Image via Kraft Heinz
Things are heating up for this year’s Indy 500 as sponsor Oscar Meyer has announced it will run the first ever Wienermobiles race ahead of the main event. Called the Wienie 500, six Wienermobiles will face off and haul their buns toward the finish line at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s the sort of thing that could excite even non-racing types.
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Never before has the Wienermobile fleet raced against each other competitively. They sometimes get together for big events, but that even hasn’t happened in over 10 years. But only one will enter the Wiener’s Circle and claim the trophy.
We expect many puns and dad jokes before, during, and after this race. It will be epic.
To make the race more interesting, each of the Wienermobiles will wear a different livery. Those will represent a regional hot dog dish. The Midwest will be represented by the Chi Dog, the East by the New York Dog, the Southeast by the Slaw Dog, the Southwest by the Sonoran Dog, the South by the Chili Dog, and the Northwest by the Seattle Dog.
“The Indy 500 marks the unofficial kickoff of summer and the start of hot dog season,” said Kelsey Rice, Brand Communications Director at Oscar Mayer. “As a brand known for sparking smiles in disarmingly delightful ways, it’s only fitting that we bring a race of epic proportions to the Speedway and celebrate a timeless tradition: delicious meats and a little friendly competition to kick off a summer of wieners.”
According to Kraft Heinz, which owns the Oscar Meyer brand, almost 30,000 hot dogs are eaten at the Indy 500 every year. It just seems like a natural fit to have them watch car-sized wieners race each other, whetting their appetite for the main event.
The Wienie 500 will be held on Friday, May 23 at 2 pm ET on the Fox Sports app as well as on IndyCar on Fox social media accounts. Highlights of the gripping event will be played head of the Indy 500 on Sunday, if you miss the live broadcast.
Image via Kraft Heinz
