What They’re Saying Ahead of the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 Weekend

By Dennis Krause

A smattering of thoughts and opinions from NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers heading into this weekend’s Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250…

Graham Rahal, No. 15 WWEX Group Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

“I’m excited to go back to the Milwaukee Mile, which is probably my favorite oval of the year. It was scary to see the recent floods, but it seems everything came out okay, which is great. It’s definitely not something you want to see for the people of Milwaukee or the Fair Grounds and I’m sure there is a lot of clean up and work that went into that. We’re excited to put on a great show for them.

“We really want to make sure we can make a jump in the point standings at the last two races and move forward. We know this type of track is our Achilles heel and that we’ve got work to do on the short ovals. We did test at Milwaukee, and I feel we should be significantly stronger than we have been. We’ll see what happens and see if what we learned at the test transfers to race weekend. It’s important to make sure we finish the next two on a high note.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 20 Java House ECR Chevrolet

“I’m excited to kick off the final stretch of the season at the Milwaukee Mile. Our oval package has been strong all year and finishing with two ovals makes it even more exciting. Milwaukee quickly became one of my favorite events when it returned to the schedule last year, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the fans again for what should be a fantastic weekend.”

David Malukas, No. 4 Clarence Technologies A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet

"Honestly, the key to qualifying well at the Milwaukee Mile is just, just trying to go as deep and as late as possible. I mean, the practice sessions are short. You're quickly going into qualifying. And from what I remember last year, it was, it was simply just trying to turn it up. It's such short track times, such short amount of data to look at that you kind of just need to go out there and just go deep, let the car slide. The Milwaukee Mile is very special in the fact that it doesn't really have banking compared to other ovals. So the car likes to slide a lot more. So you need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and need to trust, trust the setup, trust the car, trust that the engineers have done a good job, and let that car slide. And that's how you'll be fast.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

"We’ve had a week to reset, and we’re all-in for these last two races. We’re heading back to Milwaukee and Nashville where we had a win and a P2 last year, so I’ll be focused on bringing home more trophies and finishing the year strong.”

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Snap-On Team Penske Chevrolet

“The Milwaukee Mile is an important venue in the history of the INDYCAR SERIES so to return there last year was an important moment. This year’s race will be even more special for everyone on the No. 2 team with Snap-on coming on board as the entitlement partner for the race. They are a long-time Team Penske partner – one of our longest, in fact – and they are celebrating their 105th anniversary this year. Representing them in a great-looking Snap-on paint scheme is going to be terrific. The goal is Victory Lane.”

Louis Foster, No. 45 Droplight Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

“Last year was my first race at the Milwaukee Mile. I clinched the INDY NXT championship there with a win from pole, so I have fond memories of the track. I basically managed my tires and won in the end. It’s unique for an oval because there is very little banking, which allows the car to move around a lot more securely. It’s definitely an interesting oval and a place where the team wants to improve the level of competitiveness, hence why we used one of our days to test there. We’re looking forward to getting back on track there and making progress on our short oval package. The last two tracks are ovals, and we have put a lot of effort into making sure we are competitive at these next two circuits. We want to try some new things for these last two races, work through what doesn’t so we have things to work on during the off season. Obviously, the main goal is to clinch the rookie championship and maintain or improve our spot in the overall standings. It’s obviously a tight battle between myself and Robert (Schwartzman). At the end of the day, the team and I are going to do the best job possible to try to secure a good result.”

Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

"Coming off two P2's, the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet team is really clicking, and I'm looking to keep pushing in the championship. Last year, we climbed from deep in the field to the top 10 here, so while starting up front is the goal, I know we have the pace and execution to fight for more trophies this weekend.”

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Phoenix Investments A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet

"I think one of the big things about racing around Milwaukee would have been just understanding what we need to do for setups. And you know, I think that my experience actually in stock bars and dirt racing kind of really helped me understanding how to pass and set the car up.

"Last year, the car was good enough that I could just pass wherever. Didn't matter if people were on top or on the bottom, I could get around them.”

Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet

“Milwaukee will always be a special place for me as one of my first oval wins back in 2014. It was a dominant day for the Verizon Chevy team, winning the pole position and leading a lot of laps. That was a key race for our championship that season and something I’ll never forget. It’s a great oval in an important market for the series. I know there was some serious flooding in the area a couple weeks ago. Hopefully we can help them in their recovery process in some way.”

Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Splenda Stevia ECR Chevrolet

“We’re getting close to the end of the season with only two races left and I’m really looking forward to Milwaukee. We’ve had some strong runs on the ovals this year, with an average finish inside the top six, so I’m excited to carry that momentum and represent Splenda Stevia this weekend.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Sonsio Vechicle Protection Team Penske Chevrolet

“I didn’t know a lot about Milwaukee before coming to the INDYCAR SERIES, but I can tell why everyone was excited for us to go back there. The fans in that city are very passionate about our sport and they came out in a big way to support our return there last year. Short ovals always put on some of the best racing and our win last year was very gratifying for us. Putting the Sonsio Chevy in Victory Lane this weekend would be a great way to continue to end this season with some positive momentum.”

Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.

What They’re Saying Ahead of the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 Weekend

Deadline Looms for Power, Team Penske

Unsure About the Milwaukee Mile a Year Ago, Lundgaard Can’t Wait to Return