The Wienie 500 will run on May 22 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles take the track two days before the Indianapolis 500, with the race airing on Fox and FOX One at 2 p.m. ET.
Organizers say the second-annual event has been enlarged from a streaming novelty into a network fixture: comedian Andy Richter will serve as the event’s commander in beef, the Wiener Anthem will be sung before the green flag, and the winning Wienermobile will receive the Borg-Weiner Trophy crafted by BorgWarner.
Last year’s inaugural run proved the concept could draw crowd and attention — the 2025 Wienie 500 pulled an online audience of 8 million and filled the stands with 85,000 fans as the Slaw Dog Wienermobile overtook the Chi Dog vehicle to win — numbers Oscar Mayer executives point to as proof the event is more than a one-off.
Kelsey Rice, speaking for the brand, said last year’s debut showed the Wienie 500 had become culturally resonant and that this year the company is “turbo-charging all race elements to give fans a fresh take” on the spectacle. BorgWarner’s Joe Fadool framed the trophy as part of that push, saying his company aimed to create something as memorable as the race itself and looked forward to bestowing the Borg-Wiener wreaths in Wieners Circle.
Contextually, the Wienie 500 sits on a short but accelerating timeline. Oscar Mayer built its first Wienermobile in 1936 and now operates six that travel the United States; the race itself is staged ahead of the Indianapolis 500 and returns for a second year after last year’s surprising crowd and streaming numbers.
This year’s production marks a step up in profile: where the inaugural race was streamed on the Fox Sports app and on the @INDYCARonFOX social platforms, the event has been promoted into linear television on Fox and FOX One at a set 2 p.m. ET start. IndyCar drivers, including Nolan Siegel and Scott McLaughlin, will give tips to Wienermobile drivers, a signal that traditional racing personalities are lending credibility to what began as a branded stunt.
The tension is obvious. The Wienie 500 is built on whimsy — oversized hot dog-shaped vehicles, a sung anthem and a comedian as master of ceremonies — yet it returned figures last year more often associated with mainstream sporting spectacles, and this year benefits from both a manufactured trophy and network broadcast. That mix prompts a simple question: is this still a promotional sideshow or the start of an authentic racing tradition?
The available facts point one way. With a bespoke Borg-Weiner Trophy, a floral wreath of yellow and red-throated cymbidium orchids for the winner, high-profile on-air placement on Fox and FOX One, and the participation of known IndyCar drivers and a recognizable host, the Wienie 500 has been institutionalized beyond a single marketing stunt. Oscar Mayer itself framed the event’s early success as cultural cementing, and its decision to increase production and visibility this year shows intent to keep building.
So on May 22, when six Wienermobiles circle the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, expect a carefully staged show built from novelty and metrics alike — and a race increasingly treated as part of the Indy weekend ritual rather than merely a viral moment. If the Slaw Dog can repeat its finish from 2025, it will do so under a larger spotlight and with a Borg-Weiner Trophy in its wake.
