| INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024) – INDYCAR officials have announced a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing and No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing for unapproved engine changes following the Friday, Aug. 30 practice at the Milwaukee Mile. The teams were in violation of:Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next race, which is the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 today, Aug. 31 at the Milwaukee Mile. |
Category: Auto Racing
First, We Qualify, Then We Race
Photo by Kyle McInnes
Today’s Schedule:
SATURDAY, AUG. 31
Noon-12:45 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR LIVE
1:15 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), Peacock
2:55 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Milwaukee 100 (“Drivers, start your engines”)
3 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile (90 laps/91.35 miles), Peacock
4:40 p.m. Peacock on air
5:01 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
5:05 p.m. Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 (250 laps/253.75 miles), Peacock (Live)
It’s an old school race day at an old school track today. The historic Milwaukee Mile has qualifying and a race for both Indy NXT and Indycar. Today’s Indycar race is only on Peacock.
I hope we see a bit more speed today than the times that were posted yesterday, I didn’t expect laps below 160 mph. Patrick Carpentier’s track record of 185 looks safe for another year.
While qualifying may affect the early running order in the race, this will come down to a battle between the usual suspects. Unless Josef Newgarden does not qualify well, his nine spot grid penalty won’t matter. He will be up there near the end. After qualifying, we will have a better read on how the race could shape up. I still see Scott Dixon winning one of the races, and a Penske driver winning the other one.
Notes
How many fans will come out today? It sounds as if the series is hoping for 15,000, which would be decent considering it is a holiday weekend. Labor Day events typically do not draw well.
As I mentioned yesterday, the track looks much better than I remember from the last time Indycar was here early in the last decade. The place looks clean and fresh. The many concession booths and permanent buildings behind the grandstands appear to have also received a bit of freshening up.
I’ll be back early this afternoon with a wrap up of qualifying and the starting lineup.
Milwaukee Fast Facts
| Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Fast Facts Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 30-Sunday, Sept. 1 Track: Milwaukee Mile, a 1.015-mile oval in West Allis, Wisconsin Race distance:NTT INDYCAR SERIESHy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1: 250 laps/253.75 miles (Saturday)Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2: 250 laps/253.75 miles (Sunday)INDY NXT by FirestoneINDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile: 90 laps/91.35 miles Hybrid energy deployment parameters:NTT INDYCAR SERIESUnlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 135 kilojoules (kJ) per lap .Firestone tire allotment :NTT INDYCAR SERIESThirteen sets for use through the doubleheader weekend. INDY NXT by FirestoneTwo new sets for use through the event weekend. A carryover set from the Milwaukee Open Test in June may be used during pre-qualifying practice Friday .X: @TheMKEMile, @IndyCar, #INDYCAR Instagram: @themilwaukeemile, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR Threads: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT Facebook: @MilwaukeeMileRacing, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAR Event website: www.wistatefair.com/wsfp/indycar-weekend-at-the-milwaukee-mile/ INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com 2015 race winners (most recent event): NTT INDYCAR SERIESSebastien Bourdais (No. 11 Team Hydroxycut-KVSH Racing Chevrolet)INDY NXT by FirestoneFelix Serralles (No. 4 Belardi Auto Racing)2015 NTT P1 Award winner (most recent event) :Josef Newgarden (No. 67 Hartman Oil CFH Racing Chevrolet), 42.9320 seconds, 170.223 mph (two laps) 2015 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner (most recent event): Spencer Pigot (No. 12 Juncos Racing), 48.4397 seconds, 150.868 mph (two laps)One-lap qualifying record:NTT INDYCAR SERIESPatrick Carpentier, 20.028 seconds, 185.500 mph, May 30, 1998INDY NXT by FirestoneMark Hotchkis, 23.692 seconds, 151.952 mph, June 2, 1996 USA Network/Peacock race telecasts: Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1, 5:40 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 31, Peacock; Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2, 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 1, USA Network. Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dillon Welch and Georgia Henneberry are the pit reporters. Peacock live streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while the race telecast of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 will air exclusively on the streaming service. USA Network’s telecast of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2 will be simulcast on Peacock. The INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile will be streamed on Peacock with practice and qualifying shown on INDYCAR LIVE .INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Jake Query, Michael Young and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 (5:30 p.m. ET Saturday), Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2 (2:30 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile (3:45 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 218, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times Central): FRIDAY, AUG. 30 1:30-2:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice, INDYCAR LIVE 2:35 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Installation Laps, Peacock 2:45-3:15 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES High-Line Session (Two groups, 15 minutes each), Peacock 3:30-5 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice, Peacock SATURDAY, AUG. 31 Noon-12:45 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), INDYCAR LIVE 1:15 p.m. Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Single car, Two laps (Lap 1/Race 1; Lap 2/Race 2), Peacock 2:55 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Milwaukee 100 (“Drivers, start your engine s”)3 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile (90 laps/91.35 miles), Peacock 4:40 p.m. Peacock on air 5:01 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines” 5:05 p.m. Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 (250 laps/253.75 miles), Peacock (Live )SUNDAY, SEPT. 1 11 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Installation Laps, Peacock 1:30 p.m. USA Network on air 1:56 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines” 2 p.m. Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2 (250 laps/253.75 miles), USA Network (Live) NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship facts: Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with three races to go for the second time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. Palou also led the championship with three races to go in 2023 when he won the title. Palou, who has led the point standings after nine of the 14 rounds this season, took the point lead at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey in June.There are eight drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Will Power, Colton Herta, Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, Josef Newgarden and Kyle Kirkwood. Any driver who trails the points leader by 109 points or more on Saturday or 55 or more points following Sunday’s race will be eliminated from contention.Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Milwaukee in 1939, 19 drivers have won the Milwaukee Mile in their INDYCAR SERIES championship-winning seasons: Will Power (2013), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Dario Franchitti (2011), Sebastien Bourdais (2006), Al Unser Jr. (1994 , 1990), Nigel Mansell (1993), Michael Andretti (1991), Johnny Rutherford (1980), A.J. Foyt (1964, 1980), Joe Leonard (1972), Al Unser (1970), Mario Andretti (1966), Rodger Ward (1959, 1962), Jimmy Bryan (1956), Chuck Stevenson (1952), Tony Bettenhausen (1951), Johnnie Parsons (1949), Ted Horn (1947), Rex Mays (1941).Point differential: The 54 points separating Alex Palou and Will Power is the fourth-largest point margin with three races remaining since 2008. During that span, the average lead with three races remaining is 34.3 points.Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with three races to go has won the championship 10 times – Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014 and 2022, Simon Pagenaud in 2016, Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019 and Alex Palou in 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes: The Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s will be the 15th and 16th races of the 2024 season. There have been seven winners in 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2024 season. Pato O’Ward (Streets of St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), Scott Dixon (Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Detroit), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway-1), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca), Josef Newgarden (Indianapolis 500, World Wide Technology Raceway), Will Power (Road America, Iowa Speedway-2, Portland International Raceway) and Colton Herta (Streets of Toronto) have all won in 2024. The modern record (1946-present) for the most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.The Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s will be the fifth and sixth oval races of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The first four oval races were won by drivers from Team Penske. Josef Newgarden (Indianapolis 500 and World Wide Technology Raceway), Scott McLaughlin (Iowa Speedway-1) and Will Power (Iowa Speedway-2). The remaining oval race is scheduled for Sept. 15 at Nashville Superspeedway.The Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s will be the 114th and 115th INDYCAR SERIES events at the Milwaukee Mile. Scott Dixon and Will Power are the only drivers to win at Milwaukee entered in the event. ACTIVE RACE WINNER WINS SEASONS Scott Dixon 1 2009 Will Power 1 2014J osef Newgarden has won 10 of the last 15 oval races on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. Newgarden finished fifth at Milwaukee in 2014 and 2015 and scored his first INDYCAR SERIES pole position at the track in 2015 .Five drivers have previous starts at Milwaukee Mile – Scott Dixon, Katherine Legge, Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Graham Rahal. Dixon has 12 starts, most of all drivers. All five drivers have led laps at the track (Power 233, Dixon 190, Newgarden 109, Legge 12 and Rahal 5). Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 337th and 338th consecutive starts, extending his record streak…Josef Newgarden will attempt to make his 200th consecutive start on Saturday… Saturday’s race will mark Dixon’s 400th INDYCAR SERIES start, making him only the second driver to reach that milestone, behind Mario Andretti with 407 … Will Power will attempt to make his 300th INDYCAR SERIES start on Saturday, becoming the 10th driver to reach that mark … Christian Lundgaard (Saturday) and Kyle Kirkwood (Sunday) also will mark their 50th INDYCAR SERIES starts this weekend. INDY NXT by Firestone Race Notes:Andretti Global’s Louis Foster is enjoying a historically dominant season, leading the series in wins (six), poles (five), laps led (207 of 485), top-five finishes (11) and top-10 finishes (12) through 12 races. Foster, a native of England, owns a 79-point lead over second-place Jacob Abel of Abel Motorsports. Foster can clinch the season championship with a finish of fifth or better in Milwaukee. |
Newgarden Leads Milwaukee Practice
Photo by Kyle McInnes
Josef Newgarden had the fastest lap in the only practice session for the Milwaukee double header. Newgarden was a tenth of a second faster than Scott Dixon.
The 90 minute session ran uninterrupted until Christian Rasmussen spun and hit the wall in turn 3 with six minutes left.
Newgarden said in the post practice media conference that the track feels different because the cars are heavier, but he thinks the track is the same.
The top half of the field:
The track and fairgrounds look very nice, much nicer than I remember from 2015. I had forgotten how flat the turns are here.
Thata will do it for me for today. I’ll be back in the morning with a preview of a very packed Saturday.
INDYCAR Announces Milwaukee Mile Grid Penalties
From Indycar:
| INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 30, 2024) – INDYCAR officials have announced a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 2 Team Penske, No. 6 Arrow McLaren, No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing and Nos. 30 and 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for unapproved engine changes following the Sunday, Aug. 25 race at Portland International Raceway.The teams were in violation of:Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next race, which is the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Milwaukee Mile. |
Indycar Modifies Restart
Return to the Mile
Today’s Schedule (Central Time)
1:30 pm Indy NXT practice Indycar Live
2:45 pm Indycar High line practice (2 groups, 15 minutes each)
3:30 pm Indycar all car practice (90 minutes) Peacock; Indycar Radio
Indycar fans’ loud clamoring for a return to to the Milwaukee Mile is just hours away from being realized. It may be a case of be careful what you wish for. How many of the fans who screamed the loudest for the series to return to the oldest track in the US will come to watch either or both of the 250 lap races Saturday and Sunday? How will the racing be?
I’m not sure there will be anything resembling a sellout. The racing could go either way. We could see the parade that was Iowa, or we could see a competitive event similar what we saw at WWTR two weeks ago.
No matter the size of the crowd or the quality of the racing, I will celebrate the return of arguably the second most historic venue on the Indycar circuit. This weekend should have lots of intrigue. The championship is up for grabs, and I am anxious to see what Race Control this week about will starts and restarts.
Nathan Brown of the Indy Star reported on a meeting between drivers and race control to clarify restart procedures. The drivers want a line painted on the track to define the end of the restart zone. They also want a penalty for a driver who does not maintain a constant speed. I assume we will find out today what will be done about it.
Both races are scheduled for 250 laps. I think that the races of a doubleheader should be different lengths. Saturday’s race should be 275 laps and Sunday’s 225 circuits. I don’t enjoy seeing the same event two days in a row.
How Much Will Experience Matter?
Only five drivers in the field- Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, and Katherine Legge- have raced at Milwaukee. Power and Dixon have won here, and Newgarden earned his first career pole at The Mile.
Experience may play a small part in success this weekend, but the stronger teams will still be up front. Team Penske drivers have won all the oval races in 2024, and I believe someone on the team will win one of the races.
Points Chase
After Sunday, I expect Alex Palou’s lead in the championship to be even smaller than the 49 point advantage he h now has. I am assuming Will Power will win one of the races. Palou has yet to win on an oval, and I do not believe that strek gets broken Saturday or Sunday. If it does, the title is his.
While I believe Power will win one of the races, the Penske streak ends with Scott Dixon winning the other race.
Rasmussen to Compete in Final Three Oval Races for ECR
From Ed Carpenter Racing:
| Ed Carpenter Racing announced today that Christian Rasmussen will finish the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season behind the wheel of the No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet. The 24-year-old Danish rookie will compete in this weekend’s doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile and the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway. While team owner Ed Carpenter was scheduled to drive in the remaining events this year, he found importance in providing an opportunity to Rasmussen. “First off, this was a very difficult decision for me to make. I want to make it clear that this is not a retirement announcement,” stated Carpenter. “However, the reality is, I have not performed to the level that I expect of myself for the team. Christian tested at Gateway prior to the race and he showed me that he deserves this expanded opportunity. He also had such a strong performance during the Month of May and has earned the chance to continue his development. I am excited to watch him finish the season out strong for the No. 20 crew and the entire ECR team.” Rasmussen’s final race of 2024 was set to be last weekend’s road course event at Portland International Raceway, but he will now compete in the last three races of the season. Rasmussen, the 2023 INDY NXT champion, won both short oval races on his way to the title last year. In addition to his duties this season as road and street course driver of the No. 20, he also competed in ECR’s third Indianapolis 500 entry. He earned the distinction of being the highest finishing rookie in the field, driving from 24th to 12th over the course of the 500-mile race. Rasmussen is grateful to Carpenter, his teammate and team owner. “First and foremost, I am incredibly thankful to Ed for providing me this opportunity,” Rasmussen said. “I am excited to drive the No. 20 in the remaining three races and I am fully committed to giving the team my absolute best. While I haven’t raced at Milwaukee or Nashville before, my past performances on ovals have been strong and I’m eager to add these tracks to the list!” Though the Milwaukee Mile will be Rasmussen’s first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on a short oval, he recently completed a test day at World Wide Technology Raceway. Rasmussen’s full-time teammate, Rinus VeeKay, will also be making his Milwaukee Mile debut as the track returns to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar for the first time since 2015. Nashville Superspeedway will also be a new venue for both as the 1.33-mile oval has not been on the schedule since 2008. On-track activity at the Milwaukee Mile will begin with over two hours of practice this coming Friday, August 30. Saturday, August 31 will begin with qualifying for both races with Lap 1 setting the starting field for Race 1 and Lap 2 determining the grid for Race 2. The first race of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s will begin at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday and will stream exclusively on Peacock. The second race of the doubleheader will take place on Sunday, September 1 at 1:30 p.m. CT with coverage on USA Network. About Ed Carpenter RacingEd Carpenter Racing (ECR) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team has proven its versatility by collecting eight wins across each type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and speedways. ECR is led by IndyCar’s only team owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, three-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014 and 2018). The team’s 2024 driver lineup has included a combination of Carpenter, rookie Christian Rasmussen and fifth-year veteran Rinus VeeKay. More information on Ed Carpenter Racing may be found at http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/.  |
An IMS Legend is Gone
Chuck Lynn, a fixture n Pagoda Plaza and Gasoline Alley, died today. Chuck sold the Indianapolis Star for many years at the Speedway. He was part of the place, and his absence will be felt next May. I occasionally bought a paper from Chuck, because that’s what you do.
I did not know Chuck well but seeing him upon arriving in the plaza gave me comfort. I knew I was in the right place. How odd it will seem next spring to not hear the call of “Paper!” as i walk by his bike.
It’s fitting that Chuck passed away three years and a day after his good friend Robin Miller. The two had a special bond. Tony Kanaan also had a great relationship with Chuck.
IMS will feel a little emptier in May 2025. It seems the regulars are leaving too quickly the last few years, losing the race none of us will win. Say Hi to Robin for me, Chuck.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 