Josef Newgarden celebrated his Indy 500 win on Sunday with whole milk. “Josef Newgarden’s Indy 500 celebratory milk bath was absolutely glorious,” a fan reacted.
Newgarden, a native of Nashville, finally won the checkered flag that had escaped him thus far in his professional life after the most unpredictable finale in years. He won the 107th Indianapolis 500 for Team Penske following three red flag restarts in the closing laps.
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When Newgarden ultimately prevailed, he celebrated in victory lane in Indianapolis by drinking some whole milk, pouring it over his head, and donning the championship ring. This gesture put people on social media in a frenzy, with many trying to figure out why Josef chose to celebrate his win with whole milk.
Why do Indy 500 winners drink milk?
Interestingly, almost all Indy 500 winners drink milk as a tradition to celebrate their victory. The alleged reason for this is that in 1936, Louis Meyer drank buttermilk in Victory Lane. Meyer drank the milk that day because his mother advised him that it would cool him off on a hot day according to a 2022 IndyStar report. Since then, it has become an Indy 500 custom.
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The first Indianapolis 500 triumph for Josef Newgarden came to him after tremendous hustle.
Due to some pretty scary incidents in the final 17 laps, Newgarden had to contend with three red flags before passing Marcus Ericsson, the 2022 Indy 500 winner, on the final lap to claim the race. Then, Newgarden was able to defeat Ericsson in the final straightaway to take home his first Indy 500 victory.
After Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood collided in a terrifying incident that sent a tire hurtling through the grandstand, fans were forced to wait nearly an hour past the scheduled finish time for the 2023 Indy 500.
Fans began to wonder if the race would end under yellow after two more crashes. Nevertheless, when everything was said and done, Newgarden emerged victorious and joined the cheering audience to celebrate with fans.
