WEST ALLIS, Wi. – What began as a rain-delayed INDYCAR doubleheader at the historic Milwaukee Mile ended with one of the most remarkable Sundays in recent series history.
Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) did the unthinkable: two races, two victories, on the same day. Meanwhile, Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) turned a championship battle into another piece of INDYCAR history, securing his 5th NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.
The Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend delivered 500 laps of racing, dramatic strategy calls, changing track conditions and a championship celebration — all on the 1.015-mile Milwaukee Mile.
RACE 2: O’Ward beats McLaughlin in a strategic thriller
Before the championship was decided, O’Ward had already delivered the first major statement of the weekend.
He won the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 by just 0.7916 seconds over Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet). O’Ward earned his second victory of the season and his 11th career victory.
Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Velo Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) finished third, giving Arrow McLaren two drivers on the podium. David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) was fourth, while Palou finished fifth.
McLaughlin’s strategy was particularly aggressive. While most of the leading drivers made five pit stops, the Team Penske driver made four, allowing him to gain track position.
O’Ward ultimately won the strategic battle in the pits.
“I’ve never been in this position before,” O’Ward said. “We just won a race while leading another one. That’s pretty crazy.”
A 6.6-second final stop on Lap 192 allowed him to jump McLaughlin, and O’Ward took the lead for good when Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Homes For Our Troops A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet) pitted four laps later.
The race produced 333 passes for position, the most ever recorded by the INDYCAR SERIES during its long history at Milwaukee.
“We like Milwaukee,” O’Ward said. “Yesterday, the car was feeling really good. I can say I was struggling a little bit in the race. I definitely was.”
“It took me a little bit to find a rhythm. The track was a bit hotter today. It definitely makes these things a little more on the edge. I used it up when we needed it.”
Race 2 Results
RACE 1: Rain changes everything
Saturday’s Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 looked set to be the opening act of the doubleheader.
Instead, Milwaukee weather rewrote the schedule.
Rain forced the race to stop after 90 of 250 laps, leaving INDYCAR with the extraordinary task of completing one race after running the second race.
The revised Sunday schedule eventually placed Race 2 first, followed by the completion of Race 1 later in the evening.
That meant O’Ward could potentially win twice in one day — and he delivered exactly that.
O’Ward vs. Malukas: the final showdown
When Race 1 finally resumed, O’Ward and Malukas were the dominant forces.
The two drivers combined to lead 212 of the 250 laps: O’Ward led 119 and Malukas 93.
The decisive moment came on the final restart.
Malukas led the field to the green, but his Team Penske Chevrolet struggled to accelerate. O’Ward immediately went low while McLaughlin went high, creating a three-wide battle into Turn 1.
O’Ward emerged with the lead and never gave it back.
FINAL: O’Ward completes the sweep
Pato O’Ward has done it.
After winning the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 earlier Sunday afternoon, the Arrow McLaren driver returned several hours later to finish what had started Saturday.
O’Ward led the field when the rain-shortened Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 resumed and ultimately held off David Malukas to win by 1.7535 seconds.
“I’m just so frustrated,” Malukas said. “We had the car; we did everything right. We’re just cursed. I literally believe I have some sort of curse. Everything was in our favor there.”
“This weekend, both races we were having issues with the engine on restarts and coming out of the pits, needing to lift and having these events where we just lose power. That really let us down.”
Rinus VeeKay (No. 76 ARCO Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet) completed the podium, followed by Scott McLaughlin and Christian Rasmussen (No. 21 Splenda Stevia Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet).
The victory made O’Ward the first INDYCAR SERIES driver since Rick Mears in 1981 to win two races on the same day.
“We got to win both in a day. That’s definitely a dream come true for myself and the team.”
O’Ward’s extraordinary Sunday came after a race that had already been interrupted by rain after 90 laps on Saturday.
“David was so quick, he was so good in traffic,” O’Ward said. “I was just going to have to wait for something like that (slow restart) to happen in order to have a chance on him. Otherwise, it was just going to be pedaling it to the end.”
Race 1 Results
The championship picture
Palou entered the weekend with a substantial advantage over Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Sam’s Club Andretti Global Honda), and his fifth-place finish in Race 2 moved him even closer to the title.
After O’Ward’s victory in the completion of Race 1, Palou’s 10th-place result was enough to mathematically secure the championship.
Kirkwood finished sixth in Race 2 and remained one of the weekend’s leading championship challengers, but Palou’s consistency once again proved decisive.
For Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing, the Milwaukee weekend became another milestone in an extraordinary run of dominance.
“We were going for the win today and didn’t really have enough pace,” Palou said. “Good opportunity tonight to get that championship. We know it’s going to be tough, but we’re going to try and fix the car a little it and try to see if we can make it faster.”
CHAMPIONSHIP: Palou is a five-time champion
The other defining moment of the weekend came behind the race leader.
Alex Palou is the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion.
Palou finished 10th in the completion of Race 1, enough to secure his fifth championship. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has now won four consecutive titles, matching the series record for consecutive championships set by Sébastien Bourdais from 2004 through 2007.
“Today was a really bad race for us,” Palou said. “We were suffering all the time. But just keep focused, keep on going.”
“I’m very excited for next weekend,” Palou said. “My favorite racetrack of the year, repping that beautiful livery in honor of Alex Zanardi.”
At just 29 years old, Palou also became the youngest driver in series history to win five championships.
Only A.J. Foyt, with seven, and Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda), with six, have more INDYCAR SERIES championships.
“I owe everything to this team. So proud of this team.”
By the numbers
- 2 — O’Ward victories on Sunday
- 5 — Palou’s career NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships
- 4 — consecutive championships for Palou
- 250 — laps in each Milwaukee race
- 500 — scheduled laps across the doubleheader
- 333 — passes for position in Race 2
- 372 — passes for position in the completion of Race 1
- 1.015 miles — length of the historic Milwaukee Mile
- 12 — Honda’s INDYCAR SERIES manufacturers’ championships
Palou arrives at Laguna Seca as champion — but with plenty still to race for. The season finale is scheduled for September 6, with the championship pressure finally off the shoulders of INDYCAR’s newest five-time champion.
For O’Ward, meanwhile, Milwaukee provided exactly the kind of statement weekend that can reshape a season.
Two races.
Two wins.
One unforgettable Sunday.
The Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend belongs to Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou — for very different reasons.
Up Next: 2026 season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the Mission Grand Prix of Monterey, Friday September 4th
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