Good Morning from Milwaukee

thepitwindow

Weekend schedule:

The weather will be beautiful this weekend- temperatures in the 70s, with today beong the warmer of the two days. Indy NXT just finished their practice session, and IndyCar will be on track at the top of the hour.

The day began with grid penalties announced for Scott Dixon and Kyffin Simpson for engine changes.

Milwaukee Grid Penalties

It took a lot longer entering the track this morning than it should have for a Saturday. I hope that is an indication of a large crowd this weekend.

Dennis Hauger led the Indy NXT practice as he looks to clinch the championship tomorrow.

I am going to take a walk around the paddock and then watch practice. I’ll be back with results and the quaifying order around the noon hour.

Milwaukee Grid Penalties

thepitwindow
INDYCAR Announces Milwaukee Grid Penalties  INDIANAPOLIS
(Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025) – INDYCAR has announced a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entries of Nos. 8 and 9 of Chip Ganassi Racing for unscheduled engine changes beyond the entry’s season allotment following Tuesday’s team test at Nashville Superspeedway.The entries 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 event, which is the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Milwaukee Mile.
 
 
 

IMS Statement on Passing of H.A. ‘Humpy’ Wheeler 

thepitwindow
 From IMS:
 INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025) – A statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles about longtime Charlotte Motor Speedway General Manager H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, who died Aug. 20 at age 86:
“Auto racing as a sport has been captivating since the invention of the automobile, but it was personalities and energetic promoters like Humpy Wheeler who helped broaden the appeal of auto racing by focusing on the entertainment that racing events could provide spectators. Humpy set the bar high for other tracks and other events, and his efforts to make racing popular and grow its fan base changed the way promoters thought about racing. Much of what you see today, from building the personalities in our sport to adding activities to racing weekends that engage fans off track, have roots in the example Humpy set for the sport. He will be missed, but his spirit, energy, passion and focus on fan experiences will continue to be a reminder that racing is so much more than just what happens on the track.”

Milwaukee Preview

thepitwindow

With the championship officially in Alex Palou’s hands, the penultimate race of the IndyCar Series season may look on the surface to be anticlimactic. There are still several things up for grabs, however. The Rookie of the Year battle is a tight race, second place has yet to be settled, and the Leader’s Circle could see the final spot change hands over the next two weekends.

If Alex Palou is still interested in winning races, winning the final two events for a 10 win season would place him in rarefied air, equaling season win totals of A.J. Foyt in 1964 and Al Unser in 1970.

Milwaukee will host its 118th IndyCar style race on Sunday. It is a track which few drivers have mastered and dominated. I wrote about the top winners at the track earlier this week.

King of the Mile

To be fair, the track had two races a year back then, and this weekend is the third race since 2015. If IndyCar stays here for a long time, one of today’s younger drivers may have a crack at the victory mark.

Rookie Battle

Louis Foster leads Robert Shwartzman by just six points after Portland. Each driver has won a pole, and Foster has made regular appearances in the second round and beyond in qualifying during the second half of the season.

Shwartzman has had flashes of quickness and has two top 10 finishes. Shwartzman holds the tie breaker based on higher finishing position right now.

This battle will continue into Nashville.

Leaders’ Circle

Louis Foster holds the final cash paying spot in the Leaders’ Circle, worth a cool $1 million to the team, Foster and the number 45 have a 29 point lead over Sting Ray Robb in the 77. Robb leads Devlin DeFrancesco in car 30 by just 15 points.

With the final two races run on ovals, mistakes are magnified and point standing can flip rapidly. Like the Rookie baqttle, I think Foster will maintain his edge.

Second Place

Pato O’Ward now holds second 64 points over Scott Dixon. O’Ward won Race 1 at The Mile last year. The three drivers behind O’Ward are locked in a tight fight for third place, and the driver who comes out on top among the three could find themself in second should Pato have a couple of bad result the next two Sundays.

Dixon holds a13 point edge over Christian Lundgaard, and as of now holds the tie breaker with a win. Kyle Kirkwood trails Lundgaard by just 11 points. Kirkwood wins a tie with O’Ward, Dixon, or Lundgaard with his three victories this season. O’Ward has two wins, which gives him an edge for second over Dixon. Kirkwood will have a difficult time reaching second with an 88 point gap, but third is within reach.

I think O’Ward holds on to second, and the real free-for-all is for third. Lundgaard has been coming on strong the second half of 2025, Kirkwood has struggled since win at Gateway, and Dixon has been inconsistent since winning at Mid Ohio.

Right now, Lundgaard is position for third place. The picture may not be much clearer after Sunday afternoon.

Winner Number 6?

Milwaukee and Nashville look like good spots to see the sixth winner of the year, and possibly a first time winner at that. My pick for this week is David Malukas, although I would not count out any of the Team Penske drivers on a track which seems to favor Chevt power.

Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 Fast Facts

thepitwindow

From IndyCar. Look for my preview tomorrow. I get to use the word penultimate!

Race weekend: Saturday, Aug. 23-Sunday, Aug. 24
Track: Milwaukee Mile, a 1.015-mile oval in West Allis, Wisconsin
Race distance:NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250: 250 laps/253.75 miles
INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile: 90 laps/91.35 miles
Hybrid energy deployment parameters
:NTT INDYCAR SERIESUnlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 150 kilojoules (kJ) per lap
.Firestone tire allotment:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Ten sets for use through the event weekend. An additional set is available so teams can participate in the group session Saturday
.INDY NXT by Firestone
Three 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 sessions Saturday.
X: @TheMKEMile, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT #SnapOn250 #INDYCAR
Instagram: @themilwaukeemile, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #SnapOn250 #INDYCAR
Threads: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT
Facebook: @MilwaukeeMileRacing, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.wistatefair.com/wsfp/indycar-weekend-at-the-milwaukee-mile/
INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com
2024 race winners
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Race 1: Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet)
Race 2: Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Gallagher Team Penske Chevrolet
)INDY NXT by Firestone
Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global)
2024 NTT P1 Award winners:
Race 1: Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet), 22.5082 seconds, 162.341 mph
Race 2: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet), 22.6980 seconds, 160.983 mph
2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner:
Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global), 48.3396 seconds, 151.180 mph (two laps)
One-lap qualifying record:
NTT INDYCAR SERIESPatrick Carpentier, 20.028 seconds, 185.500 mph, May 30, 1998
INDY NXT by FirestoneMark Hotchkis, 23.692 seconds, 151.952 mph, June 2, 1996
Two-lap qualifying record:
NTT INDYCAR SERIESDario Franchitti, 42.7768 seconds, 170.840 mph, June 18, 2011INDY NXT by Firestone
Louis Foster, 48.3396 seconds, 151.180 mph, Aug. 31, 2024
FOX Sports telecasts:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 11 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Final Practice, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2; Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250, 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 9 a.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race, 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.
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 Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 race (1:30 p.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, INDY NXT by Firestone race (11:25 a.m. ET Sunday), NTT P1 Award Qualifying (2 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM 218, www.indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times Central):
SATURDAY, AUG. 23
8:05-8:55 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice, FS2
9:45 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Installation Laps
10-11 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice, FS1
1:05 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying (Single car, two laps), FS1
2:35-3:20 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, two laps), FS2
3:45-4:15 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Session (Two groups, 15 minutes each), FS2
4:30-5:30 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, FS2
SUNDAY, AUG. 24
10:31 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile “Drivers, start your engines”
10:35 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile (90 laps/91.35 miles), FS1 (Live)
1 p.m. FOX on air
1:15 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
1:20 p.m. Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 (250 laps/253.75 miles), FOX (Live)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:
Alex Palou became the first INDYCAR SERIES champion since Cristiano da Matta in 2002 to clinch the series title with two races remaining when he clinched his third consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES crown Aug. 10 at Portland International Raceway. Palou could cap his historic 2025 season with another record should he win the final two races of the season – tying A.J. Foyt and Al Unser’s record of 10 wins in a season.The Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 will be the 16th race of the 2025 season. There have been five winners in 15 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2025 season. Alex Palou (Streets of St. Petersburg, The Thermal Club, Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Indianapolis 500, Road America, Iowa Speedway-2, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Detroit, World Wide Technology Raceway), Scott Dixon (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), Pato O’Ward (Iowa Speedway-1, Streets of Toronto) and Will Power (Portland International Raceway) have all won in 2025.
The Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 will be the fifth oval race of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The first four oval races were won by drivers from three different teams. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou (Indianapolis 500 and Iowa Speedway-2), Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood (World Wide Technology Raceway) and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward (Iowa Speedway-1). The remaining oval race is scheduled for Aug. 31 at Nashville Superspeedway.The Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 will be the 116th INDYCAR SERIES event at the Milwaukee Mile. Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward 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 2014
Pato O’Ward 1 2024-Race 1
Scott McLaughlin 1 2024-Race 2
Twenty-two drivers have previous starts at Milwaukee Mile – Scott Dixon has 14 starts, most of all drivers. Nine drivers have led laps at the track (Will Power 306, Dixon 190, Scott McLaughlin 165, Pato O’Ward 133, Josef Newgarden 113, Alexander Rossi 46, Colton Herta 52, Santino Ferrucci 6, Graham Rahal 5).
Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 355th consecutive start, extending his INDYCAR SERIES record streak…Graham Rahal will attempt to make his 255th consecutive start, the third-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Josef Newgarden will attempt to make his 218th consecutive start, the sixth-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Dixon passed Mario Andretti for the INDYCAR SERIES record for starts with his 408th start May 25 at Indianapolis and will extend his record to 417 with a start Sunday…Dixon’s win July 6 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – his 59th INDYCAR SERIES win – extended two ongoing INDYCAR SERIES records he holds: seasons with a win (23) and consecutive seasons with a win (21). Dixon’s second-place finish July 13 at Iowa Speedway extended two additional ongoing INDYCAR SERIES records he holds: podium finishes (145) and top-five finishes (215)…Alex Palou (1,512 laps led) needs to lead four laps to pass Tony Stewart for 28th on the all-time laps led list…Devlin DeFrancesco and Sting Ray Robb will mark their 50th INDYCAR SERIES starts this weekend.
INDY NXT by Firestone Race Notes:There are two drivers mathematically eligible for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship: Dennis Hauger and Caio Collet. Hauger, a rookie from Norway, has led the season point standings since the opening round of the season at St. Petersburg. If Hauger leads Collet by 54 points or more following Sunday’s race, he will clinch the series title for Andretti Global, which has won six INDY NXT championships in its history.The INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile will be the series’ 30th race at the Milwaukee Mile. Previous Indy NXT by Firestone winners at Milwaukee include Paul Tracy, Adrian Fernandez, Bryan Herta, Greg Moore, Scott Dixon, Townsend Bell, Alex Lloyd and Louis Foster.

King of the Mile

thepitwindow

In the 117 races in which all of the iterations of IndyCar has run at the Milwaukee Mile since 1939, one driver stands out as the indisputable King of the Mile. Rodger Ward won the Milwaukee race seven times between 1957 and 1963. A. J. Foyt and Mario Andretti are a distant second with four wins each.

In Ward’s era, Milwaukee hosted a race the weekend after the Indianapolis 500 and another race in August. Ward never swept a season at Milwaukee, but twice he won the August race and then the June race the following year.

Ward won in Milwaukee in August in each year of his two Indy victories, in 1959 and 1962.

Despite all his wins at the Wisconsin State Fair track, Ward won the pole just once, in the June 1964, race. Foyt, who was virtually unbeatable that year, won the race. Ward did not finish that one but came back to get second place in the August running won by Parnelli Jones. His only other podium was third place in1956.Jimmy Bryan was the winner.

Ward leads Foyt on his way to winning the 1962 Milwaukee 200 in August, 1962

Ward’s won in 1957 (June), 1958 (August), 1959 (August),1960 (June),1961 (June),1962 (August), and 1963 (June). He participated in 26 races at The Mile. Ward had three other top five finishes, 5th in 1951, 4th place in both 1962 and 1963, years when he won the other race that year.

Rodger Ward transformed from a journeyman driver into one of the sport’s top stars in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He retired after the 1966 Indianapolis 500.

Armstrong Stays at MSR for 2026

thepitwindow

Meyer Shank Raving has resigned Marcus Armstrong for the 2026 IndyCar Series season. The announcement from Meyer Shank Racing:

Pataskala, Ohio (18 August 2025) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) is pleased to confirm that Marcus Armstrong will return the team and drive the No. 66 Honda for the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

Armstrong has quickly become a consistent and competitive force in his first season with MSR, delivering strong performances throughout the 2025 campaign. The 25-year-old New Zealander has recorded ten top-ten finishes so far this season, highlighted by a podium at Iowa Speedway — the second of his INDYCAR career.

With momentum building through the second half of the year, Armstrong is aiming to finish the season inside the top ten of the championship standings for the first time in his career — a testament to the growth and promise he’s shown in the No. 66 SiriusXM Honda.

“I’m very pleased and grateful to be back with Meyer Shank Racing and my crew for 2026,” said Armstrong. “The professionalism and attention to detail is a benchmark throughout the field and we have certainly improved with time together which has been great. We’ll look to build on our momentum and work hard to climb the points standings.”

Armstrong has also impressed in qualifying, matching his career-best starting position of third (Toronto), and earning a second-row start with a fourth-place qualifying effort to kick off the season in St. Petersburg.

“We’re thrilled to have Marcus back for 2026,” said Mike Shank, co-owner of Meyer Shank Racing. “He’s really grown a lot this season and we’re seeing that in his results as the season has gone on. His performance this year has shown that he has all the tools to fight at the front. We’re excited to continue building on this progress together.”

Armstrong and Meyer Shank Racing still have two races left on the 2025 calendar and are looking to close out the season on a high note.

Milwaukee Schedule

thepitwindow

Remember, kids, it’s just a two day show. All times Central.

Notes

Saturday

InbdyCar Practice 8-9 on FS2

Indy NXT practice 10:05-10:35 on FS1

IndyCar qualifying on FS1

Indy NXT qualifying on FS2

IndyCar High line Practice on FS2

The IndyCar schedule also lists a final IndyCar practice from 4:30-5:30 on FS2

Sunday- IndyNXT race on FS1

FOX on air for IndyCar race at 1 pm, green flag at 1:20

1970- 10 Wins for Al Unser

thepitwindow

Photo: Al Unser on his way to his first 500 victory in 1970

Winning10 races remains a possibility for 2025 champion Alex Palou, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 1970 when Al Unser dominated the season. Here is a look back at that season 55 years ago.

The early races in 1970 gave no indication of how dominant Al Unser would be. He won the opening race at Phoenix, then did not win again until the Indianapolis 500. Unser was winless in June and won just one race in July, at the end of the month at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The schedule had a large gap, and racing didn’t pick up again until late August. Unser won the first races after the break on August 22nd and 23rd at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and Milwaukee respectively, which put his win streak at three.

Following a ninth-place result in the California 500, Unser won the next five races-DuQuoin, the Hoosier Hundred, Sedalia, Trenton, and Sacramento.

Unser won the pole for the season finale at Phoenix but finished second to Swede Savage. Savage was the ninth different race winner of 1970.

Unser became the second and last driver to win 10 races in a season. A. J. Foyt won 10 of 13 races in 1964. It could be argued that Unser’s achievement was more difficult. Unser won on dirt, pavement, and a road. course. He switched from rear engine pavement cars to front engine dirt cars during the season. On two occasions, a Saturday race was one surface, and the Sunday race was the other. Unser won both races those weekends.

Unser was on the pole for six races, and he won five of those events, losing only the last race of the year from the pole. His worst finish was 18th at Michigan.

Of course, Al Unser ran away with the championship, beating his brother Bobby by more than 2,000 points. Bobby had also won a race in 1970, giving the Unser family 11 wins in 18 races.

Unser the morning after winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1971

For any skeptic who thought 1970 was a fluke, Unser won five of the first six races of 1971, including his second straight Indianapolis500. The 500 would not see another back-to-back winner for thirty years. The 500 would not see another back-to-back winner for thirty years. He went on to win two more 500s in 1978 and 1987.