INDIANAPOLIS — My favorite time of the year is here — it's May! The Indy 500 is unlike any other sport! From the pageantry to the thrill of 33 drivers going 225 miles an hour. But, the personalities truly make the Indy 500 special.
One of the best parts of my job is getting to know the drivers away from the limelight. These drivers have some funny personalities. We were looking for a way to let you meet the REAL people behind the helmets!
So each year, we bring you "Milk & Cookies!" Every driver loves milk in Victory Lane and cookies in the offseason, so this is a chance to get to know these unique athletes in a fun way. We ask all the drivers a series of off-the-wall questions and we get their natural reactions.
I hope you will watch this month's edition of…Milk & Cookies!
Top athlete in another sport
DAVE: If you could be a top athlete in any other sport, who would you be and why?
ED CARPENTER: Oh, man.
JACK HARVEY: I was very unprepared for that.
WILL POWER: I've kind of got into football. American football.
ALEXANDER ROSSI: (bleeped out audio accompanies picture of football player Tom Brady)
DAVE: Man, you're in Indiana. You sure you want that to be your final answer.
ROSSI:
(bleeped out) He's the best.
HARVEY: He's not popular, especially in Indy.
DAVE: Oh, I know where you're going….
HARVEY: I'm a big (bleep) fan. (picture of Tom Brady appears)
POWER: I'd like to be the quarterback.
DAVE: You'd like to be Tom (bleep)?
POWER: Oh…
DAVE: Colts fans don't want to hear that.
POWER: Belichick must have just been like… (hangs head.) He must be just kicking himself. It just ruined his whole career. It was like… clearly, it was nothing to do with the coach.
CARPENTER: As much as the Indy crowd may not like it, I guess you'd have to say (bleep.) (picture of Tom Brady appears on screen)
DAVE: You're like the fourth or fifth guy.
Pandemic food binging
Is there a food that you binged on this past year?
CONOR DALY: I became an omelet making expert. I have really got into the omelet game. Omelet time. Very excited to cut up some different vegetables, to slice some things up, try some different hot sauces. For Christmas, my mother got me 12 different hot sauces to try.
DAVE: Guess what! Me, too.
DALY: Love that.
DAVE: I'm totally into that.
More Helio impressions
DAVE: Give us your best Helio Castroneves impersonation.
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE: (as Helio Castorneves) Hey, Dave. I gotta tell you something, man! I've been so happy to be back here. Thank you so much… 20 years. It's so nice now to be driving with Mister Mike…. Guys, I tell you, he's just incredible.
Pre-race nap
DAVE: Do you have pump up music you listen to before the Indy 500? Do you have a playlist or something?
SCOTT DIXON: I sleep. I take a nap. That’s my pre-race...
DAVE: Do you?
DIXON: Yeah, that's my pre-race ritual is trying… you know, listening to some whales singing or some water stuff in the headphones and go to sleep.
DAVE: You're that calm?
DIXON:
Try to be. Try to be. You gotta get through that first corner, man. You don't want to end your day too early and feel jacked up and put it right in the fence.