McLaughlin wins in Milwaukee as Palou damage control sets up wild IndyCar finale

In a race filled with drama and relentless competition, Scott McLaughlin secured his third victory of the 2024 IndyCar season, narrowly defeating six-time champion Scott Dixon in the second race of the Milwaukee Mile doubleheader. 

McLaughlin, driving the No.3 Gallagher Team Penske Chevrolet, crossed the Milwaukee finish line just 0.4558 seconds ahead of Dixon in the No.9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Colton Herta rounded out the podium in third place, piloting the No.26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian.

“That was the most fun race I’ve had in IndyCar,” McLaughlin said. “It was a blast. We just stuck with it. 

“The car wasn’t quite good at the start, and we just tuned her up, and it was awesome. A lot better in traffic today, which helped a lot. Yeah, burn the house down tonight. That was awesome. I’m pumped.”

The race was a showcase of strategic battles and frequent lead changes. Starting from sixth, McLaughlin made his decisive move on Lap 218, overtaking Herta in Turn 1 after a heated three-lap duel. 

Despite a late caution caused by a crash involving Sting Ray Robb, McLaughlin maintained his lead after the final pit stop and led for a race-high 85 laps. Dixon, who finished second, acknowledged McLaughlin’s impressive performance 

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“I think had it gone a few more laps, it looked like he was starting to burn off his fronts (tires) a little bit,” Dixon said. “But congrats to McLaughlin. Pretty sweet to have a Kiwi 1-2 there.”

The race set a new record with 13 lead changes and a season-high 763 on-track passes, making it one of the most action-packed events in the history of the Milwaukee Mile. 

Santino Ferrucci finished fourth in the No.14 Phoenix Investors Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises, mirroring his result from Saturday’s race. 

Marcus Ericsson, in the No.28 Delaware Life Honda of Andretti Global, secured fifth, his best result since placing fifth at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July.

Disaster for Palou

Defending series champion Alex Palou retains a 33-point lead over Will Power heading into the season-ending Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway on September 15. 

Palou struggled in Milwaukee, finishing 19th after an electrical issue hampered his race putting him 27 laps down on the leaders, while Power placed 10th. 

After initially leading in Milwaukee and waining the series championship lead, Power spun on a restart and ended up one lap down as he let a massive chance slip through his fingers. 

With McLaughlin still in contention for the championship, the final race promises an exciting battle between Palou, Power, and McLaughlin as they fight for the Astor Challenge Cup.

Milwaukee Mile Race 2 – 2024 IndyCar Results

Check out the full race results from Race 2 at the Milwaukee Mile below!

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Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 – Race 2

Race Date: Sunday, September 1, 2024