Defending Indy 500 winner Alex Palou headlines 5 drivers to be featured on regional milk products

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis 500 fans soon will have another chance to toast one of sports' most iconic victory celebrations — sipping the milk with one of their favorite race winners.

Officials from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, American Dairy Association Indiana and Prairie Farms Family of Companies announced Tuesday they will team up once again to offer single-serve milk bottles and cartons to fans in 20 states — primarily in the Midwest and South — featuring images of some 500 winners starting March 1.

The promotion has expanded from 13,000 retailers in eight states last year to 25,000 retailers in 20 states this year.

The milk-drinking tradition at Indianapolis dates to 1936 when Louis Meyer celebrated his win by sipping buttermilk. But Meyer's favorite flavor is no longer a postrace choice and will not be one of the featured flavors in either the Prairie Farms or Hiland brand products with the special designs.

Defending IndyCar and 500 champ Alex Palou will be featured on the Prairie Farms and Hiland brands whole vitamin D products cartons and bottles while 2023 and 2024 race winner Josef Newgarden will appear on 2% milk products and Alexander Rossi, the centennial race winner in 2016, will appear on premium chocolate milk containers.

Scott Dixon, the 2008 Indy winner, will be featured on 1% chocolate milk products and Helio Castroneves, one of four four-time 500 winners, will appear on the brands' premium strawberry milk products.

In addition, the three organizations will distribute about 200 million half-pint cartons decorated with “Winners Drink Milk” to schools in the same 20 states.

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