Louis Meyer became the first three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, taking victories in 1928, 1933, and 1936. His achievement established a benchmark that later champions such as Wilbur Shaw and Bill Vukovich would also chase.
Meyer won his first 500 as a rookie in 1928, driving a Miller after qualifying thirteenth. He returned to victory in 1933 with the Tydol Special Miller, taking the lead on lap 129 and finishing four laps ahead of the field. That race was among the most dangerous in Indianapolis history, with multiple drivers and mechanics killed or seriously injured.
His third victory came in 1936 in the Ring Free Special Miller. Meyer’s success was part of a broader championship career: he also won the AAA national title in 1928, 1929, and 1933. He later became an influential engine builder through Meyer-Drake, whose Offenhauser engines powered Indianapolis winners for decades.
Meyer is also associated with the Indianapolis milk tradition. After his 1933 victory, he drank buttermilk in Victory Lane; following his 1936 win, he drank from a milk bottle, helping popularize the custom seen today.