Tag: Milwaukee Mile

First, We Qualify, Then We Race

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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

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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

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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 

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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.

Return to the Mile

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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.

Power Paces Another Penske 1-2-3 at Milwaukee Test

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Twenty Drivers Give Workout to New Hybrid Unit as Debut Nears

From Indycar

MILWAUKEE (Tuesday, June 11, 2024) – It appears Wisconsin is Team Penske’s new playground.Two days after sweeping the podium at Road America, Team Penske drivers Will Power, Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin were the three fastest drivers, respectively, in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test at Milwaukee Mile.

Two-time series champion Power led with a lap of 161.521 mph in the No. 12 Chevrolet on the historic 1-mile oval. Two-time reigning Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Newgarden followed at 160.759 in the No. 2 Chevrolet, with McLaughlin third at 160.639 in the No. 3 Chevrolet. Power won the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR last Sunday at Road America, followed by Newgarden and McLaughlin in Team Penske’s first podium sweep in a series event since 2017.

All 20 cars in the all-day test were equipped with the new hybrid unit that will make its competition debut Friday-Sunday, July 5-7 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid

.“You do feel it’s probably going to assist in passing,” Power said of the hybrid unit. “If you’ve got a run on someone, I think it will work.”

The hybrid units will be used during the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ first return to this track since 2015 during the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 doubleheader Aug. 31-Sept. 1. Power is one of two active series drivers with a win at Milwaukee; he won in 2014, while Scott Dixon won in 2009.

“It hasn’t changed much,” Power said of the famed oval. “I think those patches don’t seem to have much grip though in the middle of the corners, which is really good for passing. It’s the same track. It feels exactly like it did.

“I did really well here. It was one of my favorite ovals. I had been looking forward to coming here.”

Colton Herta was fourth in testing today at 160.137 in the No. 26 Honda fielded by Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian. Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren rounded out the top five at 159.993 in his No. 5 Chevrolet.

David Malukas was eighth at 159.293 in his debut with Meyer Shank Racing in the No. 66 Honda. Malukas missed the first seven races of the season due to a wrist injury suffered in a preseason mountain biking accident. He will make his racing debut with MSR at Mid-Ohio.

Light rain delayed the test for 36 minutes late in the afternoon while teams were in the race simulation portion of the schedule, when the field was divided into two groups. The 20 drivers combined to turn 3,563 incident-free laps on the day. That’s equal to 178 laps per driver, more than half of the 250-lap distance of each of the races over Labor Day weekend.“

This was another important milestone for the INDYCAR hybrid power unit,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “Chevrolet and Honda checked a lot of boxes today, and none of it could happen without the continued partnership and support of our drivers and teams. The anticipation grows, and we cannot wait to see the hybrid era begin at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in a few weeks.”

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, June 23 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Live coverage starts at 6 p.m. ET on the USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

RESULTS

INDYCAR TO RETURN TO THE HISTORIC MILWAUKEE MILE IN 2024 

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News release from Indycar and Wisconsin State Fair Park


Wisconsin State Fair Park to Host First-Ever Milwaukee NTT INDYCAR SERIES Doubleheader Weekend, August 30-September 1 

WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin (September 25, 2023) — Adding an exciting new chapter to the legacy of INDYCAR racing at the historic Milwaukee Mile, Penske Entertainment and Wisconsin State Fair Park officials today announced a multi-year agreement that will bring the NTT INDYCAR SERIES back to the iconic one-mile oval, beginning in 2024.  

As the series returns to Milwaukee for the first time since 2015, next year’s event will feature the first-ever INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile with a Labor Day weekend celebration scheduled for Friday-Sunday, August 30-September 1, 2024. With on track action beginning on Friday, the weekend will feature full points-paying NTT INDYCAR SERIES races on Saturday and Sunday, with both races streamed live on Peacock and Sunday’s race broadcast live on the USA Network (times to be announced).  

Located at Wisconsin State Fair Park in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis, Wisc., the Milwaukee Mile is the world’s most historic operating speedway, hosting races since 1903. Open-wheel racing began competing at the Mile in 1939 and there has been a total of 114 INDYCAR races hosted at the track over the course of nine decades. Some of the greatest drivers in INDYCAR history have won at the Milwaukee Mile over the years including Rodger Ward, Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Rick Mears, Johnny Rutherford, Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jr. The list of champions at the Mile extends to current NTT INDYCAR SERIES stars Scott Dixon and Will Power, who will both return to race at the track in 2024 for the first time in nine years.  

“There is such a great tradition and history of INDYCAR racing at the Milwaukee Mile and we are excited to build on that legacy with a Labor Day weekend NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader beginning in 2024,” said Roger Penske, Chairman of Penske Corporation. “We appreciate all the loyal and passionate INDYCAR fans in Milwaukee and across the state of Wisconsin and thanks to our partnership with the Wisconsin State Fair Park, we can’t wait to return to the Mile next season.” 

Wisconsin State Fair Park, which annually hosts one of the nation’s most popular State Fairs in early August, will host the INDYCAR weekend at the Milwaukee Mile as the event promoter, with support from INDYCAR.  

“I’m so proud of the relationship we have created with Penske Entertainment and want to thank the entire team, as well as Governor Evers and his administration, for helping us bring INDYCAR back to the historic Milwaukee Mile,” said Shari Black, CEO and Executive Director of State Fair Park. “We look forward to a great event over Labor Day weekend that will include a larger footprint at State Fair Park than races in the past. This will allow for exciting programming, expanded food and beverage options and ultimately offer a high-energy, family-friendly event weekend for racing fans.” 

The two races at the Milwaukee Mile are expected to feature prominently in the battle for next season’s NTT NDYCAR SERIES championship as they will serve as rounds 15 and 16 of the 17-race 2024 season schedule, which was announced earlier today. 

In addition to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the rising stars of racing will also compete at the Milwaukee Mile during the Aug. 30-Sept. 1 weekend. INDY NXT by Firestone (formerly Indy Lights), which has hosted 27 races at the iconic track in its history, will also return to the Mile in 2024. More information on the Labor Day weekend festival will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Tickets for next season’s INDYCAR weekend at the Milwaukee Mile are expected to go on sale in January. Fans interested in purchasing tickets can sign up now and learn more HERE.