Even though the 2025 IndyCar season is not yet complete, Honda has been awarded the manufacturers’ championship.

In America’s top open wheel series, cars are powered by one of two engines. Honda and Chevrolet compete against each other to supply the best and most reliable engines to their customers on the grid.

With nearly equal numbers of competitors fitting each engine to the back of their cars, the battle can be quite intense between the two to secure bragging rights.

Helped by Alex Palou’s dominance, Honda has now secured its 11th manufacturers’ championship, and its fifth in the past eight years.

“We have the privilege of sitting here, but we’re just representing the hard work of an amazing group of men and women,” said SRC President David Salters.

“So ‘Thank you’ is the theme. To watch people achieve what they achieved through being smart and working hard is the greatest privilege we can have.

“What do we think? How do we respond? It’s ‘Thank you’ to all our men and women, teams men and women, everybody.

“A racing car is a sum of the parts,” continued Salters, addressing Palou’s dominance in recent years.

“It’s never one thing. It’s a collection of everything, in my experience. I’ve only been doing it for 30 years, so I’m still learning a lot.

“It’s the sum of the parts. I think between the efforts we’ve put into it, we weren’t happy where we were last year, so we worked really, really hard over the winter.

“CGR is performing at huge heights. All the boys and girls, HRC we’ve stepped up to huge heights.

“Alex Palou, we are witnessing a generational talent. But then Kyle, another huge talent. Scott Dixon is still Scott Dixon. So it’s all these things that go together.”

Honda has secured 12 wins out of 16 events so far this year, most coming at the hands of Palou.

The post Honda awarded IndyCar manufacturers’ championship appeared first on Motorsport Week.

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.

The post Christian Rasmussen’s aggressiveness praised by Ed Carpenter after maiden win appeared first on Motorsport Week.

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.

The post IndyCar Milwaukee – Race Results appeared first on Motorsport Week.

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.

All 27 drivers of the NTT IndyCar Series buckled in and completed two of the fastest laps they could muster around the Milwaukee Mile Saturday afternoon, setting the grid for Sunday’s race.

Continuing his hot streak, Alex Palou earned pole by completing his laps in 44.8422 seconds, which gave him an average speed of 162.971 MPH. His laps were nearly three quarters of a MPH faster than any other driver, once again showing the field how talented he is.

David Malukas was second quick, followed by Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin who filled out the second row on the grid.

READ MORE: IndyCar Milwaukee – Full Qualifying Report

Colton Herta saved an oversteer moment on his first lap and kept his #26 Honda from damage, but his run was still ruined. Felix Rosenqvist was not so lucky, and backed his #60 MSR entry into the barriers before he could complete his run.

Kyffin Simpson, Scott Dixon, and Louis Foster all were given grid penalties for excessive engine changes, and each will drop nine positions down the order for race time.

Drivers have a final practice yet to complete, then will jump straight into the 250-lap race on Sunday at 1:00 central time.

The post IndyCar Milwaukee – Qualifying Results appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Saturday afternoon at the Milwaukee Mile was set aside for IndyCar qualifying, with drivers completing two solo laps in order to set the grid for Sunday’s race.

Drivers generally improved as the session went out, with later laps having the benefit of more rubber built up on the concrete surface.

When the line of cars on pit lane was emptied, however, it was the inevitable Alex Palou that had the fastest time of the afternoon.

READ MORE: IndyCar Milwaukee – Full Qualifying Results

Palou’s two laps were completed in 44.8422 seconds, which gave him an average speed of 162.971 MPH. His laps were nearly three quarters of a MPH faster than any other driver.

David Malukas had a good chance at earning his first career IndyCar pole, and was in the provisional top spot for most of the final portion of the event.

He was seen getting his hopes up as his time stood up, but then disappointment hit when Palou, who was the final qualifier, knocked him out of the top position.

Pato O’Ward also had a good set of laps and earned the third grid position, just ahead of Scott McLaughlin in fourth.

The other members of Team Penske had solid runs as well, with Will Power qualifying sixth and Josef Newgarden setting the eighth best time.

Grid penalties and disappointment

Three drivers were assessed grid penalties ahead of qualifying, with all three entries needing an engine change which pushed them over the number allowed.

Kyffin Simpson and Scott Dixon each lost an engine at the team’s test at Milwaukee last week, and Louis Foster’s engine failed at the beginning of practice earlier in the day.

All three were Honda engines, and the most consequential was the penalty for Dixon.

The veteran qualified with the fifth best time, but he will roll away from the 14th position.

Simpson and Foster were well down the order, and will take up the final two positions on the grid on Sunday.

Colton Herta was simultaneously extremely unlucky and lucky, and the Californian’s skills saved his Andretti crew from having to rebuild the #26.

The rear of his car stepped out on his first flying lap, but quick hands and deft throttle control allowed him to control his car while in an extreme slide. He remarkably brought the car to rest without touching any walls at all.

Herta’s time was obviously way off the pace, and he will start Sunday’s event from the rear of the field.

Felix Rosenqvist also had a sudden case of oversteer, but he was not able to save his car from taking damage.

His #60 MSR Honda slid into the Turn 4 wall and impacted it squarely with the rear attenuator, damaging his rear wing and suspension in the process.

With the grid set, drivers will hit the track in anger on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM central time for 250 laps around the flat oval.

The post Alex Palou takes dominant pole at Milwaukee Mile appeared first on Motorsport Week.

The NTT IndyCar Series has announced three grid penalties for this weekend’s event at the Milwaukee Mile.

Two entries from Chip Ganassi Racing are affected, with Kyffin Simpson in the #8 car and Scott Dixon in the #9 car both taking new engines ahead of the weekend.

Both drivers reportedly had an engine expire during the team’s test session at Milwaukee last week, leading to the penalties this weekend.

The engines push both entries over the prescribed yearly limit, meaning each will have to slide down the order before the race begins.

The third driver to incur a penalty was rookie Louis Foster, whose #45 entry developed a problem at the very beginning of practice.

Foster did not turn any laps whatsoever, and his Rahal Letterman Lanigan crew began work to fit a new Honda power plant to his car as well.

All three drivers will receive a nine-place grid penalty, which is the standard for oval events.

If one of the three happens to qualify fastest, he will still earn pole but will have to start the race from further down the order.

Qualifying takes place at 1:00 PM central time, with the 250-lap race taking place at the same time on Sunday afternoon.

The post Three Honda drivers to take IndyCar grid penalties at Milwaukee appeared first on Motorsport Week.

The NTT IndyCar Series took to the historic Milwaukee Mile on Saturday morning, sampling the track and getting in a solid hour of practice.

Perhaps making a break in his run of poor results, Josef Newgarden set the fastest lap of the morning.

His fast lap was run in 22.6864 seconds, leading to an average speed of 161.066 MPH on the flat oval.

Team Penske overall looked dialed in, with all three drivers posting laps in the top eight of the time sheets.

The series’ newest four time champion Alex Palou was second quick, with Conor Daly setting the third best time.

Drivers were a little cautious during their practice runs, making sure they did not damage their cars ahead of qualifying.

There is only two hours between practice and qualifying, meaning any repair work would have potentially led to sitting out of qualifying altogether.

A few drivers had moments of oversteer as they pushed the limits a bit, but overall there were no incidents to speak of.

The only interruption was for track inspection, with series officials making sure that there was no moisture seeping through the track.

The Milwaukee area had flooding rains just two weeks ago, but it appears that the track remains safe to race on this weekend.

Louis Foster did not complete any competitive laps at all, and the team quickly diagnosed that a new Honda engine was needed.

His RLL team began work on the rear of the #45 entry, and Foster will take a grid penalty taking a fresh power plant.

Qualifying takes place at 1:00 PM central time, when two timed laps will set the order for Sunday’s race.

The post Josef Newgarden tops the timesheets for Milwaukee’s opening practice appeared first on Motorsport Week.

PREMA has nearly completed its first season fielding a pair of entries in the NTT IndyCar Series, and the team has been adapting its approach to match the American series’ unique demands.

The organization has been very successful competing in various European racing series over the past four decades, and decided to bring its efforts stateside in 2025.

The team found some unexpected challenges, but has largely risen to the task against teams that have many decades of experience specifically in the American open wheel scene.

MotorsportWeek.com talked with Callum Ilott, PREMA’s experienced driver, to gauge how well he and the team have been adapting their approach to better suit the IndyCar dynamic.

“We did have to have quite a big philosophy change early on in the year,” said Ilott. “From that point onwards, maybe Barber or slightly after, it’s gotten quite a lot better. That was a lot on the team, a bit on me, just pushing for a good direction.

“We’ve still got a lot on the European side. But the philosophy is not ingrained in the cultural side, just which way we need to go over the car.

“Maybe we did start with an inherently European philosophy just because of the way the tracks and cars are in Europe, but I wouldn’t say… It’s just different. It’s not a cultural thing.”

Rocky start followed by improvement

From the start, PREMA’s IndyCar operations have shown telltale signs of its European heritage.

The team produced a special live-streamed event to unveil its liveries for the season and has had a notable hospitality presence at every track from their very first race. Both of which are typically reserved for only the most established IndyCar teams.

The actual business of building a competitive race car had a rough start, however. Before the season even began, word came that the team’s relationship with veteran engineer Michael Cannon had fallen apart.

Cannon was a major point of reference to bring the team up to speed with the inner workings of IndyCar, but he felt that his advice was largely being ignored and he moved on after only a couple months working together.

The team has worked hard since then at adapting to the realities of its new challenge, and the results in recent races have reflected that effort.

“Clearly [we have been working better together],” continued Ilott to MotorsportWeek.com. “We have a few top 10s, which we’ve been pushing and pushing for. It’s finally nice to be rewarded and satisfied with the jobs we’ve been doing. It’s good.

“Trying to carry on into the ovals, which I think we’ll be good at but it’s a bit of an unknown. I haven’t been to both of them yet, so they’re new for me too.”

PREMA’s biggest accomplishments to date include a shock Indianapolis 500 pole with its rookie driver Robert Shwartzman and three consecutive top 10 finishes with Ilott in the most recent three events.

The team has bigger ambitions, however, and gives every indication that it plans to put in the resources necessary to aim for stronger results in the years to come.

The post PREMA adapting European approach to better suit IndyCar appeared first on Motorsport Week.

The 2026 schedule for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) was released on Wednesday, and it revealed a shared weekend with IndyCar on the streets of St. Petersburg.

NCTS will compete on the seaside street course alongside multiple other series, with the race being held on Saturday.

IndyCar will run sessions throughout the weekend as well, with the open wheel series’ race serving as the main event on Sunday afternoon.

It is the first time the NCTS will compete on a street course, with the unforgiving 1.8-mile layout serving as a unique challenge to drivers in the series.

“What a great new racing addition to the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to include the NASCAR trucks into Saturday’s show next year,” said Kim Green, co-owner Green Savoree Racing Promotions.

“Saturday will be packed for our fans with entertainment. We have IndyCar qualifying and now an historic first with the NASCAR Crasftsman Truck Series race.

“And, as usual, it all culminates on Sunday with the NTT IndyCar Series season-opening event on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg.”

The Truck Series has shared weekends with IndyCar in the past, including multiple years at Texas Motor Speedway from 1997 through 2019.

IndyCar also shared a race weekend with the NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2020 through 2023.

For 2026, the premiere Cup Series will be racing at Circuit of the Americas on the weekend that the NCTS is in St. Petersburg.

The joint IndyCar / NCTS weekend takes place from February 27 through March 1, 2026.

A full 2026 IndyCar schedule has not yet been released, with questions still remaining around the series’ hopeful addition of a race in Mexico City.

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