What To Know About INDYCAR At Milwaukee: One Mile Of Beef & Energy

With two races left within the INDYCAR season, drivers head to 2 tracks the place most don’t have a lot expertise.

Each The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway have been on the 2024 schedule, however it was the primary at Milwaukee in 9 years and the primary time ever for INDYCAR at Nashville.

They’re each ovals however fairly completely different ones. Milwaukee is a comparatively flat asphalt oval, whereas Nashville (1.33-mile) is a moderately-banked concrete oval. 

Final yr, Milwaukee was the location of a doubleheader. This yr, it’s one race on Sunday on the monitor that’s a part of Wisconsin Truthful Park.

“Going to Milwaukee final yr, I feel there was plenty of questions raised from everyone,” stated Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard. “It has been some time since we had been there.

“It produced such nice racing, that I feel all of us left final yr desirous to do one other race.”

They get that likelihood on Sunday. They’ve a full day on Saturday with a apply (11 a.m. ET, FS1), qualifying (2 p.m. ET, FS1) after which extra apply that features time for them to attempt to rubber within the decrease groove, in addition to time for ultimate preparations (4:30 p.m. ET, FS2).

The race is ready for Sunday afternoon (2 p.m. ET, FOX) with 250 miles on the 1.015-mile oval.

A Wealthy Historical past

The Milwaukee Mile has a wealthy historical past in INDYCAR racing. The primary race in 1939 was gained by Babe Stapp. There have been 115 INDYCAR races on the monitor.

There are 4 former winners within the subject: final yr’s winners Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin and two winners from greater than a decade in the past in Scott Dixon and Will Energy.

Tight Factors Battles

Alex Palou clinched the title on the final occasion at Portland. However simply because the championship is already determined doesn’t imply drivers don’t have something to race for in the case of factors.

Christian Lundgaard is simply 13 factors out of third, and Kyle Kirkwood is simply 11 factors behind Lundgaard for fourth. Sixth by ninth within the standings and separated by 11 factors are Will Energy, Felix Rosenqvist, Coton Herta and Marcus Armstrong.

And within the battle for tenth, Scott McLaguhlin is 2 factors behind David Malukas, whereas Rinus VeeKay is 15 factors behind, adopted by Christian Rasmussen (20 factors out of tenth) and Santino Ferrucci is 25 factors again.

Christian Lundgaard is 12 factors out of third place.

The Large Beef

Christian Rasmussen and Conor Daly didn’t see eye to eye on the crash that despatched Daly arduous into the barrier at Portland, so in the event that they get close to one another, that shall be one thing to look at. They seemingly gained’t give one another many breaks.

Daly stated on his “Velocity Avenue” podcast that they did meet and talked however it doesn’t sound like they view it a lot in a different way.

“I’d say it was fairly an unsavory transfer and I don’t actually perceive it,” Daly stated on the FOX telecast. “That was a disgrace.”

Daly felt that Rasmussen ought to have been penalized. Rasmussen didn’t see it that means at Portland and wasn’t penalized, which Rasmussen stated signifies he didn’t do something incorrect.

Rasmussen stated some earlier contact was his fault, however it didn’t necessitate the way in which they bumped into the flip the place the crash finally occurred.

“That’s what you possibly can anticipate to occur whenever you attempt to roll the skin in Flip 10 … along with me being alongside of him,” Rasmussen stated. “I don’t know if he simply anticipated me to tug out of it. I’m on the within, so I wasn’t going to tug out.

“Clearly, race management noticed it the identical means.” 

The Large Query

The place will Will Energy race subsequent yr? That was a part of this piece forward of Portland and really properly might be a part of the piece going into the season finale subsequent week at Nashville.

However now Energy has a win this yr after capturing Portland for a second consecutive yr. And that was the primary win for Group Penske this season.

“I’m going into each weekend, I really feel like we’ve an opportunity to win as a crew and as a driver,” Energy stated. “If the whole lot goes proper, we’ll be within the hunt. That goes for the final two races.”

Energy stated he in all probability gained’t know till subsequent week or within the days after the season finale at Nashville so far as whether or not there’s a likelihood that Group Penske will retain him.

“Possibly it is my resolution,” Energy stated after that Portland win.

The place will Will Energy land subsequent season in INDYCAR?

Rahal Momentum

Graham Rahal carries some momentum of a fourth-place end from Portland into this race. And even when it doesn’t imply good outcomes at Milwaukee, it means confidence for the veteran going into the offseason.

“When the chance was there, we took it and have been able to go,” Rahal stated. “We’ve got plenty of confidence in the case of highway and avenue programs.”

And The Champ?

Alex Palou has simply two begins on the monitor with finishes of fifth and nineteenth. However the nineteenth final yr was the results of an engine difficulty the place the crew needed to do intensive work on the automobile earlier than and after the inexperienced flag flew.

Palou may tie the INDYCAR document of 10 wins with victories at Milwaukee and Nashville. He admits it is unlikely however he has had a profession yr.

Alex Palou has eight wins to date throughout this historic season, together with the Indy 500

It has been a season that has everybody chasing him.

“You possibly can’t win the entire races, aside from when you’re Alex Palou sort of deal,” Lundgaard stated. “He can. That is what makes it nice. It forces me to work more durable.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Observe him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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