Alex Palou's rivals hope to create double trouble at Milwaukee

Here we go again with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and what a weekend ahead. Last year's stop at the Milwaukee Mile went so well that officials decided to run it twice this year. Fans get double the fun with a pair of 250-mile races, featuring the Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 and the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250.

If either contest matches last year's madness, we are in for a treat. Christian Rasmussen took his maiden series victory here in his 30th start, becoming the 299th driver in history to win a series race. He charged through the field, leading the final 16 laps at the expense of reigning series champion Alex Palou, who had dominated by leading 199 of the first 234 laps. Rasmussen used fresh Firestone Firehawk tires after a late caution to lead Ed Carpenter Racing to victory lane for the first time since Rinus VeeKay won for the team in 2021 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

The competitive balance of the series was on full display last year. Following Palou, Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin finished third, tying his season-best result. Alexander Rossi came home fourth, meaning Ed Carpenter Racing placed two drivers in the top four for the first time all season. Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward rounded out the top five. Taking new tires for the final shootout proved brilliant for most, though McLaughlin only slipped from second to third and Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden dropped from third to seventh. Those three had pitted 15 laps earlier than Rasmussen and the others, which proved decisive.

Now, everyone is asking: which driver gets to be series winner No. 300? The contenders include Team Penske's David Malukas, who has been exceptional at short ovals in his five-year career and finished eighth in last year's Milwaukee race for AJ Foyt Racing. Marcus Armstrong of Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian is also knocking on the door after netting top-five finishes at Phoenix Raceway and in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, having finished 10th here last year. Chip Ganassi Racing's Kyffin Simpson is another chasing his first win after a fifth-place finish in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.