Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500 : One of the most famous Indianapolis 500 traditions is when the winning driver celebrates with a nice cold bottle of milk.

It's a quirky but endearing tradition that leads to some truly spectacular celebratory photos at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and while the driver typically pours it out on his head, others around him get to enjoy the taste of milk - whether they like it or not.

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.

Even casual fans may know that the Indy 500 starts a field of 33 drivers, a tradition dating back to 1933. Diehard racing buffs know that, after the several days of time trials to set the 500’s starting grid, only the 33 fastest cars make the field.

Historically, that has meant high drama during the final days, and hours, of qualifications, as drivers and teams scramble to find the extra speed needed to remain in the field, or knock a faster driver out—a phenomenon called “bumping.” Over the years, quite a few prominent drivers and teams saw heartbreak during “Bump Day,” because they failed to qualify for the 500:

NBC picks up the coverage of the Indianapolis 500 for the first time ever in 2019. If you’re a NASCAR fan, expect to see some familiar faces on the coverage. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the pace car and be there with the network and Danica Patrick has been a contributor to NBC’s coverage.

An overview

Three drivers failed to qualify for Sunday’s race, including two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso. Joining Alonso on the sidelines are former F1 driver and current full-time IndyCar competitor Max Chilton and 2018 Indy Lights champion Pato O’Ward. They posted the three slowest qualifying times during last weekend’s last row qualifying session.

Both the Chevrolet and Honda engines seem equally fast heading into the race. Chevy had a better qualifying performance but Honda drivers have been right there as teams have practiced.

Tony Stewart has often said he can drive anything. But when it came to driving everything on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in 1999, he had his doubts.

As IndyCar celebrates the 50th anniversary of Mario Andretti's Indianapolis 500 win, this year also marks the 20th anniversary of Stewart's first attempt, in 1999, to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

Two races, 1,100 miles. And that's not counting the 575 miles between Indianapolis and Charlotte. 

“(Stewart) was real uncertain,” said then team co-owner Larry Curry. “I told him, ‘You can do this and you’re gonna do this,’ but he was unsure of himself.”

Despite those uncharacteristic doubts, Stewart pulled off the grueling double.

Five drivers have attempted to compete in both races in the same day; four have started the races. But Stewart remains the only one to finish both races, doing so in a combined 7 hours, 43 minutes and 42 seconds.

In a bit of citizen science, IndyStar conducted an experiment to test a claim that the balloons released by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway each year are biodegradable, and therefore pose little risk to wildlife.

And the results? Eleven months later, some of the balloons tested did degrade, but they still would pose a substantial risk.

IMS has released balloons on race day since the 1940s, one of many organizations to commemorate special occasions with the colorful spectacle. But in the decades since, awareness about the environmental damage caused by balloons, and other litter, has made many people rethink the practice.

The forecast for Sunday's Indianapolis 500 is beginning to take shape — and it does not look good. 

As of Wednesday evening, the forecast shows an 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms for race day, according to weather.com. 

Here's what you should know if it rains at the Yard of Bricks:

Rain-shortened races can be official 

Drivers must complete 101 laps before a race is considered official.

In 1976, pole-sitter Johnny Rutherford earned his second-career Indy 500 victory, taking the lead in lap 80 and maintaining the top spot when the race was postponed and eventually called 102 laps in. His 255 completed miles make that the shortest official recorded race. 

After making an electrifying run to qualify for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in a car without sponsorship, Juncos Racing and driver Kyle Kaiser have landed a primary backer in 250ok, an Indianapolis-based email intelligence platform.

Juncos Racing team owner Ricardo Juncos made the announcement Wednesday along with Greg Kraios, CEO of 250ok, that Kaiser’s No. 32 Chevrolet will race with 250ok on the sidepods.

“We are thrilled to announce a highly innovative company like 250ok has joined our effort and will be our primary sponsor for the No. 32 Juncos Racing Indy 500 entry,” Juncos said. “When Greg offered to support us and we were connected over our personal journeys, we knew this sponsorship was meant to be. We both share the same values, commitments and goals, and I look forward to building our relationship with the 250ok team.”