By: Spencer Neff
August 31, 2024

2024 Hy-vee Milwaukee Mile Race 1 Results

Three of Pato O’Ward’s first six career INDYCAR wins had been at the second race of doubleheader weekends.

On Saturday, he earned a seventh victory as the Arrow McLaren driver won the first of two Hy-vee Milwaukee Mile 250s scheduled for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES this weekend.

The Monterey, Mexico native finished the 250-lap race with a 1.815-second victory. He led a race-high 133 of 250 laps, including the last 56.

It is the first race at the 1.015-mile oval in West Allis, Wisconsin since 2015.

In second, Team Penske’s Will Power made anotherdent into his points deficit.

After starting 25th due to an engine change penalty, Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Conor Daly made his way to third, the best finish for JHR and Daly’s first podium since Belle Isle Race 2 in 2016.

A.J. Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci continued his career year with a fourth-place effort, improving from 19th on the grid.

Points leader Alex Palou logged another solid effort in fifth and leads by 43 over Power. If Palou gains at least 12 points over Power in tomorrow’s 250-lap race, he would clinch the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship.

Power must be within 49 points following the race on Sunday to be mathematically eligible for his third championship ahead of the September 15 finale at Nashville Superspeedway.

Teammate Linus Lundqvist finished sixth, continuing to solidify his claim to Rookie of the Year honors for 2024.

After starting on the pole, Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin would finish eighth.

Race Recap

After the start was waved off by Race Control, the race was run under green flag conditions early on. Lundqvist made his way to second from fourth during the second lap of the race, dropping Malukas back to third.

On Lap 49, Lundqvist made his way past for the lead with help from the lapped car of teammate Kyffin Simpson.

After Lundqvist pitted on Lap 67, it was O’Ward who took hold of the lead of the race. Just after Herta worked past O”Ward for the lead on Lap 78.

On Lap 84, Katherine Legge spun exiting Turn 2 onto the back straightaway. McLaughlin opted to stay out and would retake the race lead until O’Ward zoomed past on Lap 119.

While battling for an effective podium spot, Josef Newgarden and Marcus Ericsson tangled in Turn 2, with both drivers crashing out of the race.

After 30 laps of green-flag racing upon the next restart, the final scheduled round of stops brought trouble for one of the race leaders. With 64 laps to go, Colton Herta emerged from his last stop with an untightened left-front wheel.

On the apron, the wheel peeled off and rolled past Turn 2 onto the back straightaway, prompting a third caution on the afternoon.

While drivers fought back and forth behind O’Ward and Power, the top 2 would go uncontested during the race’s final green flag run.

Slowed by three cautions spanning 38 laps, the race was completed with seven lead changes among five drivers. The average speed was 123.758 mph. With one race down, it will be a short wait before cars hit the track again for the penultimate race of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ 2024 season.

Up Next

Here is tomorrow’s schedule at the Milwaukee Mile. Stay with IndyCar1909 for the latest on the Hy-vee Milwaukee Mile 250s. 

At-track schedule (all times Central):

SUNDAY, SEPT. 1

 11 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Installation Laps, Peacock
1:30 p.m. USA Network on air
1:56 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
2 p.m. Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 2 (250 laps/253.75 miles), USA Network (Live)

Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR