First Ever Oscar Mayer Wienie 500 Race Consisted of Only Wienermobiles

On a sun-drenched Friday afternoon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the air hummed with anticipation, not for the scream of IndyCar engines but for something far more peculiar: the rumble of six 27-foot-long hot dog-shaped vehicles. Oscar Mayer’s iconic Wienermobiles, those fiberglass frankfurters on wheels, rolled onto the hallowed 2.5-mile oval for the inaugural “Wienie 500,” a race that was equal parts spectacle, nostalgia, and pure Americana.

For the first time in over a decade, all six Wienermobiles gathered in one place, and for the first time ever, they raced—each representing a regional hot dog style, from the Chicago-inspired Chi Dog to the Southeast’s Slaw 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.”

Six Wienermobiles lined up in three rows of two at the “Yard of Bricks,” the Speedway’s iconic start-finish line. Each vehicle, a 27-foot-long, 11-foot-tall behemoth built on a Chevrolet chassis with a V8 engine, was decked out to honor a distinct U.S. region: Chi Dog (Midwest), New York Dog (East), Slaw Dog (Southeast), Sonoran Dog (Southwest), Chili Dog (South), and Seattle Dog (Northwest).


The drivers, Oscar Mayer’s “Hotdoggers,” donned custom racing suits, their faces a mix of glee and determination. Before the green flag dropped, the crowd of nearly 80,000—fresh from watching Indy 500 practice—belted out the Oscar Mayer jingle, “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Weiner,” led by a Hotdogger nicknamed “Lucky Dog.” It was a moment that felt like it could only happen here, where tradition meets absurdity in a mustard-slathered embrace. “You are standing in a moment in hot dog history right now,” said Sarah Oney, co-piloting the New York Dog with Connor Wolff.


As engines growled—well, as much as a Wienermobile can growl—the race began with a surprising burst of speed. These aren’t Ferraris; each vehicle tops out around 65 mph, but on the Speedway’s flat oval, they felt plenty fast. Chi Dog, repping the Midwest, surged to an early lead, its ketchup-red body gleaming as it hit the first turn. Close behind, Slaw Dog and New York Dog jostled for position, their drivers leaning into the six-speed transmissions like they were auditioning for a NASCAR gig.


The race was tight, with the Wienermobiles swapping leads down the backstretch, their fiberglass buns bouncing slightly as they hit 40 mph on the second lap. “It was truly smiles across everybody’s faces,” said Hotdogger Berens, reflecting on the thrill of making history.