The opening practice session ahead of qualifying at the legendary Milwaukee Mile saw a caution interrupted session that led Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden as the fastest on track, setting a benchmark lap of 161.066 mph.
The two-time Milwaukee pole-sitter appeared dialed in early and stayed on top at the oval through multiple caution periods and late-session shuffles.
Officials closely monitored the track surface, leading to two caution flag interruptions during the session. As a result, the rest of the session progressed rather quietly.
Early Penalty Troubles
Chip Ganassi drivers Kyffin Simpson and Scott Dixon received a 9-place grid penalty before the practice session began due to an unscheduled engine change for both cars.
The penalty makes qualifying a top priority for both drivers as the oval circuit is notorious for tire degradation.
Meanwhile, Honda has also flagged a suspected engine issue on No. 45 Lois Foster’s car. The rookie did not return to the session and is now undergoing an engine change—his fifth of the season, which triggered another 9-place penalty heading into race day.
First Round of On-Track Action
Pato O’Ward was the first out on track, quickly followed by teammate Christian Lundgaard, kicking off the session.
Multiple runners went in and out of the top five, including David Malukas, Conor Daly, and Marcus Ericsson; Ericsson made a late-session leap to P2 after being outside the top 10 for majority of the session.
Ericsson’s leap bumped Alex Palou to fourth, but the Spaniard retook second place in the final minutes as the track went green again after an extended caution for a track inspection.
Caution Flag Interruptions
Practice came to a halt multiple times for caution periods related to track inspections, including one with just over 20 minutes remaining and another late in the session. During yellow flag number two, Will Power stepped out of his car, ending the session in P8; when question about how the car feels, Power said:
“It’s ok… hard to say right now, but I’m hoping for a top five tomorrow.”
During caution flag number 2, Championship winner Alex Palou expressed that the car felt “great, better than I expected. The race is going to be tough with the tire wear we’re seeing.””
Palou aims to end the season with 10 wins, including the final two races in Milwaukee and Nashville which would beat Mario Andretti’s record for most wins in a season.
The session was extended by 5 minutes.
The Last Five Minutes
Both David Malukas and Christian Rasmussen experienced minor close calls but avoided serious incidents.
During the final green-flag sprint, Conor Daly surged into third place with an impressive 160.435 mph lap, continuing his upward momentum late in the session.
Rinus VeeKay quietly climbed into fourth, with solid pace throughout practice. After a brief spell in the garage, Christian Lundgaard rejoined the action to log valuable laps.
Meanwhile, Santino Ferrucci made a modest gain from P25 to P22 on a fresh set of tires but reported that the rear of the car still felt unstable, hinting at lingering setup challenges.
With qualifying still ahead, teams will be looking to dial in their setups after a practice session frequently interrupted by yellow flags and ongoing track inspections.
Tire management and surface conditions remain key concerns heading into the weekend, setting the stage for a challenging run at the Milwaukee Mile.