Tag: Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250

Milwaukee Wrap-Up

thepitwindow

Two Notes

Photo: Penske Entertainment by Joe Skibinski

1.Dear IndyCar- especially Messrs. Penske, Boles, and Miles-

Keep Milwaukee on the schedule permanently. The last two years have seen three very good races. The track is a classic, pure IndyCar track. The fans will show up.

Yesterday the crowd energy was palpable. I haven’t felt crowd excitement like that since that race you run in May. 2025 can be built on. Thank you.

Sincerely, Every IndyCar fan in the world.

2. A huge shoutout to the staff at Wisconsin State Fair Park for putting on a great weekend. Promotion was outstanding as the crowd indicates. There were many logistical improvements from 2024. All this was accomplished while having to clean up from a flood two weeks ago.

Huge thanks to Snap-On for assuming the title sponsor role.

The Race

The Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250 is definitely in contention for best race of the year. There was action throughout the field, three on track lead changes, including one for the victory, and a late race strategy decision that changed the event’s complexion.

I just watched the FOX replay, and my impression of the race became even better. More on the broadcast in a bit.

Not only should Milwaukee be awarded a long-term contract but yesterday was exhibit A for more oval races. Not necessarily double headers- I think Milwaukee worked better as a single event- but a variety of short and medium sized tracks.

Congratulations to Christian Rasmussen on joining the IndyCar Winners’ Club. I think this is the first of many for him.

From yesterday:

A Splenda’d Victory-Quick Thoughts on the Milwaukee 250

FOX Coverage

It has been a learning year for FOX, and the broadcast improves every race.

I loved the opening segments with the vintage clips and the billboards showcasing the greats who have won at the fairgrounds.

Jack Harvey has improved immensely through the season, and he is now very comfortable in his pit reporting role. I wonder if the grid walk allowed him to feel more relaxed as he could talk with his fellow drivers.

I liked the way the pit stop timer was presented, where I could check several pit stop times at once, but their inconsistencies in showing the timing got a bit annoying. WE did not see times for crucial stops at important moments.

FOX was in commercial during the last yellow when many drivers dove into the pits for fresh tires- the key moment of the race. Thew broadcast returned as cars were exiting the pits. The moment called for cut back to action and a makeup spot elsewhere.

I don’t know which producer had the prescience to follow Christian Rasmussen so closely all day. That was a great call. Rasmussen was a show all by himself all day.

The biggest disappointment was no post-race show for a race that deserved many interviews and analysis.

Every year after the Indianapolis 500 I begin anticipating the following year’s race. I am eagerly waiting for Milwaukee’s date in 2026 just as much now.

A Splenda’d Victory-Quick Thoughts on the Milwaukee 250

thepitwindow

I had a feeling history would be made today, just not the history that happened. Congratulations to Christian Rasmussen and ECR,

Christian Rasmussen used fresher tires to pass 2025 champion Alex Palou with 15 laps to go and easily drove to his first IndyCar win in the Milwaukee 250. It was the first win for Ed Carpenter Racing since Rinus VeeKay won the Indy GP at IMS.

Early on it looked to be David Malukas’s day when he passed Palou after an early restart. Palou retook the lead on lap 41 and appeared to be running away from the field. A bad pit stop took Malukas out of contention, but he fought back to finish eighth.

Pato O’Ward overcame a difficult pit stop to finish fifth and clinch second place in the championship.

Rasmussen made 48 of the 685 on track passes. 368 passes were for position.

In the post race conference, Palou and Scott McLaughlin agreed that the decision on whether to take fresh tires during th elate yellow was “50/50”.

Attendance was outstanding today. The grandstands were mostly full. This morning, more general admission tickets went on sale, and they sold out. HyVee sponsored this event last year, and I wondered how well attended this race would be.

It was agreat day all around for ECR with Alexandr Rossi’s fourth place finish.

The yellow for Graham Rahal’s slide in turn 2 was a bit quick. Rahal recovered and didn’t make contact.

The IndyCar season now has had six different winners in 2025, which is approaching a more normal number of winners. At mid season I had to wonder how few winners there would be.

That will do it for me today. I will have a wrap-up tomorrow after I watch the television replay. Thanks fo following along this weekend.

Results

Alex Pole-O

thepitwindow

If Alex Palou has a weakness, it is that he can’t steer the car with his knees. Palou took his seventh pole of 2025 today, Edging David Malukas for the top spot in tomorrow’s Snap-on Milwaukee 250.

Palou averaged 162.971 mph to better Malukas’s 162.256 mph.S

In a very interesting qualifying session, early strength from Team Penske slipped although Chevrolet power appeared to rule the day. Palou, the day’s final qualifier, spoiled the bowtie party.

Scott McLaughlin Led Team Penske with a fourth place effort. Will Power earned the sixth spot but will start fifth after Scott Dixons penalty is applied. Josef Newgarden qualified eighth and will start seventh.

Colton Herta spun without making any contact in turn 2 of his first lap. He complete the run at a very reduced speed. Felix Rosenqvist spun and backed into the turn 4wall coming to the start of his run.

The day nearly belonged to Malukas. After he set fast time, nine drivers still needed to qualify. Pato O’Ward threatened to take the first position with a faster first lap, but O’Ward’s second lap was slower enough to allow Malukas to keep the top berth.

Then it was Palou’s turn. Would the bully take the prize away from the kid? Of course, he would, by three tenths of a second.

Palou has a chance on Sunday to Mario Andretti’s mark of nine wins in a season, which Andretti did in1970.

Notes

Attendance was much higher today than what we usually see on a qualifying day. All signs point to a very well attended race tomorrow.

“I knew I had a good car,” Palou said. “I just wanted to get everything out of it, so I just fired as much speed as I think it could handle and a little bit more, and it sticks. It feels amazing to get a pole here.”

Results

Newgarden Tops Practice

thepitwindow

Josef Newgarden led the pre qualifying practice this morning at the Milwaukee Mile with a lap of 161. 0066 mph. Only six cars posted speeds above 160 mph.

Newgarden will be 10th out for qualifying, which may not be ideal for winning the pole. Qualifying order is at the end of this post.

Louis Foster lost an engine after only three laps. He just received a nine grid spot penalty.

Three caution periods for a total of more than 30 minutes caused IndyCar to extend the session so cars got the full time in.

Next up is qualifying at 1 pm Central on FS1.

Notes

The track has improved some things from 2024. The pit/paddock pass redemption area is much more efficient. Last year the line started on the tunnel walkway and clogged traffic. Two booths and a cordoned line off the tunnel exit has allowed traffic to move smoothly and the lines move much quicker.

Grandstand entrances seem better organized as well with covered entries to each section.

All the food stands and bars areopen, giving he midway the festival atmosphere that every race should have. The infrastructure helps create the environment.

Many fans are wearing throwback shirts. So far I have spotted a Jimmy Bryan shirt, one with a leader Cards logo, several Al Unser styles. The FOX pit reporters are all wearing throwback shirts as well. If ever a track screamed “Have a Throwback Race,” Milwaukee is it.

Results

Qualifying Order

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.
 
 
 

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.