Josef Newgarden – Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 – Photo by James Black

John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio

Same racetrack, different race car.

While the NTT IndyCar Series hasn’t competed at The Milwaukee Mile since 2015, a recent trend on ovals continued during Friday’s opening practice for the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s.

Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden turned the top hot lap of 23.0156-seconds/158.762 mph around the 1.015-mile oval in West Allis, Wis. Team Penske has won all four previous oval races this season and Newgarden _ the two-time/reigning Indianapolis 500 champion _ has prevailed in 10 of the series’ last 15 circle-track events.

“It feels similar. It’s different compared to 2015 when we left,” said Newgarden, summing-up the historic Midwest layout. “We had a huge aero kit, big downforce (in 2015). You were pretty much just flat. Very different from 2015. We’re way heavier (addition of the Aeroscreen and Hybrid energy package). From that standpoint, it’s completely different.

“But I think it’s still Milwaukee. Like, sort of the general traits of this track are very much there underneath the surface. It’s just a different car. A lot less downforce. It’s heavier, requires a different setup, different finesse. You got to look after things differently than you did 10 years ago.

“It’s the same Milwaukee. There’s a preferred line. There’s kind of an alternate line that’s not great but usable. Yeah, it’s a very interesting track. I think if we get some (tire) drop-off, there’s going to be good racing, which I think everybody wants to see.”

Practice was divided into two groups of 15 minutes each to work in the track’s lower groove, and then the circuit opened for all cars for 90 minutes. Newgarden said the challenge was interpreting how the Firestone Firehawk tires adapted to the lower and higher lines on the tarmac.

“I think you definitely have your hands full midway through to the end of the (tire) stint,” said Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. “I liked our car a lot. It was tricky in the beginning. We had two different tires we were working with. The low-line running had like one balance by itself, and then it completely flipped when we went to this weekend’s tire.

“There was some tuning that went on there. I felt like we got into a good spot. The PPG car was really comfy at the end. Everyone is going to make their own decisions on how they view the tire usage and the mileage. It’s been really interesting the last couple of ovals on how people have strategized it.”

Up next is NTT P1 Award qualifying for both races this weekend at 2:15 p.m. (EDT) today. The first 250-lap/253.75-mile race follows at 5:40 p.m., with Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network providing exclusive live coverage of qualifying and the race. Race 2 starts at 2:30 p.m. (EDT) Sunday on USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon of New Zealand was second-fast in practice at 158.080 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Pato O’Ward was third at 157.750 mph in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

“It’s a pretty quick turnaround going into qualifying and the first race of the weekend,” said O’ Ward, a native of Mexico with family ties to San Antonio. “But I’m feeling quite content with what we’re heading into qualifying with. I would say there is a bit more of a question mark for the race, but this will be new for a lot of people so we’ll just have to see what it has in store for us.”

Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist placed fourth at 157.628 mph in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing. Native New Zealander Scott McLaughlin placed two Team Penske cars in the top five with his best lap of 157.581 mph in the No. 3 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet.

Series point-leader Alex Palou, the two-time/reigning champion from Spain, was ninth overall at 156.793 mph in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou’s closest pursuer, two-time series champ Will Power, was 11th at 156.539 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet. Native Australian Power and Palou finished 1-2 in last Sunday’s BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland on the 1.964-mile/12-turn Portland International Raceway road-course in Oregon.

Palou leads Power by 54 markers _ a gap of exactly one race’s worth of points _ with three events remaining this season. Palou is chasing his third title in the last four seasons, as well as becoming the first repeat champion since Dario Franchitti of Scotland pulled off the feat for the Ganassi juggernaut in 2010-11. Franchitti also won the title in 2009, posting a three-peat by 2011.

Colton Herta, third in points and 67 behind Palou, was 10th at 156.647 mph in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian, as the top three drivers were sandwiched together from ninth through 11th on the speed chart.

Friday’s lengthy session was incident-free until eight minutes remained, when rookie Christian Rasmussen crashed. Rasmussen, the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone champion from Denmark, drifted above the racing line in Turn 2, lost grip and hit the SAFER Barrier with the right side of his No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet of Ed Carpenter Racing. Rasmussen was uninjured.

Meanwhile, Newgarden acknowledged that he and Scotty Mac will be looking to help Power in his title bid on and off the track. “Me running in a normal condition is helping Will,” Newgarden said. “If he’s off a little bit, I’m good today, he’s going to know exactly why I was good today. There’s nothing hidden there.

“We’ll go back and have a conversation like we always do. If there’s something that he’s benefitting from this, then he will. We got to run our normal program, try to win these races. Obviously our team wants to be in a position to win the championship. It’s not easy, though. Palou could have an issue on one race, it closes right up, or he could just have two great races, like he normally does.

“I don’t think anything’s a slam-dunk or simple. Just got to run our races and try to do a great job. Hopefully we’re in position by the time we get to Nashville to close the deal. I’ve always wanted to race there. That’s where I watched some of my very first INDYCAR races, Nashville Superspeedway.”

Nine-position starting grid penalties have been announced by INDYCAR officials for Josef Newgarden’s No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, Nolan Siegel’s No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Marcus Armstrong’s No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and the Nos. 30 and 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Hondas driven by Pietro Fittipaldi and Christian Lundgaard, respectively, for unapproved engine changes following the Sunday, Aug. 25, event at Portland International Raceway.

The teams were in violation of: Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5^th) 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 (5^th) 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 at The Milwaukee Mile.

Louis Foster sent a clear message to his INDY NXT by Firestone peers during practice Friday at The Milwaukee Mile. This Brit wants the season championship sewed-up here-and-now.

Championship leader Foster dominated Friday’s 45-minute practice with a best lap of 24.6209-seconds/148.410 mph in the No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies entry of Andretti Global on the 1.015-mile oval. Foster only needs to finish fifth or better to secure the title at the season’s penultimate race, and first event at the historic track since 2015 for INDYCAR’s developmental series.

“I think it’s good to be back here,” Foster said. “Now, we’ll go to work on the car for qualifying and also the race car. It’s going to be a tricky car to set up, so we’re going to work on that and try figure it out. Obviously, it’s a good way to start the weekend. I’m happy with the car; we just need to fine-tune it here.”

Qualifying is set for 1 p.m. (EDT) today, carried on INDYCAR LIVE and the INDYCAR Radio Network, followed by the 90-lap/91.35-mile race at 3:50 p.m. broadcast by Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

INDYCAR announced an updated race length for Round 13 of the championship. After fuel calculations from the previous oval event _ World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill. _ the race distance was updated to 90 laps.

Rookie Callum Hedge was second-fastest in practice at 147.348 mph _ more than one mph behind Foster _ in the No. 17 HMD Motorsports car.

Jacob Abel, who won last Sunday at Portland International Raceway in Oregon to keep his title hopes alive, was third at 147.252 mph in the No. 51 Abel Construction machine of Abel Motorsports. Abel is the only driver mathematically eligible to challenge Foster for the title _ 79 points behind the leader.

“We feel really strong about Milwaukee,” Abel said earlier this week. “We were probably the strongest car all day at the test, so it’s one of the races that I feel most confident about going into this year.

“I think the racing will be interesting, because it’s unlike any oval we’ve ever driven before. With no banking, it’s almost like two high-speed road-course corners. I also think traffic might play a big role there _ that hasn’t been an issue on any of the other ovals thus far, but I think with how short the track is, it might this weekend.

“I’m excited, I’m looking forward to it and to just going into the last two rounds with an open mind. We’re looking to win a race or two and to finishing the season strong.” 

Another rookie, Salvador de Alba Jr., was fourth at 147.093 mph in the No. 2 Grupo Indi car fielded by Andretti Cape INDY NXT. De Alba scored his only podium finish of 2024 at the season’s first oval by placing third July 13 at Iowa Speedway. Jamie Chadwick completed the top five at 147.067 mph in the No. 28 VEXT car of Andretti Global.

Two yellow flags for contact interrupted practice. Rookie Taylor Ferns did a quarter-spin exiting Turn 2 in the No. 55 Abel Motorsports car and backed into the SAFER Barrier eight minutes into the session. Nine minutes later, Reece Gold also clipped the wall in Turn 2 with the right side of his No. 10 HMD Motorsports car. Ferns and Gold were uninjured.

NTT IndyCar Series point standings _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 484; 2, Will Power, Team Penske, 430; 3, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, 417; 4, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 396; 5, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 383; 6, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 360; 7, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 353; 8, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 342; 9, Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren, 295; 10, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 274;

11, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 265; 12, Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 261; 13, Marcus Armstrong, Chip Ganassi Racing, 258; 14, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 257; 15, Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing, 240; 16, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 227; 17, Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 218; 18, Linus Lundqvist, Chip Ganassi Racing, 216; 19, Sting Ray Robb, A.J. Foyt Racing, 156; 20, Pietro Fittipaldi, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 156;

21, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 152; 22, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 124; 23, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 114; 24, Augustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 109; 25, David Malukas, Meyer Shank Racing, 102; 26, Jack Harvey, Dale Coyne Racing, 96; 27, Theo Pourchaire, Arrow McLaren, 91; 28, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 51; 29, Tom Blomqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 46; 30, Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, 45;

31, Toby Sowery, Dale Coyne Racing, 45; 32, Callum Ilott, Arrow McLaren, 39; 33, Katherine Legge, Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, 29; 34, Luca Ghiotto, Dale Coyne Racing, 27; 35, Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, 26; 36, Kyle Larson, Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren, 21; 37, Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 19; 38, Tristan Vautier, Dale Coyne Racing, 12; 39, Juri Vips, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 11; 40, Colin Braun, Dale Coyne Racing, 10;

41, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing-Cusick Motorsports, 6; 42, Hunter McElrea, Dale Coyne Racing, 6; 43, Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta with Marco & Curb Agajanian, 5.