Josef Newgarden leads eventful opening practice in Milwaukee

Now, that is how you start a race weekend. Josef Newgarden led the opening practice for the Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend at the Milwaukee Mile, dropping down a stunning 159.430 mph lap in the No. 2 Snap-on Team Penske Chevrolet. Two-time series champion Newgarden feels right at home on short ovals like this historic 1.015-mile beast, bagging 14 of his 34 career victories on layouts just like it. He has already taken two of the three short-oval events so far this season, and the machine looks hooked up.

That said, the rest of the time sheet brought some wild surprises. Dennis Hauger, leading the Rookie of the Year standings, rocketed his No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda of Dale Coyne Racing to second at 159.378. Considering the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone champion's best oval finish prior was 15th at Phoenix in March and his best oval qualifying spot was 22nd at the same track, seeing him right up there at the sharp end is a massive turn-up. Reigning series champion Alex Palou slotted into third at 158.890 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda as he chases his fourth consecutive and fifth overall NTT INDYCAR SERIES title.

Here is the catch with Palou, though. He leads Kyle Kirkwood by 91 points and needs to lead by either 108 after Saturday's Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 or 54 after Sunday's Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 to seal the Astor Challenge Cup. But the Spaniard, along with two others in the top five, will incur a nine-spot grid penalty for Saturday's race due to an unapproved engine change following the race last Sunday in Washington, D.C.

David Malukas, who has scored more oval points than any driver this season, went fourth at 158.665 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet while hunting his first career victory. He shares that exact nine-spot grid penalty pain for Saturday alongside Rinus VeeKay, who rounded out the top five at 158.648 in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet after also changing engines following the D.C. race.

Unfortunately, the 90-minute session wasn't all clean laps. The biggest flashpoint came with 24 minutes remaining when title contender Kyle Kirkwood and last year's Milwaukee race winner, Christian Rasmussen, had a massive shunt. Running side-by-side through Turn 2 and down the back straightaway before the entrance of Turn 3—uncharacteristically aggressive for an opening practice—the No. 27 Sam's Club Honda of Kirkwood and the No. 21 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet of Rasmussen made contact and hurled both beasts straight into the SAFER Barrier.