Sausage Race

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The Johnsonville Sausage Race, also known as the Famous Racing Sausages, is a mid‑inning mascot race at Milwaukee Brewers home games. It started in the early 1990s as a Klement’s promotion, and Johnsonville became the sponsor in 2021. The original racers were bratwurst, Polish sausage, and Italian sausage; a hot dog joined in the mid‑1990s and a chorizo joined in 2007, making five racers overall. The costumes are giant foam outfits about 7 feet tall. The race runs from near third base, around home plate, and toward first base; on Sunday games, mini versions called Little Weenies finish the race.

The sausages appear at charity events and can be booked for private appearances. They’ve been featured on ESPN and have a playful rivalry with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Racing Pierogies. The race began as a scoreboard animation and became a live event in 1993, becoming a regular feature at every home game by 1994.

Notable moments include a 2003 incident where a Pirates player swung a bat at a sausage costume, the addition of the chorizo to honor Latino fans, and the Italian sausage costume briefly going missing in 2013. In 2014 Hank the dog joined the team, and in 2021 Stephen Colbert dressed as a hot dog and finished last. Participation is limited to Brewers staff and invited guests, keeping this as a fun local tradition watched by fans.