Louis Meyer
| Louis Meyer | |
|---|---|
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Meyer at the 1928 Indianapolis 500
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| Born |
July 21, 1904 Manhattan, New York |
| Died | November 7, 1995 (aged 91) Searchlight, Nevada |
| Resting place | Inglewood Park Cemetery |
| Known for | First three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 |
| Spouse(s) | June |
| Children | Louis Meyer, Jr., Kay and Yvonne |
Louis Meyer (July 21, 1904 – October 7, 1995) was an American Hall of Fame race car driver who was a three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.
Born in lower Manhattan, New York on July 21, 1904, he was the son of French immigrants, Meyer was raised in Los Angeles, where he began automobile racing at various California tracks.
He went on to become the first-ever driver to win the Indianapolis 500 three times, capturing the prestigious race as a rookie starter in 1928 (though having driven as a relief driver for Wilbur Shaw the year before), then again in 1933 and 1936. Meyer started the tradition of drinking milk (buttermilk at the time) in victory lane at the 1933 Indianapolis 500 race, when he drank a glass of milk. Following his 1936 Indianapolis 500 victory, he drank from a glass milk bottle instead, as most race winners have done since. Following the suggestion of former race winner, Tommy Milton, that year he became the first driver to receive the Pace Car as part of the race winnings. Meyer won the United States National Driving Championship in 1928, 1929 and 1933.
Meyer's wife June did not even know he was racing in the 1928 Indianapolis 500. Earlier in the day she was in Pennsylvania picking up a wrecked car and after that went to see her brother-in-law Eddie Meyer race in Reading. She found out about her husband's victory after the track announcer in Reading asked the crowd to give a big hand to Eddie Meyer, the brother of the Indianapolis 500 winner.
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