunday during the Fast Nine Shootout, thanks to his four-lap run of two minutes, 35.7985 seconds, averaging 231.068 miles per hour. Driving for Andretti Autosport, his father Michael Andretti’s team, Marco edged Scott Dixon — the five-time IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner — by .017 miles per hour, which, by speed, is the third-smallest margin in the race’s history, according to the series.
Mario — the only driver to win the Indy 500, NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and a Formula 1 world championship — was not at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch Marco qualify in person, but he was ecstatic.
“I’m happier now than I’ve ever been all during my days at Indy, believe it or not,” 80-year-old Mario told NBC Sports after Marco won the pole. “When he crossed that line and he was on pole, I jumped so high that I hit my head on the ceiling, and it’s a nine-foot ceiling.”
When asked where Marco’s Indy 500 pole ranks in his mind, Mario said:
“I don’t know how to to explain it as far as the excitement because, you know, you’re here biting your fingernails. You know, usually, you’re nervous and so forth, but you know you have control of your own situation when you’re doing it yourself. But sitting here and watching it and being so helpless, I was never so nervous in my life because I felt he had a shot at it.”
Marco nearly won the 2006 Indy 500 as 19-year-old rookie, but at the last second, Sam Hornish Jr. passed him and took the checkered flag. And most recently, he had a poor performance in the 2019 Indy 500 and finished 26th.
While winning the Indy 500 is a massive accomplishment for any driver, it might mean a bit more for Marco, who has two career wins but hasn’t won a race since the 2011 season. This was also his first race pole since 2018 and sixth overall, and going back to the 2016 season, Marco has recorded just three top-5 finishes.
Marco was only a couple months old the last time a member of his family started the Indy 500 on the pole, and his grandfather was beaming with pride. More of Mario Andretti’s reaction, via The Athletic:
“It’s something I’ve been wanting to happen so badly. And he did it in championship fashion under not-the-best conditions, but he overcame them somehow. He showed confidence in the car and the team gave him what he needed, so I’m very, very proud.
“I was happier for Marco than I’ve ever been for anything I’ve done myself. What a great moment for him. He earned it, earned it, earned it. What a fabulous job he did.”
The 104th running of the Indy 500 is Sunday, August 23 at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.
For the first time in 104 races, the Indianapolis 500 won’t have fans in attendance.
For the first time in 104 races, the Indianapolis 500 will be held without fans. That seems like it should have been a given, considering the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging the U.S. and Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s capacity is at least 350,000.
But the iconic track’s new owner, Roger Penske, was insistent in June that the Indy 500 only would happen with fans in attendance.
And up until Tuesday, the plan for the biggest motor sports event in North America — which was pushed back from Memorial Day Weekend in May to August 23 — was to hold it with a maximum of 25 percent capacity, which is still about 87,000 people. And even that decision was only two weeks old and a decrease from originally trying to allow up to 50 percent capacity across the grandstands, infield and suites.
However, IMS announced the change that fans will not be at the 104th running of the 500, which is, unquestionably, the smart, responsible and obvious choice, despite the massive track having space to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s social distancing protocols for events.
It was made after “careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership,” the track said in a statement.
It is with great regret that we announce the Indianapolis 500 will take place on August 23 without fans. This tough decision was made following careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership.
“We didn’t buy the Speedway for one year, we bought it for generations to come, and it’s important to our reputation to do the right thing,” Penske said in a telephone interview. …
“We need to be safe and smart about this,” Penske said. “Obviously we want full attendance, but we don’t want to jeopardize the health and safety of our fans and the community. We also don’t want to jeopardize the ability to hold a successful race.”
Penske also said the financial hit for IndyCar and the track of not having fans didn’t factor into the decision, the AP reported. But that — in addition to the legendary status of the the Indy 500 — likely played a part in delaying the move to not have fans until the month of the race.
Team Penske driver Will Power and Roger Penske celebrate winning the 2018 Indy 500. Team Penske driver Simon Pagenaud also won the iconic event in 2019. (Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Having up to 25 percent capacity seemed dangerous, despite the previous plan to mandate masks and provide fans with hand sanitizer and a temperature check at the door. And it looked like this was just going to be the latest example of sports prioritizing profits over people’s health and safety.
The situation was compounded last week when IU Health, the state’s largest health care system and a partner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said it opposed fans attending the 500.
“Until we sustain better control of this virus and its spread,” IU Health said in a statement, “we strongly encourage IMS to consider an alternative to running the Indy 500 with fans in August.”
IU Health also noted the risks extend far beyond fans attending the race and include traveling to the Indianapolis area, outside gatherings, restaurants and accommodations.
Other sports leagues, like the NBA and MLB, have been competing without fans in attendance, and, for the most part, IndyCar and NASCAR have severely restricted attendance at their respective events. Even for the two American racing series’ first-ever doubleheader weekend in July at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, fans were not invited.
Finally, it appears Penske and other officials understand it’s irresponsible for anyone to host potentially tens of thousands of people at a race in a state where positive COVID-19 cases have been increasing. But Penske told the AP it was the spike in Indiana cases, not IU Health’s recommendation, that pushed him to exclude fans.
“As dedicated as we were to running the race this year with 25 percent attendance at our large outdoor facility, even with meaningful and careful precautions implemented by the city and state, the COVID-19 trends in Marion County and Indiana have worsened,” the speedway said in a statement.
“Since our June 26 announcement, the number of cases in Marion County has tripled while the positivity rate has doubled. We said from the beginning of the pandemic we would put the health and safety of our community first, and while hosting spectators at a limited capacity with our robust plan in place was appropriate in late June, it is not the right path forward based on the current environment.”
Clearly.
The Indy 500 is truly an unparalleled spectacle dripping with international prestige and history. But Penske and the track really had no choice but to keep the grandstands empty.
The two-time F1 world champ is still eyeing the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
Fernando Alonso is getting another shot at the Indianapolis 500 — and that means another opportunity to complete the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
For the two-time Formula 1 world champion’s third attempt at the Indy 500, he’s teamed up with Arrow McLaren SP and will drive the No. 66 Ruoff Mortgage Chevrolet in May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Alonso and the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
Having already won both the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans — he’s won each iconic event twice — the Indy 500 is the last leg of the elusive triple crown. Only one other driver, Graham Hill, has ever accomplished the international racing feat.
Ahora ya puedo compartir con vosotros que estaremos en mayo en las 500 millas!! Muchas ganas ✊️✊️
“Once you experience the Indy 500, it will remain always in your heart. The fans are amazing. The show is unbelievable, and the race itself … is one of the greatest in the calendar. …
“I think the Indy 500 is one of the most special races. And also the triple crown — which means winning in Formula 1, the Endurance Championship with the 24 Hours of Le Mans — and the Indy 500 completes the big three races in motor sports. And also in that, three completely different disciplines with three very different, as well, driving styles.
“It makes you quite a complete driver. And that’s what I’m looking for in this stage of my career. So the Indy 500 is probably the biggest priority for me now.”
Back in 2017, it looked like Alonso could win the Indy 500 on his first try. He had a fast car and led for 27 laps, but engine failure knocked him out of contention with only 21 laps remaining and he finished 24th. He was named the 2017 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year.
His second attempt at the Indy 500 last season ended in even more devastating fashion. He crashed during practice, and the team was forced to go to its backup car, which then failed to qualify for the 33-car field.
The announcement of Alonso’s agreement for this year’s event, which will be the 104th running of the Indy 500, comes after a deal with Andretti Autosport, the team he raced for in his 2017 attempt. But it was reportedly vetoed by Honda, which supplies Andretti’s engines. When Alonso was racing for McLaren in F1, his on-track struggles were obvious, and he called his Honda-powered ride “embarrassing.”
The 2020 Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24.
