By: Spencer Neff
August 22, 2025
Finishing off the 2025 season, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES heads to its firs of a pair of oval events.
The Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250 is the 118th INDYCAR race to be run since 1939 (August 27th will mark 86 years since its debut on the schedule.
Having opened in 1903, it is the oldest oval track in America.
Before this weekend’s on-track activities commence, here’s a look at the major storylines from around the series.
Headlines
12 days ago, Alex Palou clinched his third consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with a third-place finish at Portland. It was Palou’s seventh podium in as many races on a permanent road course this year, which included five victories and a second-place effort in thee other six races.
Palou now looks toward another chance at making series history. If the Chip Ganassi Racing driver can win the last two races, he would match A.J. Foyt (1964) and Al Unser (1970) with ten victories in a season. He finished ninth and 15th in last year’s doubleheader.
Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin of Arrow McLaren and Team Penske won the pair of races, which has been reduced to one for 2025. Chevrolet has won all six races held at the 1.015-mil oval in West Alis, Wisconsin since their 2012 return.
O’Ward also looks to wrap up his career-best finish in the points standings. He is currently 64 points ahead of CGR”S Scott Dixon (49 is the maximum number of points Dixon can gain on him as long as both start the race, 54 if not.)
The most recent of Honda’s eight victories was win 2011, their last season as sole engine supplier.
2014 race winner Will Power looks to make it two victories in a row while his future in the series remains uncertain. Power gave Team Penske its first win of 2025 last time out in Portland. Teammates Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden started on the pole in last year’s races. If one of their drivers earns the victory on Sunday,
The battle for Rookie of the Year remains up for grabs as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster leads PRMA Racing’s Robert Shwartzman by six points and Dale Coyne Racing’s Jacob Abel by 83 points.
Shwartzman and Abel both earned their career-best finishes at the most recent oval race, the second race of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader. Foster’s best oval finish was 12th at the Indianapolis 500 in May.
Fast Facts
Race weekend: Saturday, Aug. 23-Sunday, Aug. 24
Track: Milwaukee Mile, a 1.015-mile oval in West Allis, Wisconsin
Race distance:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250: 250 laps/253.75 miles
INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile: 90 laps/91.35 miles
Media Links: Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 Entry List (PDF) | INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile Entry List (PDF) | Trackside Media Guide (Interactive PDF)
Hybrid energy deployment parameters:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 150 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.
Firestone tire allotment:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Ten sets for use through the event weekend. An additional set is available so teams can participate in the group session Saturday.
INDY NXT by Firestone
Three new sets for use through the event weekend. A carryover set from the Milwaukee Open Test in June may be used during pre-qualifying practice sessions Saturday.
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Event website: www.wistatefair.com/wsfp/indycar-weekend-at-the-milwaukee-mile/
INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com
2024 race winners
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Race 1: Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet)
Race 2: Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Gallagher Team Penske Chevrolet)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global)
2024 NTT P1 Award winners:
Race 1: Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet), 22.5082 seconds, 162.341 mph
Race 2: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet), 22.6980 seconds, 160.983 mph
2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner:
Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global), 48.3396 seconds, 151.180 mph (two laps)
One-lap qualifying record:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Patrick Carpentier, 20.028 seconds, 185.500 mph, May 30, 1998
INDY NXT by Firestone
Mark Hotchkis, 23.692 seconds, 151.952 mph, June 2, 1996
Two-lap qualifying record:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Dario Franchitti, 42.7768 seconds, 170.840 mph, June 18, 2011
INDY NXT by Firestone
Louis Foster, 48.3396 seconds, 151.180 mph, Aug. 31, 2024
FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 11 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Final Practice, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2; Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250, 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. | INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 9 a.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race, 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Jake Query, Michael Young and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 race (1:30 p.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, INDY NXT by Firestone race (11:25 a.m. ET Sunday), NTT P1 Award Qualifying (2 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM 218, www.indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times Central):
SATURDAY, AUG. 23
8:05-8:55 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice, FS2
9:45 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Installation Laps
10-11 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice, FS1
1:05 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying (Single car, two laps), FS1
2:35-3:20 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, two laps), FS2
3:45-4:15 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Group Session (Two groups, 15 minutes each), FS2
4:30-5:30 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, FS2
SUNDAY, AUG. 24
10:31 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile “Drivers, start your engines”
10:35 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile (90 laps/91.35 miles), FS1 (Live)
1 p.m. FOX on air
1:15 p.m. “Drivers, start your engines”
1:20 p.m. Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 (250 laps/253.75 miles), FOX (Live)
Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR, Fast Facts By INDYCAR
IndyCar1909.com 