Indianapolis 500 Practice Schedule (2025)

FAQs

Why pour milk after winning the Indianapolis 500? ›

The Indy 500 winner drinking milk is a tradition that was started by one of motor sport's early legends, Louis Meyer. When Louis won his second Indy 500 in 1933, he randomly drank a glass of cold buttermilk in Victory Lane. His mother had told him a glass of buttermilk was the best thing to drink on a hot day.

A full race distance typically takes roughly three hours, but Boles indicated that IMS would want to give fans a heads-up to be able to avoid lightning in this next batch of storms if the wave appears to be more than just rain showers.

To ensure a smooth entry into the facility, fans are encouraged to arrive earlier than usual, even as early as 6 a.m. when gates open. This is the best way to ensure a smooth and quicker entry into the facility with time to visit activations and be in seats for the green flag.

The year's average payout for NTT IndyCar Series drivers was $543,000, which also exceeds last year's average of $500,600. In 2023, the Indy 500 purse was $17,021,500, and the winner's payout was $3.666 million. The 2022 Indy 500 purse was $16,000,200, and the winner earned $3.1 million.

However, in 1993, a hiccup occurred when Emerson Fittipaldi, after his second Indy win, declined the offered bottle of milk and instead chose to drink orange juice. He explained that he was promoting the Brazilian citrus drink industry, in which he had a stake.

Emerson Fittipaldi sparked controversy by breaking tradition when he won his second Indy 500 in 1993. The two-time Formula 1 world champion declined the bottle of milk and chose to drink orange juice because he was promoting the Brazilian citrus drink industry, in which he was involved.

The shortest “500” was in 1976 when Johnny Rutherford took the checkered flag on Lap 102.

The Indianapolis 500 is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, a 2.5-mile oval track that sees cars race at average speeds above 170 mph, while some drivers flirt with the possibility of being the first to reach 240 mph.

A competitive IndyCar, including parts for various tracks, testing, and enough engines and gearboxes for a season, costs around $3 million. This is relatively economical compared to the staggering $14 to $20 million price tag of a Formula 1 car.

A general admission ticket will get you access to infield viewing mounds and different vantage points around the infield. In addition, fans under 15 are free with a paying adult, which makes it an incredibly enticing deal for parents. Of course, general admission is just the baseline for Indy 500 tickets.

Should you wear earplugs at the Indy 500? ›

Headphones/ear plugs – the track is VERY loud, consider ear safety, especially if you have young kids.

E Stand Box 1-24 and E Penthouse: this section of the track is arguably the most sought after section. The upper rows are covered by their own metal roofing, and you get an almost birds eye view of Turn 1 and Turn 2.

Deal said to be worth $250 million to $300 million

Penske, 82, bought the storied open-wheel racing properties from Hulman & Co. in a deal first announced in October. The Hulman family had owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1945.

But its most unique part is the facade, which has the faces of each Indy 500 winner sculpted onto the trophy. The winner doesn't get to keep it though, as the Indy 500 victors instead receive a replica which is commonly known as 'Baby Borg' with the official trophy being kept at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

Now, the “Winners Drink Milk” is one of the most beloved tradition at the Indy 500. Since its conception, the drinking of milk has evolved into a ceremonial tradition where a veteran milk presenter and rookie milk presenter hand off a jug of milk to the winner of the race.

What if the Indy 500 winner is lactose intolerant? Every year, each driver is polled before the race to see what type of milk (whole, 2%, or fat-free) they would like if they were to win the event. Flavors are not allowed, but drivers can request lactose-free milk if they have an intolerance.

Drinking milk after the win

Since then—except in 1993, when Emerson Fittipaldi drank orange juice first in honor of his 500,000-acre orange plantation—the sip of milk has become a time-honored tradition.

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.