Christian Rasmussen won his first IndyCar race on Sunday, partly due to his aggressive driving style that allowed him to pass six cars in the final 29-lap stint.

Rasmussen’s aggressiveness has been a talking point this season, usually with the conversation asking whether or not it is over the line.

The young driver’s team owner Ed Carpenter does not see his approach as a problem, however, and put his full support behind Rasmussen following his victory.

“Christian impressed us a ton before he ever got in one of our cars, the way he finished off the INDY NXT championship that he won,” said Carpenter.

“The back half of that season, it was a tight battle, but he really took control of it at the end. That level of intensity, dedication and improvement that he showed from his two years in that championship is really what stood out to me.

“Then we put him in a car [for a test day] at Barber against Oliver Askew. A bit of a showdown. He rose to that challenge, as well. When you put a car in front of him, especially when he’s got a tire advantage, it’s a scary thing.

“People talk about they don’t like everything he does. We haven’t asked him to change one thing. He’s attacking and being aggressive, not settling for anything.

“That’s the mentality we want to have as a team. Really proud of the effort and he way he finished today.”

Respected by others

Perhaps because he earned the victory at Milwaukee, Rasmussen’s style accrued respect from other competitors as well.

Multiple drivers came to victory lane to congratulate him in person, including his team-mate Alexander Rossi who lifted him off his car as soon as he climbed out.

But the appreciation from those outside the ECR team are perhaps more representative of the true opinions of the paddock.

“That’s how he races,” said Scott McLaughlin, who finished third on Sunday. “You got to respect it.

“I think he’s very fast. He’s very brave. He makes some really nice split-second decisions.

“As we’ve seen, it’s bit him in the backside a couple of times as well. He’s learning. He’s getting better.

“I don’t know. I’ve said for a long time, he’s going to win a race at some point. He’s been really strong. He’s not scared of taking the chance.”

Rasmussen has finished in the top 10 for all five oval races this season, showing how well his driving style is suited to the banking.

He has one more chance to make it a perfect six-for-six next weekend at Nashville Superspeedway for the season finale.

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The NTT IndyCar Series tackled the historic Milwaukee Mile on Sunday, with 250 laps deciding who would walk away with a special tool-themed trophy at the end of the day.

Christian Lundgaard stormed to his first IndyCar victory, taking advantage of fresh tires in the final laps to fly past five cars to take the top spot. It was Ed Carpenter Racing’s first win since 2021.

Alex Palou led the most laps, but ended the day second after Rasmussen slid past. McLaughlin similarly was hampered by old tires, and rounded out the podium in third.

READ MORE: IndyCar Milwaukee – Full Race Report

There were a high number of cautions and high number of pit stops, as drivers looked to change to fresh tires nearly every 50 laps.

Unfortunately, the cautions came with disappointment as Callum Ilott, Will Power, and Nolan Siegel all failed to see the checkered flag.

Only one more race left on the 2025 IndyCar calendar, with a tilt around the Nashville Superspeedway coming up next weekend.

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The penultimate round of the 2025 IndyCar season took place on Sunday, with drivers completing 250 laps around the iconic Milwaukee Mile.

Low banking and wide, sweeping turns produced side by side racing for much of the event, thrilling the fans that packed the fairground grandstands.

The end of the race was particularly thrilling, as three of the front running drivers chose not to take new tires while the rest of the field did.

READ MORE: IndyCar Milwaukee – Full Race Results

Christian Rasmussen positively rocketed through the field on his new tires, climbing from sixth up to second in a matter of a few laps.

His rush did not stop there, as he disposed of the leader Alex Palou in a similarly quick method. Rasmussen’s final pass was clean and neat on the outside, and allowed him to quickly build a gap.

In the final 15 laps, Rasmussen built up over a one second lead and took home his first ever IndyCar victory in style.

The Danish driver is wrapping up his first full season, having raced the road courses for a majority of last season, and secured Ed Carpenter Racing’s first win since 2021 in the process.

Palou led 195 laps, but was content to cross the line in second. He noted that it was one of his best oval performances, and had no external factors helping propel him to the front.

Finishing in third was Scott McLaughlin, who hung around near the front and was also undone by a decision to not pit on the final yellow flag period.

Rasmussen’s ECR team-mate Alexander Rossi was fourth, and Pato O’Ward finished fifth after starting on the second row.

Colton Herta climbed right through the field with an impressive performance. He was 11 positions ahead in just the first 20 laps, and ended up gaining 13 positions total.

After starting down the order due to a spin in qualifying, Herta finished in 11th.

Pit stops and strategy

There were ample amounts of pit stops during the afternoon, with tire wear the deciding factor for how long drivers could stay on track.

Instead of running a full fuel cycle, drivers largely chose to pit after only 50 laps or so to take on new Firestone tires.

The difference in speed with fresh rubber was massive, and when a couple teams attempted to extend their stints their drivers were immediately three to four miles per hour off the pace.

The winning strategy was to pit as often as possible, with the top teams stacking six sets of fresh tires in their pit boxes before the event began.

One of those pits stops proved to be David Malukas’ undoing, however, as his AJ Foyt crew struggled to get the right front wheel tightened.

Malukas had been battling for the lead in the early portion of the event and looked to have the best chance to unseat Palou at the top of the order.

But after the slow stop put him a lap down, he was caught in traffic and could not quite make it back to the front.

Malukas worked his way up to eighth, but rued what could have been if his pit stops had gone as cleanly as Palou’s.

Incidents galore

There were plenty of cautions to help facilitate pit stops, although some came too early to allow teams to fit new tires.

On the second lap of the event, Nolan Siegel touched the inside curb and spun hard into the outside barriers. His day was done before it even got started.

Graham Rahal spun on the ensuing restart and brought out a second caution, but he was able to keep his car out of the wall and continued only having lost a few positions.

During the second round of pit stops near lap 100, Will Power was pushed into the upper lane while battling with Kyffin Simpson.

His #12 Team Penske Chevy touched the wall, which broke the toe link. He could no longer keep control of his car with the damage, and spun across the track to bring out another caution.

There was another caution just past halfway when Callum Ilott’s engine expired on track, forcing him to retire in his pit box amid a cloud of smoke.

Race control used the break to inspect the mile long track for oil, but none was found and the action was restarted shortly after.

There was one final caution on lap 208 when a tiny rain shower dropped sprinkles over the speedway. The rain moved out immediately, and there were only a few laps under yellow before drivers were released again.

The impacts of the final stoppage were many, however, as it allowed Rasmussen to fit a fresh set to tires and fly to his first career win.

There is just one race left on the 2025 IndyCar calendar, and the paddock will reform next weekend in Nashville for the finale.

The post Christian Rasmussen storms to maiden IndyCar victory at the Milwaukee Mile appeared first on Motorsport Week.

IndyCar officials have handed Christian Rasmussen a six-place grid penalty for this weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio.

The penalty stems from Ed Carpenter Racing changing Rasmussen’s Chevrolet engine following a team test at Iowa Speedway last week.

By changing the engine, the team went over the allocated amount for the season and will have to start down the order in Sunday’s race.

Rule 16.1.2.3.2. states that “A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.”

Because the recent engine change was marked as unapproved, the #21 entry must take a grid penalty at the next event.

If the engine change had come ahead of an oval event, then Rasmussen would have had to start nine places further back than his qualifying position.

The 25-year-old earned his first career IndyCar podium finish earlier this season at World Wide Technology Raceway.

He sits 15th in the overall points standings and is only two places behind his more experienced team-mate Alexander Rossi.

Qualifying for this weekend’s Honda Indy 200 takes place Saturday at 2:30 PM eastern, with the race getting under way at 1:00 PM on Sunday.

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Christian Rasmussen put on a show for fans Sunday night, passing more cars than anyone to earn his first IndyCar podium at World Wide Technology Raceway.

The second year driver started in the 25th position, but quickly began carving his way through the field. By the halfway point, he was up to fifth position and looking for more.

Rasmussen was forced to make a pit stop in a closed pit lane, however, as he was about to run out of fuel. He was issued a penalty that sent him back down to 18th.

It only took him 25 laps to climb back into the top 10, and ultimately he ended up with a third place result.

Overall, he completed 62 passes for position, more than any other driver.

“I definitely got a little frustrated with just having to do it all over again,” said Rasmussen referencing his penalty. “But on the flipside of that, I knew that I could do it.

“I knew that I had been moving forward and I was the car probably in the field that was moving the most forward. I just kept my head down and kept passing cars. There was no other way around it.

“We really, really struggled in practice 1 as well as qualifying. But knew what we needed out of the car, and obviously hit some good changes for the race.

“Yeah, as soon as I kind of found out how well my car worked on the high side, it was just game on.

“It was awesome. I haven’t done one of these in a while, so it’s good.”

There were 254 passes for position completed by the entire field, which tied a record for the speedway set last year.

For his efforts, Rasmussen was drenched in champagne on the podium stage. But he still wore the biggest smile of them all throughout his late night media duties.

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Ed Carpenter Racing has unveiled a drastically different set of liveries for the 2025 IndyCar season.

The two cars sport complementary designs, with both entries featuring a mix of baby blue, yellow, and black.

Alexander Rossi’s #20 entry is primarily blue on the car’s nose and rear wing, with hints of yellow being shown on the engine cover and other small highlights.

The #21 entry of Christian Rasmussen features much larger stretches of yellow, including on both wings, the sidepods, and the rear fenders.

The cars prominently feature the team’s newest sponsors Java House and Splenda, which are household brands recognizable to most fans of the sport.

“It is extremely exciting to have Java House and Splenda join our lineup!” said Carpenter. “To have not only one, but two, consumer brands is a great opportunity for ECR and IndyCar.

“In the few short months since Ted [Gelov] has joined ECR, the strides the team has made have been remarkable. It has been a full team effort and I am proud of everyone for the work they have put in.

“We are more than ready to see everything come to fruition when the Java House and Splenda cars roll out in St. Pete!”

The new branding, including a new team logo, is part of a bigger change for ECR, which added Ted Gelov to the ownership group late last year.

Gelov is the owner of Heartland Food Products, which is the parent company of both Java House coffee and Splenda sweetener.

His influence brought more than sponsorship for the long-running team, but also helped reshape the inner workings of the organization.

With additional perspective from a successful businessman from a different industry, Ed Carpenter has related there is so many new processes behind the scenes that this year feels a lot like 2012 when he started the team.

ECR hopes the new look and new management processes will lead to a productive year with their two drivers.

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Ed Carpenter Racing has announced that Alexander Rossi will join the team for the upcoming 2025 IndyCar season, pairing with Christian Rasmussen for the entire schedule.

Rossi has been looking for a new ride since early July, when it was announced that Christian Lundgaard would be filling his seat at Arrow McLaren.

He remained uncommitted throughout the end of the 2024 season, but ECR has now announced that he will fill the team’s #20 entry next year.

“I’m honored that Ed [Carpenter] and the entire ECR ownership group recognize the value I can bring to the team,” said Rossi.

“Their commitment to excellence, along with the power of Chevrolet and the ambitious plans they have for the future made this opportunity impossible to pass up. I’m eager to get started and contribute to the team’s continued success.”

Rossi will be racing alongside Christian Rasmussen, who was a rookie in IndyCar last season.

The Danish driver was originally scheduled to run only the road course races and the Indianapolis 500, but a late decision by team owner Ed Carpenter placed him in a seat for the final three oval races of the season as well.

Carpenter made the decision to help secure a Leaders Circle payout for the entry, which worked out as Rasmussen finished higher than Carpenter had throughout the early portion of the season.

Rasmussen will now be a full time driver for his sophomore season and will shift over to the #21 entry for 2025.

Ed Carpenter making changes to his team

“It is an exciting day to not only welcome Alex [Rossi] to the team, but to extend our relationship with Christian [Rasmussen],” said Carpenter in the press release.

“We are very excited about our lineup, and other partnership announcements that will be forthcoming.

“As excited as I am about these additions, I also want to thank Rinus [VeeKay] for his five years with the team. It is always hard to say goodbye to a teammate and a friend, but I am confident that Rinus’ career will continue to blossom.

“As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, I am fully focused on getting ECR back to new heights, winning races and contending for championships.”

Both drivers have signed multi-year deals with ECR, keeping them with the team at least through 2026.

Carpenter will still be behind the wheel for the upcoming Indianapolis 500, driving a third car for the squad for the premiere event.

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Ed Carpenter Racing has announced that team owner Ed Carpenter will relinquish his driving duties for the final three events of the 2024 IndyCar season.

He was originally scheduled to drive the #20 entry for all of the season’s oval rounds, including the final events at The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway.

A late change of plans means that the team’s rookie Christian Rasmussen will climb behind the wheel and gain valuable track time to close out the season.

Rasmussen has been driving the #20 for the season’s road and street courses as well as the Indianapolis 500. He also completed some oval testing for the team that reportedly went very well.

“First off, this was a very difficult decision for me to make. I want to make it clear that this is not a retirement announcement,” said Carpenter, pre-empting questions that would be coming about his driver status.

“However, the reality is, I have not performed to the level that I expect of myself for the team. Christian tested at Gateway prior to the race and he showed me that he deserves this expanded opportunity.

“He also had such a strong performance during the Month of May and has earned the chance to continue his development. I am excited to watch him finish the season out strong for the No. 20 crew and the entire ECR team.”

The #20 entry currently sits 24th in the entrant standings, and is perilously close to the cutoff line for the series’ Leader’s Circle payout.

The decision to place Rasmussen in the car seems to be, as much as anything else, an attempt to make sure the car remains high enough to earn the monetary award.

“First and foremost, I am incredibly thankful to Ed for providing me this opportunity,” Rasmussen said.

“I am excited to drive the No. 20 in the remaining three races and I am fully committed to giving the team my absolute best.

“While I haven’t raced at Milwaukee or Nashville before, my past performances on ovals have been strong and I’m eager to add these tracks to the list!”

Carpenter’s best finish this season has been 17th, while Rasmussen finished 12th at the Indy 500 and earned a top 10 result at Mid-Ohio.

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Ed Carpenter Racing has announced a new partnership that will bring a new look to the team’s #20 entry this upcoming IndyCar season.

GuyCare will be the major sponsor of the car, with Ed Carpenter and rookie Christian Rasmussen alternating driving duties throughout the 2024 schedule.

The entry will feature a striking blue and black look that has asymmetric lines streaking down the bodywork, with the asymmetry even extending to the car’s suspension arms.

The sponsor is a up-and-coming men-specific health clinic that recently opened its first location in the Salt Lake City area. GuyCare plans to open 200 clinics in the next five years by providing personalized health strategies for its customers.

GuyCare is a subsidiary of RiskOn International, which is part of Todd Ault’s portfolio. BitNile, which has been a major ECR sponsor for two years, falls under the same ownership group, meaning the change in branding represents a new look more than it does a wholly new investment source.

“We are excited to welcome GuyCare to ECR,” said Carpenter, owner of ECR. “It is a fantastic opportunity to use our Chevrolet-powered NTT IndyCar Series car to help launch GuyCare clinics across the country.

“Our team continues to grow and improve each season and we expect Christian Rasmussen will have an outstanding rookie year. We are ready for a competitive and exciting 2024!”

Branding for Ed Carpenter Racing’s second entry has not yet been announced, meaning the livery of Rinus VeeKay’s #21 entry will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Ed Carpenter Racing plans to take part in a pre-season test at Homestead next week, where Rasmussen and VeeKay will trade driving duties throughout the day.

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Ed Carpenter has cited competition for engineers and other team personnel as part of the reason for his team scaling back to two full time IndyCar entries in 2024.

For the 2022 season, ECR effectively expanded from a two-car team to a two-and-a-half car team. Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay were each given full season rides, along with Carpenter himself still running the oval rounds in a third car.

That arrangement persisted for the 2023 season, but will return to one full entry for VeeKay paired with a single entry shared between Carpenter and incoming rookie Christian Rasmussen.

Part of the reason for the arrangement is likely funding limitations on Rasmussen’s part, who is using scholarship money earned from his Indy NXT championship last year to help fund his entry into IndyCar.

But Carpenter outlined that there are other reasons he will be taking over the #20 for all oval rounds bar the Indianapolis 500, and a big one is the difficulty he’s had luring talented individuals away from other teams on the grid.

“Yeah, really a lot of it was just taking an assessment of where we were and how the year went, what went well and what didn’t, how do we take a step forward,” said Carpenter about his team scaling back.

“The series is so competitive now from top to bottom. For us, it was as much as anything about making sure we’re using the resources that we have with all of our personnel and cars and preparation and putting our best foot forward.

“We staffed up more last year for the third car than we had in the past, but that’s still probably less than what other two-car teams would average.

“As much as anything, we weren’t happy with how we performed last year overall. Doing the same exact thing again wasn’t going to be the ultimate fix.

“If we could have got enough additions into the team on all sides of things from engineering down through the mechanics, maybe we could have come to a different conclusion. The competition just isn’t on track, it’s off track as well. Very hard to get new people into the building and away from other teams.

“This is a solution that allows us to be more focused and hopefully come back stronger in 2024, which is the plan.”

The team’s plan leaves Rasmussen to run only the road and street courses, plus the Indy 500, for his rookie season.

Carpenter related that he would not be willing to let the young driver join another team for the oval rounds, but there is a small chance resources can be found to get him in his team’s car for more races in 2024.

“I would say it’s early enough that there’s always potential to add to the program that we have if the situation presents itself over time and we’re able to do that.

“Certainly the long-term goal is to have [Rasmussen] running a full-time schedule, so we’ll see how that develops. Right now, this is the plan.”

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