Penske Team drivers Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden set a record by clinching pole positions for the IndyCar doublehead at the famous Milwaukee Mile race track, the first time the event has been held since 2015. McLaughlin took out the pole for Saturday’s opening race, and Newgarden will start from the pole for Sunday’s event. Their performances prepared the audience and other racing enthusiasts for the weekend thrill where drivers struggle for supremacy in the historic 1-mile oval.
Scott McLaughlin Grabs Pole for Saturday’s Race
Scott McLaughlin secured the pole position for the first race on Saturday night, marking IndyCar’s return to The Milwaukee Mile after a hiatus since 2015. McLaughlin, driving the No. 3 Chevrolet for Team Penske, clocked an impressive speed of 162.341 mph on his first lap. Though his speed dropped slightly to 160.912 mph on the second lap, it was enough to put him in the top spot for Saturday’s race.
This pole position marks his fifth of the season, demonstrating his consistent performance on oval tracks. He stated that “it’s great, McLaughlin said. “You know, the car has been great at every oval we’ve gone to this season. To pick up another pole here is fantastic. I shipped it pretty hard into turns 3 and 4 on the second lap; we might’ve been able to double it up.”
Newgarden Takes Pole for Sunday’s Race
Josef Newgarden also drove for Team Penske during the first part of the session. He set a time of 161 mph on the speedometer. Just a one-minute lap makes it to 640 mph on his very first lap and 160. He had an additional 983 mph on his second and took the provisional pole for both races. However, on the first lap, Scott McLaughlin was able to surpass Newgarden’s time and secure pole position for Saturday’s race. Nevertheless, Josef Newgarden arrived at the pole for the Sunday race, which was the second consecutive pole in the year. Newgarden will face a nine-position starting grid penalty for the first race due to an unapproved engine change over the weekend.
Reflecting on his qualifying run, Newgarden said that “We went aggressive, said the two-time Indianapolis 500 champion. We’ve been on the other end of this when we weren’t aggressive enough in qualifying and it really bit us, so probably overcooked it slightly there. But the car was still good. When you go back, you’re going to look at this and quarterback it from the couch after the fact, and I knew what we could do different. But this is a great run for the team to lock out the front row; both days are going to be really good for us.”
Meyer Shank Racing and Other Notable Qualifiers
For the first race, the third position was taken by the young David Malukas, driving the car of the Meyer Shank Racing team. Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi will start the race in P4, with Chip Ganassi Racing driver Linus Lundqvist taking P5. Team Penske’s other racer, Will Power, who occupies the second position in the series championship, set the sixth fastest time to secure a position for the first performance. Palou could only qualify for the 13th position for Saturday’s race, and that was a bit unexpected, especially given that he is the championship leader.
During the qualifying session for Sunday’s race, the newly signed racer Marcus Armstrong is set to start in the third position behind the wheel of the No. 11 Honda with the Chip Ganassi Racing team. Power came in fourth, and Lundqvist in the fifth. Palou progressed marginally to the tenth position for the second race.
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