Louis Meyer

Louis Meyer (July 21, 1904 – October 7, 1995) was an American racing driver who was the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He is generally regarded as one of the finest racers of his generation. Meyer is perhaps best known as the driver who started the tradition of drinking milk after winning the Indianapolis 500.

Early life and career

Meyer was born in Yonkers, New York on July 21, 1904, the son of French immigrants. Meyer was raised in Los Angeles, where he began automobile racing at various California tracks.

Early in his career, Meyer helped prepare the Miller driven by Frank Elliott in 1926, destroking the engine to bring it within the displacement limit permitted by the rules. Meyer went with the car when it was sold in 1927 to Fred Holliday (of Holliday Steel Company) as the Jynx Special (a morbidly ironic name, since Jimmy Murphy had been killed in it in 1924). He would claim the title again in 1929 and 1933. Following his 1936 victory, he drank from a glass milk bottle instead, as most race winners have done since.

Meyer followed his success in 1935, forming Champion Drivers, Inc., to promote racing, along with nine other top racers. He sold the Miller to Rex Mays the next year, going back to becoming a mechanic—or, rather an engine builder: he went into partnership with Dale Drake, taking over Offenhauser's engine plant. He was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

Meyer's son Louis Sonny Meyer Jr. assisted him in engine work at his race shops, and worked on the various DOHC Ford engines in USAC racing, including building 15 Indianapolis 500-winning engines. Grandson Louis III "Butch" built Oldsmobile Aurora engines for Team Menard in Indy Racing League IndyCar Series competition, winning the 1996-97 (18-month season) and 1999 championships before becoming the Indy Pro Series (now Indy Lights) director. Great-grandson Louis Michael Meyer currently owns and operates Legacy Autosport. The team builds the Legacy chassis for the USAC Silver Crown series and fields cars as well. And in 2023 became the first non-Beast chassis to win a pavement Crown race since 2008 when Davey Hamilton,Jr. won at Worldwide Technology Raceway.

Awards and honors

Meyer has been inducted into the following halls of fame: Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1963) International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1992) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1993)

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 Results