Winners and losers of IndyCar Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250

The 2025 NTT IndyCar Series title was already locked in heading into Sunday’s race at the Milwaukee Mile, but that didn’t mean there weren’t things to race for.

Dominant champion Alex Palou was chasing historic greatness. Others were eager to bring home a breakthrough win, improve their championship standing, score a positive result to build on as the end of the season draws near – or simply remind their teams what they’re worth.

In the end, some proved more up to the task of mastering the tricky 1.015-mile oval than others. Here are the winners and losers from the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250.

Winner: Mother Nature turns good day great for ECR

There have been moments of individual triumphs for teammates Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen this year, but shared success has been difficult to come by.

Thankfully for ECR, Sunday provided a rare weekend with both drivers excelling. Rossi short-pitted the opening stint to gain track position and held that position to the finish. Rasmussen had a few close calls, but kept his car clean and joined his teammate in the top 10 heading into the final stint.

Then came a little rain shower – and, suddenly, a win for Rasmussen, who marched forward on fresh tires to secure his maiden victory in shocking fashion. Rossi followed in fourth to cap off a fantastic day for ECR. It’s the first time all year that both the Nos. 20 and 21 finished in the top 10 (and top five) in the same race.

Loser: Dominance undone late for Alex Palou

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photo by: Geoff Miller / Lumen via Getty Images

Honest admission: I’d already written Winner: Alex Palou does it again, roughly 50 laps into Sunday’s race. The Spaniard had started on pole, looked untouchable in traffic and was leading comfortably. He then proceeded to catch a timely yellow during the second pit sequence and faced no competition through the final round of stops.

But, one dusting of rain was all it took to send Palou’s day awry. His No. 10 team opted for track position over fresh rubber and it cost him a ninth victory on the year.

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

Make no mistake, this is a minor setback. Palou already has the title locked up and he finished second at day’s end. But the loss means he’ll fall short of tying A.J. Foyt and Al Unser Sr. for the most wins in a single IndyCar season.

Between this race and the late mistake that cost him a win against teammate Scott Dixon at Mid-Ohio, Palou will probably feel like he let history slip away this year. There are tiny margins separating the greatest runs of all time.

Winner: Scott McLaughlin returns to the podium

Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske

Photo by: Perry Nelson / Lumen via Getty Images

Scott McLaughlin and Penske’s No. 3 team entered 2025 with lofty expectations. McLaughlin isn’t just a happy-go-lucky Supercars transplant these days – he’s a talented, experienced IndyCar competitor capable of greatness. So, going well over three months without a podium isn’t the sort of stretch the 32-year-old expects from a season.

But that’s what happened to McLaughlin this year. He entered the penultimate race having gone without a single podium since Barber Motorsports Park: a race that predates the Month of May in Indianapolis. But McLaughlin and his squad returned to form in Wisconsin, qualifying fourth and spending the majority of Sunday’s race in second before settling for third when he was on the wrong end of the late tire strategy.

Loser: David Malukas’ day undone by tire gun trouble

David Malukas, A. J. Foyt Enterprises

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

What was primed to be a strong day for David Malukas was undone in one trip to pit road. The Wisconsinite led early and was running third when a pit gun failure slowed his second stop so significantly that the 23-year-old lost a lap to Palou.

A timely caution allowed Malukas to rejoin the lead lap for the final 96 laps, but he could only rally to eighth before the checkered flag flew. One would imagine he feels like Rasmussen’s glory should have been his own.

Winner: Arrow McLaren closes in on better finishes

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

It was a quiet day for Pato O’Ward and fellow Arrow McLaren star Christian Lundgaard, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad weekend for the pair. They spent the bulk of Sunday’s race battling in the top 10 and came home with finishes of fifth and sixth when the checkered flag flew.

For O’Ward, the result all-but guarantees he’ll end the season second to Alex Palou in the championship standings. Lundgaard isn’t guaranteed his spot, but he’ll have a tight battle with the veteran Dixon for third in the season-ending standings.

Loser: Will Power loses one of his final Penske opportunities

Sitting in the hot seat and uncertain of his future, Will Power won last time out in Portland. But the Australian found himself at the opposite end of the grid on Sunday.

Power narrowly avoided disaster earlier in the race and was battling for a top-five in Milwaukee when he ended up in the marbles while trying to pass Kyffin Simpson with fresh tires on lap 105. The veteran ended up sliding into the Turn 2 wall, hitting the barrier again in Turn 3 and spinning around. His day was over from there in 26th.

Winner: Milwaukee shows out

Josef Newgarden, Team Penske

Photo by: Geoff Miller / Lumen via Getty Images

There have been times when the future of racing looked murky for the Milwaukee Mile. The track is historic, having held races in what became IndyCar since 1939. But it’s had years with little-to-no action.

Last year, IndyCar returned to the track for the first time since 2015. The return brought a good crowd, but there was always the risk that it could be a one-year blip built on excitement over the return. Thankfully, a good crowd showed up again to watch Rasmussen ring in his first win with a burnout in year two.

Loser: Nolan Siegel makes an early exit

It’s been a challenging first full year for Nolan Siegel with Arrow McLaren – and Milwaukee did little to help. After qualifying a pedestrian 18th, Siegel was searching for speed on the low lane during the opening lap when he lost control of his No 6 Chevrolet and backed into the outside wall.

“I tried to go low, the grip was low, I got a little greedy on power and spun. … I just feel like an idiot, to be honest,” Siegel told FOX Sports.

The result was his third DNF in his past five starts and continued a poor run of form on ovals. Siegel’s only seen the finish in one oval race this year, a 19th-place run at World Wide Technology Raceway.