Scott McLaughlin showcased his skills at the Milwaukee Mile, clinching an impressive performance during the race.
Race Overview
[IMAGE0CONTEXT:bmw_199] In his 30th career start, Scott McLaughlin, driving for Ed Carpenter Racing, demonstrated exceptional strategy by pitting late and capitalizing on a tire advantage to move from seventh place to the lead. Throughout the race, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou was the dominant driver, leading 199 of the 250 laps from pole position. He completed his final pit stop on Lap 196, while Rasmussen made his stop on Lap 191. A light rain brought out a caution, prompting Rasmussen to take a gamble with a fifth pit stop on Lap 213, which ultimately paid off due to the tire difference between him and Palou.
Key Moments
As the race resumed on Lap 222, Palou led the field with Team Penske’s McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden closely following. Pato O’Ward, who was the first driver on fresh tires, held fourth place, trailed by Alexander Rossi, Christian Lundgaard, Rasmussen, Scott Dixon, David Malukas, and Marcus Armstrong. Rasmussen quickly made his move, overtaking O’Ward and Rossi before passing Newgarden on the inside. With just 20 laps remaining, he managed to get around McLaughlin on the outside. Rasmussen swiftly closed a 1.5-second gap to Palou, executing the race-winning maneuver on Lap 235, overtaking the Spaniard and pulling away to secure a two-second lead for the victory.
Victory Lane
In Victory Lane, Rasmussen celebrated with his teammate Rossi, who finished fourth behind McLaughlin. “Our ovals have been pretty good this year. Today was amazing,” Rasmussen remarked. He emphasized the strategy discussed before the race about opting for new tires if a late caution occurred, which turned out to be the right choice. “We were so good on new tires even compared to other cars on new tires. Wow. That’s a good day.”
Team owner Ed Carpenter praised Rasmussen’s performance, stating, “I knew this was coming for Christian. He’s the best there is right now on short ovals, he’s shown it all season long. That yellow really played into his hand, and he did an amazing job taking advantage of his new tires and Chevy power. It feels so good. It’s been a while since we won a race. Happy to be here and really a great team weekend with Alex in P4.”
Race Incidents
The race was not without incidents. The first occurred on Lap 1 when McLaren’s Nolan Siegal spun out while navigating the final turn. Later, on Lap 104, Will Power attempted to pass Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson but ended up hitting the wall. Another caution was called on Lap 140 when Callum Ilott’s Prema car experienced engine failure, releasing smoke onto the track.
Final Results
The final standings for the IndyCar Series at Milwaukee Mile were as follows:
1. Christian Rasmussen (Ed Carpenter Racing) – 250 laps
2. Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) – 1.946 seconds behind
3. Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) – 10.661 seconds behind
4. Alexander Rossi (Ed Carpenter Racing) – 11.458 seconds behind
5. Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) – 12.083 seconds behind
6. Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) – 12.829 seconds behind
7. Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) – 14.404 seconds behind
8. David Malukas (A.J. Foyt Enterprises) – 15.092 seconds behind
9. Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) – 15.649 seconds behind
10. Marcus Armstrong (Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian) – 16.446 seconds behind
The race showcased thrilling moments and strategic maneuvers, ultimately leading to a well-deserved victory for Rasmussen and his team.