INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Every year on the day before Memorial Day, 33 drivers travel 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) with speeds averaging near 200 mph for the honor of the iconic Drink of Milk in Victory Circle.

In front of a sellout crowd of more than 350,000 fans on May 24th, Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist won that honor in the 110th Indianapolis 500 by the closest margin in race history.

Driving for Meyer Shank Racing, Rosenqvist and teammate Marcus Armstrong were side-by-side in the final lap before Rosenqvist got around Armstrong on turn four and then edged-out David Malukas, a Team Penske Chicago native, by just 0.0233 seconds as they crossed the finish line side-by-side at 220-plus mph.

A late-race crash had set up a red-flag restart with eight laps to go. Following two caution laps on restart, and another caution consuming two more laps near the end, the race that had featured a record 70 lead changes came down to a final lap shootout that ended with placings one through five being separated by less than half a second.

Rosenqvist prevailed for his first trip to Victory Circle and one of the most iconic traditions in sports: the Drink of Milk presented by American Dairy Association Indiana (ADAI).

He celebrated with his choice: whole milk. According to ADAI’s annual Milk Preference Poll, 25 of the 33 drivers selected whole milk this year, including Rosenqvist and Malukas. Seven picked 2% milk, and one skim.

Indiana dairy farmers are chosen each year to present the milk tradition that has been going strong for 90 of the famed race’s 110-year history.

The ADAI race-week festivities included the 52nd annual Rookie Day, where first-time Indy 500 drivers met Indiana dairy farm families, sampled dairy foods, and even tried their hand at milking dairy cows.

“It’s fun watching them experience that. We get to share our story and all the hard work that goes into producing milk,” said 2026 veteran milk presenter Ashley Stockwell of Hudson, Indiana.

Stockwell grew up in a farming family and married into the dairy as she and her husband Kyle help operate the third-generation Stockwell Farms, milking 750 cows and farming over 1100 acres alongside family members.

She presented the bottle of ice-cold whole milk to the winning driver, while rookie presenter Brian Rexing did the honors for the team owner and chief mechanic.

Fourth-generation dairyman Rexing and his wife Ranell operate New Generation Dairy, milking 1200 cows and farming 3500 acres near Owensville. He is a DFA Board member and was elected last November as chairman of the National Milk Producers Federation Board.

The Indy 500 Winners Drink Milk tradition dates back to 1936 when three-time winner Louis Meyer requested buttermilk (known then as the fullest fat milk available) to be waiting for him to quench his thirst after the race. That request launched the iconic milk tradition.

ADAI and the milk presenters use the tagline to promote milk and dairy throughout the year, centered on nutrition benefits for athletes and fitness as well as general consumer health and wellness while highlighting the farmers who care for the cows producing milk every day.

This year, a new partnership between the IMS, Prairie Farms Dairy and ADAI allowed race fans to purchase milk at the track. Special edition bottles of milk are also being sold at retail featuring past Indy 500 winners on the label.