Rasmussen Grabs First IndyCar Win in Milwaukee Thriller

Christian Rasmussen became the newest name on IndyCar’s winners’ list after claiming a dramatic maiden victory in the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250.

The Ed Carpenter Racing rookie played his hand perfectly when a late rain shower brought out a caution inside the final 20 laps. Rasmussen had cycled to the front on pit sequence and, with the track too wet to resume, he was declared the winner when the race was called after 221 of the scheduled 250 laps.

It was a breakthrough moment for the 24-year-old Dane, who joined IndyCar this year after winning the 2023 Indy NXT title. “This is incredible, to win at such a historic place, and to get my first win in IndyCar, I can’t thank the team enough,” Rasmussen said. “Sometimes in racing you need things to fall your way, and today they did.”

The result not only delivers Rasmussen his maiden win, it also marks the first IndyCar triumph for Ed Carpenter Racing since 2016. For a team long regarded as oval specialists, victory at Milwaukee was both fitting and overdue.

Alex Palou looked set to record his first oval track win after leading for 199 laps, but with an unbeatable lead in the series, he probably doesn’t care too much. Scott McLaughlin was third.

The return of IndyCar to the one-mile oval after nearly a decade’s absence was hailed as a success, with a strong crowd and close racing throughout the field. Rain may have cut it short, but Rasmussen’s joy was uncontained. “We’ll celebrate this one – first of many, I hope,” he said.

For Palou, the wait for an oval win goes on, though he continues to tighten his grip on a fourth championship. For IndyCar, the story of Milwaukee was Rasmussen: the rookie who seized his moment when it mattered.

IndyCar Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 – Race Results

Pos – Driver – Team – Laps/Gap

1. Christian Rasmussen – Ed Carpenter Racing – 250 laps – Running

2. Alex Palou – Chip Ganassi Racing – +1.946s – Running

3. Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske – +10.661s – Running

4. Alexander Rossi – Ed Carpenter Racing – +11.458s – Running

5. Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren – +12.083s – Running

6. Christian Lundgaard – Arrow McLaren – +12.829s – Running

7. Josef Newgarden – Team Penske – +14.404s – Running

8. David Malukas – A.J. Foyt Enterprises – +15.092s – Running

9. Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing – +15.649s – Running

10. Marcus Armstrong – Meyer Shank Racing – +16.446s – Running

11. Colton Herta – Andretti Global – +16.817s – Running

12. Kyle Kirkwood – Andretti Global – +17.882s – Running

13. Conor Daly – Juncos Hollinger Racing – +19.021s – Running

14. Santino Ferrucci – A.J. Foyt Enterprises – +19.860s – Running

15. Rinus VeeKay – Dale Coyne Racing – +20.218s – Running

16. Devlin DeFrancesco – Rahal Letterman Lanigan – +22.995s – Running

17. Louis Foster – Rahal Letterman Lanigan – 249 laps – Running

18. Robert Shwartzman – PREMA Racing – 249 laps – Running

19. Marcus Ericsson – Andretti Global – 249 laps – Running

20. Kyffin Simpson – Chip Ganassi Racing – 249 laps – Running

21. Jacob Abel – Dale Coyne Racing – 248 laps – Running

22. Felix Rosenqvist – Meyer Shank Racing – 248 laps – Running

23. Sting Ray Robb – Juncos Hollinger Racing – 248 laps – Running

24. Graham Rahal – Rahal Letterman Lanigan – 247 laps – Running

25. Callum Ilott – PREMA Racing – 138 laps – Mechanical

26. Will Power – Team Penske – 102 laps – Contact

27. Nolan Siegel – Arrow McLaren – 0 laps – Contact

IndyCar Championship – Top 10 Standings (Post-Milwaukee)

Pos – Driver – Team – Points

1. Alex Palou – Chip Ganassi Racing (Honda) – 626

2. Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren (Chevrolet) – 475

3. Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing (Honda) – 411

4. Christian Lundgaard – Arrow McLaren (Chevrolet) – 398

5. Kyle Kirkwood – Andretti Global (Honda) – 387

6. Will Power – Team Penske (Chevrolet) – 342

7. Felix Rosenqvist – Meyer Shank Racing (Honda) – 337

8. Colton Herta – Andretti Global (Honda) – 333

9. Marcus Armstrong – Meyer Shank Racing (Honda) – 331

10. David Malukas – A.J. Foyt Enterprises (Chevrolet) – 287

Image: Penske Entertainment/Joe Skibinski