IndyCar kicks off one of its final weekends in the 2026 season with a double feature at the Milwaukee Mile! Heading into the weekend, only 2 drivers really remain mathematically in contention for the title: Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood. Palou earns his fifth title if, come Sunday afternoon, he has at least a 54-point gap over Kyle Kirkwood. He can also win the title on Saturday if the gap is 108 points or more.
However, Saturday won’t be smooth sailing for Palou or the 4 other members of the grid. Prior to the weekend’s only practice session, IndyCar announced multiple 9-place grid penalties. The No. 3 and No. 12 Team Penske, No.10 CGR, and Nos. 76 and 77 JHR all incurred the penalty following unapproved engine changes after Round 15 in Washington, D.C.
Josef Newgarden takes the top spot at the only practice session for the Milwaukee IndyCar weekend, followed by Dennis Hauger and Alex Palou.
IndyCar returns to Milwaukee
Alex Palou hits the track first around the Milwaukee Mile, eager to get going around America’s oldest operating race circuit, topping out at 158.889mph.
Noaln Siegel brings out the weekend’s first caution after suffering a huge snap early on in the session, after dipping a tyre onto the track’s lower lane and finding the wall. Thankfully, the young Arrow McLaren driver exited the car under his own power shortly after making contact with the barriers.
30 minutes into the session, Palou leads the field from teammate Scott Dixon and Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist.
At the halfway point of the session, the field is unable to topple Palou for P1. Alexander Rossi and Kyle Kirkwood round out the rest of the top 3 with 45 minutes left in IndyCar’s Milwaukee Practice session.
A very quiet session…
Barring Nolan Siegel’s visit to the barriers earlier on, the Milwaukee Mile was lacking in action during the weekend’s only practice as race sims were the focus.
Josef Newgarden has a brief moment with Rinus VeeKay, ending in the slightest contact between the two drivers. Newgarden, who usually has great form around oval circuits, sits in 21st.
Kirkwood and Rasumssen end up in the wall
In a conversation between Kyle Kirkwood and his spotter, the Florida native sticks to the lower lane, as traction on the highline remains on the sketchier side.
Milwaukee favorites Christian Rasmussen and Kyle Kirkwood come to blows, and the two cars tangle and take a trip to the barriers. Both drivers refused to give up their positions on track as they headed into the apex of a corner and ended up making sizable contact. Both drivers make their way from the wrecked cars under their own power, and the track goes under its second caution.
As the track goes green once again, the qualifying simulations seem to get underway, and Josef Newgarden dethrones Alex Palou from P1 with a rapid 159.429. David Malukas also puts the pedal to the metal and pops up to third, with Palou in second.
Dennis Hauger popped into second as the session came to a close, after laying down an absolutely rapid lap around the Milwaukee Mile.
Josef Newgarden takes P1, followed by a speedy Dennis Hauger and Alex Palou.
