Hudson Dairy Farmer Returns to Indy 500 Victory Circle

A Hudson dairy farmer is heading back to the Brickyard, and her hands will once again hold the most famous bottle in sports. Ashley Stockwell will serve as the Veteran Milk Presenter at the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24. After standing in Victory Circle as the rookie last year, she returns with a deeper mission tied to family, farming, and a global push to honor women in agriculture.

Stockwell Steps Up From Rookie to Veteran Milk Presenter

The American Dairy Association Indiana confirmed Stockwell as the 2026 Veteran Milk Presenter for the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She will personally hand the ice-cold bottle to the winning driver in Victory Circle.

Joining her on the track is Rookie milk presenter Brian Rexing of Owensville, who will deliver milk to the winning team owner and chief mechanic. The 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 24.

Stockwell already knows what to expect. She walked into the chaos of race day last May as the rookie and called it electric.

“On race day, you get this escort into the track. When we get in there, there are people everywhere. The feeling is so electric. It’s hard to not be excited to be there,” Stockwell said.

Now she steps into the mentor role her predecessor played for her. Now being the Veteran milk presenter, Stockwell hopes to fill the same role Herr did for her as she works with Brian Rexing, an Evansville dairy farmer and the 2026 Rookie milk presenter.

The 90-Year Story Behind the Famous Milk Bottle

The tradition is older than most racing legends. The tradition of drinking milk after winning the Indianapolis 500 dates back to 1936, when Louis Meyer, an avid drinker of buttermilk, requested a bottle after winning his third Indy 500.

From there, the cold drink became a permanent ritual of Victory Lane, locked in by speedway leadership in the 1950s. Today, the bottle is treated like a trophy of its own.

Drivers do not pick at random. All 33 drivers entered in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge submit their milk preference to the Dairy Association in advance. They can choose between whole milk, 2% reduced fat milk or skim milk.

Whole milk wins by a landslide, though a few drivers still ask for buttermilk to nod to Meyer.

Here is a quick look at how the modern tradition works:

A Proud Moment for Women in Farming in 2026

This year’s race lands in a special window for women in agriculture. The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026). The Year will spotlight the essential roles women play across agrifood systems, from production to trade, while often going unrecognized.

Stockwell sees the timing as a gift. She wants her moment in front of millions of fans to mean something for the next generation.

“Continuing this tradition is an incredible honor, especially during the Year of the Woman Farmer,” Stockwell said.

Her path into dairy farming was not a straight line. “I’m a fifth generation farmer in Adams County, but when I was growing up, I said, ‘I didn’t want to marry a farmer.’ It really didn’t feel like it was my cup of tea at the time.” She later met her husband Kyle, and the rest, as she puts it, is history.

Today she hopes that story sparks something in her own daughter.

“Representing all female dairy farmers really is humbling. I just hope this encourages my daughter to go out and whether she decides to continue ag or other females to continue to pursue what they’re passionate about, that’s all that I hope to get out of this,” Stockwell said.

Life on Stockwell Farms and Why It Matters

Stockwell Farms is not a small operation. Stockwell grew up in a farming family and married into the dairy family community. Stockwell and her husband’s family are the third generation running Stockwell Farms in Hudson in northeastern Indiana. Surrounded by 1,100 acres of farmland and 750 cows, they produce milk for healthy, protein-packed breakfast foods to start the day strong.

The farm runs on a team effort that Stockwell often compares to a race day pit crew.

• Daily care: A nutritionist designs custom diets for the herd
• Health checks: A vet visits the cows every week
• Comfort: Hoof trimmers give the cows regular pedicures
• Tracking: RFID tags monitor milk output per cow
• Family power: Four children, multiple generations, all hands on deck

The milk that ends up in Victory Circle does not sit around either. The milk presented to the Indy 500 winner comes from Indiana dairy farms and is delivered fresh, taking only 48 hours from farm to store.

The Big Stage Awaits in Indianapolis

The audience this year is massive. The program includes both a rookie and veteran presenter, chosen through an application and peer-selection process, with over 8.5 million people and a sellout live crowd of over 300,000 tuning in to see who’s winning and who will get to drink the milk at the finish line.

For Stockwell, the security around that bottle of milk is no joke.

“It’s stored lock and key with us, ice cold over there in a nice cooler. We keep good, tight security on it until the final laps of the race,” she said.

The bottle itself has become a fan favorite long before the checkered flag drops. “People go crazy about the milk,” Stockwell said. “I didn’t expect to feel like a famous person walking around, people asking for your autograph or your picture. They’re just so happy to have met a dairy farmer.”

Fans this year can sip the tradition too. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Prairie Farms, and ADAI rolled out commemorative single-serve milk bottles featuring five past Indy 500 champions, available at more than 25,000 retailers across 20 states.

The countdown is on. When the engines fall silent on May 24, one driver will pull into Victory Circle, lift a glass bottle to the sky, and chug. Standing right beside that driver, smiling through the chaos, will be a fifth-generation farm kid from Hudson who once swore she would never marry a farmer. Her story is now a piece of Indy 500 history, a reminder that grit, faith, and family still drive the heart of American agriculture. Share your favorite Indy 500 memory in the comments, and if you are heading to the Brickyard this year, post your milk moment on social media so we can cheer on Ashley and every farm family she represents.