{"id":93876,"date":"2025-08-25T04:54:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T04:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/93876\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T04:54:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T04:54:09","slug":"scott-mclaughlin-third-as-first-time-indycar-race-winner-upstages-alex-palou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/93876\/","title":{"rendered":"Scott McLaughlin third as first-time IndyCar race winner upstages Alex Palou"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"McLaughlin
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScott McLaughlin at the Milwaukee Mile. Image: Joe Skibinski<\/p>\n

The Ed Carpenter Racing driver put on a clinic in his 30th career start, pitting late and making the most of a tyre advantage to surge from seventh to the lead.<\/p>\n

Chip Ganassi Racing\u2019s Alex Palou was the dominant force all day, leading 199 of the 250-lap race distance from pole position.<\/p>\n

He made his final pit stop on Lap 196. Rasmussen stopped on Lap 191 but when a light shower came across the circuit and brought out the caution, he gambled on a fifth pit stop on Lap 213.<\/p>\n

The tyre disparity between Rasmussen and Palou paid dividends.<\/p>\n

Palou led the field to green on Lap 222 with Team Penske duo Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden in tow. Pato O\u2019Ward, the first driver on fresh tyres, was fourth followed by Alexander Rossi, Christian Lundgaard, Rasmussen, Scott Dixon, David Malukas, and Marcus Armstrong.<\/p>\n

Rasmussen began ripping the high line and went around O\u2019Ward and Rossi before dispatching Newgarden down low. With 20 laps to go, Rasmussen got McLaughlin around the outside.<\/p>\n

Rasmussen quickly ate through a 1.5-second deficit to Palou and the race-winning move came on Lap 235 around the Spaniard\u2019s outside. Then the Danish driver cleared out to a two-second lead to take the win.<\/p>\n

OH MY GOODNESS CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN TO THE LEAD AT MILWAUKEE! pic.twitter.com\/lXqa0vNQh1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) August 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

In Victory Lane, Rasmussen was greeted by his teammate Rossi, who finished fourth behind McLaughlin.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur ovals have been pretty good this year. Today was amazing,\u201d said Rasmussen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were talking about before the race that if there\u2019s a late caution then we want to go on new tyres because it\u2019s just such an advantage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were more people that did it than I thought there would in the last stint, but it was definitely the right choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were so good on new tyres even compared to other cars on new tyres. Wow. That\u2019s a good day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Team owner Ed Carpenter hailed Rasmussen\u2019s race-winning run.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew this was coming for Christian,\u201d said Carpenter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the best there is right now on short ovals, he\u2019s shown it all season long.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat yellow really played into his hand and he did an amazing job taking advantage of his new tyres and Chevy power.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels so good. It\u2019s been a while since we won a race. Happy to be here and really a great team weekend with Alex in P4.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trouble for Will Power. pic.twitter.com\/7wo9wub9lf<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) August 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The race was punctuated by two incidents, the first on Lap 1 when McLaren\u2019s Nolan Siegal spun coming through the final turn.<\/p>\n

On Lap 104, Will Power tried to round up Chip Ganassi Racing\u2019s Kyffin Simpson. However, the Team Penske driver\u2019s bid to go around the outside wound up with him clattering the wall.<\/p>\n

Callum Ilott drew the caution on Lap 140 when his Prema cried no more and smoke began to pour from the engine.<\/p>\n

Results: IndyCar Series Milwaukee Mile 250, Milwaukee Mile<\/p>\n

Pos
\nNum
\nDriver
\nTeam Penske
\nLaps\/Diff
\nGap<\/p>\n

1
\n21
\nChristian Rasmussen
\nEd Carpenter Racing
\n250 laps<\/p>\n

2
\n10
\nAlex Palou
\nChip Ganassi Racing
\n1.946
\n1.946<\/p>\n

3
\n3
\nScott McLaughlin
\nTeam Penske
\n10.661
\n8.715<\/p>\n

4
\n20
\nAlexander Rossi
\nEd Carpenter Racing
\n11.458
\n0.797<\/p>\n

5
\n5
\nPato O\u2019Ward
\nArrow McLaren
\n12.083
\n0.625<\/p>\n

6
\n7
\nChristian Lundgaard
\nArrow McLaren
\n12.829
\n0.746<\/p>\n

7
\n2
\nJosef Newgarden
\nTeam Penske
\n14.404
\n1.576<\/p>\n

8
\n4
\nDavid Malukas
\nA.J. Foyt Enterprises
\n15.092
\n0.688<\/p>\n

9
\n9
\nScott Dixon
\nChip Ganassi Racing
\n15.649
\n0.556<\/p>\n

10
\n66
\nMarcus Armstrong
\nMeyer Shank Racing w\/ Curb-Agajanian
\n16.446
\n0.797<\/p>\n

11
\n26
\nColton Herta
\nAndretti Global w\/ Curb-Agajanian
\n16.817
\n0.371<\/p>\n

12
\n27
\nKyle Kirkwood
\nAndretti Global
\n17.881
\n1.065<\/p>\n

13
\n76
\nConor Daly
\nJuncos Hollinger Racing
\n19.021
\n1.139<\/p>\n

14
\n14
\nSantino Ferrucci
\nA.J. Foyt Enterprises
\n19.86
\n0.839<\/p>\n

15
\n18
\nRinus VeeKay
\nDale Coyne Racing
\n20.218
\n0.358<\/p>\n

16
\n30
\nDevlin DeFrancesco
\nRahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
\n22.995
\n2.777<\/p>\n

17
\n45
\nLouis Foster
\nRahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
\n1 lap
\n1 lap<\/p>\n

18
\n83
\nRobert Shwartzman
\nPREMA Racing
\n8.921
\n8.921<\/p>\n

19
\n28
\nMarcus Ericsson
\nAndretti Global
\n10.252
\n1.331<\/p>\n

20
\n8
\nKyffin Simpson
\nChip Ganassi Racing
\n22.204
\n11.952<\/p>\n

21
\n50
\nJacob Abel
\nDale Coyne Racing
\n2 laps
\n1 lap<\/p>\n

22
\n60
\nFelix Rosenqvist
\nMeyer Shank Racing w\/ Curb-Agajanian
\n1.623
\n1.623<\/p>\n

23
\n77
\nSting Ray Robb
\nJuncos Hollinger Racing
\n24.901
\n23.277<\/p>\n

24
\n15
\nGraham Rahal
\nRahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
\n3 laps
\n1 lap<\/p>\n

25
\n90
\nCallum Ilott
\nPREMA Racing
\n112 laps
\n109 laps<\/p>\n

26
\n12
\nWill Power
\nTeam Penske
\n148 laps
\n36 laps<\/p>\n

27
\n6
\nNolan Siegel
\nArrow McLaren
\n250 laps
\n102 laps<\/p>\n

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