INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Zoo’s Zoopolis 500, an annual tortoise racing event ahead of the Indianapolis 500, returned Wednesday with five giant Aldara tortoises competing for a fruity charcuterie board.
Tortoise Palou emerged victorious, securing the first opportunity to enjoy the snacks at the finish line.
The event, celebrated by attendees including 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi, showcased the slow-moving animals racing for a prize, contrasting the high-speed thrills of the Indianapolis 500. Rossi will start in the No. 12 position of the 33-car field on Sunday.
Rossi said, “It’s become quite a cool thing that the zoo does with the American Dairy Association. You’ve got ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ the fastest cars in the world, the Indianapolis 500, and then you come a couple of days before and watch arguably the slowest animals in the world race for a plate of fruit; so, pretty fun.”
After the race, a tortoise “pit crew” member celebrated in the Winner’s Circle with the American Dairy Association Indiana, drinking a glass of milk on behalf of the champion tortoise. The winner of the Indianapolis 500 is traditionally presented with a glass of milk during the Victory Lane celebration.
This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
About The Author
