Indiana dairy farmer part of Indy 500 victory celebrations

Winner of iconic race celebrates with a bottle of milk

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Almost as iconic as the race itself is the victory celebrations for the winning driver of the Indianapolis 500.

On May 29, the winning driver of the race’s 100^th edition, the team owner and head mechanic will make their way to Victory Circle and as per tradition, drink an ice-cold bottle of milk.

Indiana dairy farmer Joe Kelsay will be right there with them in Victory Circle distributing the milk, which is being anonymously sourced from a farm in the state.

Joe Kelsay                                                                        Photo by: Scott Robertson/Daily Journal

Co-owner of Kelsay Farms which includes 500 cows, he said being in the thick of the action at the race is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“You talk about a bucket list (item) that I never thought I’d be doing,” he told the Daily Journal.

He was chosen by the American Dairy Association of Indiana to participate as the Rookie Milk Man for the race. The 39-year-old’s duties will include handing a bottle of milk to the winning team owner and chief mechanic.

Next year, Kelsay will be on hand to hand over a bottle of milk to the winning driver – a role currently held by Janet Dague who was last year’s rookie.

Joe Kelsay will followin his father Merrill’s footsteps as he was in Victory Circle during the 2006 and 2007 races.

“It’s very exciting and a wonderful experience,” Merril Kelsay told the Daily Journal. “It’s going to be even greater this year when he does it because it’s the 100^th.”

“It makes you a hometown hero for five minutes.”