And just like that, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES nears its end for 2026. For the penultimate race weekend of the year, the series heads to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Mile oval. This outing is a double-header, seeing two races over the weekend. Consequently, it will be a crucial weekend to get right before the season finale. The next two rounds are the SNAP ON Makers and Fixers 250 and the SNAP ON Milwaukee Mile 250.
Last year’s race saw light rain create last minute chaos. With some drivers opting for an extra stop, ECR’s Christian Rasmussen utilised fresh tyres to work through the field in the closing stages. Consequently, he took his maiden win, bringing ECR back to the top step for the first time since 2021. Álex Palou started from pole position, but David Malukas became the favourite to win as the race progressed. An issue in the pit stop saw Malukas fall out of contention, allowing Palou to stretch his lead. But with Rasmussen on full push, he had to concede and missed out on a ninth win of the season.
The Milwaukee Mile
Opening as a dirt track in 1903, the Milwaukee Mile is the oldest operating motorspeedway in the world. It is found at the Wisconsin State Farm Park in West Allis, Milwaukee and the infield hosts a 1.8-mile road course. The main attraction, though, is the 1.015-mile oval track that has hosted a range of motorsports events since its inception.
As a classic oval track, the Milwaukee Mile sees even turns throughout. It features 9.25 degrees of banking on the corners and 2.25 degrees of banking on the straights. With a lack of banking, drivers are unable to go flat out throughout a lap, leading the circuit to be more comparable to a road course. As a result, races can be unpredictable as it is an outlier track.
INDYCAR has a long history here, although had a hiatus between 2016 and 2023. Last year saw a single race here, but in 2026, it returns to a double-header event, like 2024. With a single practice session preceding qualifying, drivers will have to be on perfect form from the get-go.
Hélio Castroneves holds the lap record for the series: a 0:22.1211. Historically, Roger Ward holds the most wins with seven. Team Penske are the team to beat here, with nine wins in recent years.
A Revival of the Championship Fight?
Coming into the end of the 2026 season, it looked all be confirmed that Palou would take his fifth championship. With four races remaining, he stood 133 points clear of Kyle Kirkwood. But, the race in Washington, D.C. didn’t go to plan for the No. 10. Taking a drive-through penalty, followed by a crash saw Palou finish 20th. In contrast, Kirkwood won in dominant fashion. Consequently, the Floridian took 42 points out of the leader, and now stands just 91 points adrift. Whilst this point gap is still large, it’s not impossible. Has Kirkwood set himself up for a last minute title charge?
He didn’t only make roads towards Palou, he pushed out of the P2 battle. Six points separated him, David Malukas, and Christian Lundgaard. His win in Washington, D.C. saw this gap increase to 51 points. Lundgaard’s podium saw him overtake Malukas for third. Now, Pato O’Ward in fifth sits 12 points behind Malukas, and he’s ready to make a final charge in these final rounds.
Schedule
The schedule is as follows, please note that all times are in CEST.
Although Kirkwood has reduced the gap, Palou could still wrap it up this weekend. History has proved that the Milwaukee Mile is anything but predictable, and with two races anything could happen. But, we will just have to see how it all plays out. So tune in this weekend for double the fun.