By: Spencer Neff

August 27, 2026

Closing out the month of August, The NTT INDYCAR SERIES heads to the Milwaukee Mile this weekend. The 1.015-mile oval in West Alis, Wisconsin begun operation in 1903 and will host its 119th and 120th INDYCAR events with the scheduled doubleheader this weekend: the Snap-On Makers and Fixers 250 followed by the Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250.

2026 will be the second time in three years the Milwaukee Mile has played host to a doubleheader weekend. Just three races are left over the next two weekends before the 2026 season draws to a close.

Now, here’s a look at the major pre-race storylines:

Headlines

Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood dominated in Sunday’s inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., Kirkwood claimed his second victory of 2026 as well as Andretti Global’s second in a row and third of 2026 (all ‘being on inaugural street course events).

Kirkwood’s victory, where he led 128 of 147 laps, along with a 20th-place finish by Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou has narrowed the latter’s points lead to 92 with a trio of races to go.

If Palou leaves Saturday’s race with a no less than a 108-point lead or Sunday’s race with at least a 54-point lead, he will clinch his fifth INDYCAR Championship and fourth in a row, regardless of his status for next weekend’s season finale, (Kirkwood can gain a maximum of 49 points per race if Palou starts each event but finishes last).

Palou also returns to Milwaukee with unfinished business,n after starting on the pole and finishing second to Christian Rasmussen in the Ed Carpenter Racing driver’s first INDYCAR victory a year ago.

Rasmussen is one of three 2025 winners that has yet to reach victory lane in 2026. That laity also includes Palou’s teammate Scott Dixon, who departs for Arrow McLaren at season’s end and Will Power of Andretti Global, who has finished third in each of the last two races.

Power (2014) and Dixon (2009) are two of five drivers entered this weekend that have won at Milwaukee. Arrow Mclaren’s Pato O’Ward and Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, the 2024 doubleheader winners are the other former Milwaukee Mile winners.

Fast Facts

Pit Assignments Race 1 Spotter Guide Race 2 Spotter Guide

Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 28-Sunday, Aug. 30

Track: Milwaukee Mile, a 1.015-mile oval in West Allis, Wisconsin

Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250: 250 laps/253.75 miles (Saturday), Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250: 250 laps/253.75 miles (Sunday)

Hybrid energy deployment parameters:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 135 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.

Firestone tire allotment: 

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Fourteen (14) sets for use throughout the doubleheader event weekend.

X: @TheMKEMile, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #MilwaukeeMile, #INDYCAR

Instagram: @themilwaukeemile, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #MilwaukeeMile, #INDYCAR

Threads: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT

Facebook: @MilwaukeeMileRacing, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR

TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR

YouTube: @INDYCAR

Event website: https://wistatefair.com/wsfp/indycar-landing-page/

INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com

2025 race winner

NTT INDYCAR SERIES 

Christian Rasmussen (No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet)

2025 NTT P1 Award winner: 

Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda), 44.8422 seconds, 162.971 mph (two laps)

One-lap qualifying record: 

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Patrick Carpentier, 20.028 seconds, 185.500 mph, May 30, 1998

Two-lap qualifying record: 

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Dario Franchitti, 42.7768 seconds, 170.840 mph, June 18, 2011

Note: Qualifying records are based on lap time, not speed.

FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice, 6 p.m. ET Friday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 11 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250, 2:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, FOX (live); Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250, 1 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.

INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls 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 Makers and Fixers 250 race (2 p.m. ET Saturday) and Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 race (12:30 p.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, NTT P1 Award Qualifying (12:35 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times Central):

FRIDAY, AUG. 28

5-6:30 p.m. — NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice, FS1

SATURDAY, AUG. 29

8-8:50 a.m. — INDY NXT by Firestone practice, FS2

10:05 a.m. – NTT P1 Award Qualifying (single car, two laps with Race 1 lineup set by Lap 1 and Race 2 lineup set by Lap 2), FS1

11:35 a.m.-12:29 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Single car, Two laps), FS1

1:30 p.m. FOX on air

1:45 p.m. Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 “Drivers, start your engines”

1:50 p.m. Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 (250 laps/253.75 miles), FOX (Live)

SUNDAY, AUG. 30

9:15-9:30 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warmup

10:01 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile “Drivers, start your engines”

10:06 a.m. INDY NXT by Firestone at Milwaukee Mile (90 laps/91.35 miles), FS1

Noon FOX on air

12:15 p.m. Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 “Drivers, start your engines”

12:20 p.m. Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 (250 laps/253.75 miles), FOX (Live)

Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR, Fast Facts by INDYCAR