IndyCar Results and Highlights From Second Race at the Milwaukee Mile

Full results and race highlights from the second race of the IndyCar double-header in Milwaukee... after major schedule changes made this race the first complete race of the weekend.

Pato O'Ward Arrow McLaren | Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski

Milwaukee has already been a dramatic race weekend even though no full races have been run. Yesterday, after approximately 90 laps, Race 1 of the doubleheader weekend was red-flagged for the day due to severe weather. The race continued to be pushed until after Race 2 today.

The rules that apply to two races in one day had to be invented by IndyCar. If there is an engine change between Race 2 and the resumption of Race 1, there will be a penalty at Laguna Seca. Cars will resume Race 1 at the same level of fuel and the same tires as yesterday. Finally, if there is a crash and significant damage in Race 2, there is a chance that the car may not finish Race 1.

This is something that has simply never happened in IndyCar, but one thing still holds true. If Palou increases his point count by 17 points over Kirkwood, he will clinch the 2026 championship. After Kirkwood's Practice crash, he qualified poorly for both races. So, as it stands, with Palou on pole for Race 2 (Race 1, ostensibly), the title is his.

Apr 18, 2026; Long Beach, California, USA; Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward (5) during free practice at Streets of Long Beach. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the end it was Pato O'Ward who drove it home for his 2nd win of the 2026 IndyCar Season. More importantly, though, the gap between Palou and Kirkwood did not increase enough for Palou to clinch the 2026 IndyCar Title.

Kirkwood Fights Back from the Rear

Kyle Kirkwood has been aptly named the "King of the Streets", but his incredible consistency across the season is not something to turn your nose up at. It took Kyle and the 27 crew 110 laps to move from nearly last place up into 3rd, behind Palou.

Coming into the weekend, Kirkwood and the Andretti team, having tested at the Milwaukee Mile this season, knew that the Andretti had better pace and longevity from their tires than other front-oval contenders like the Penskes. He told the crew their tires 'unlock' halfway through the stint, rather than losing pace with wear.

Aug 23, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood (L) celebrates with Freedom the eagle on the podium after winning the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on the street circuit at National Mall. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This performance throughout the race was crucial for extending the 2026 championship. Kirkwood went from 24th at the start to 6th at the finish, just one place behind Alex Palou.

Lundgaard Proves His Salt on Ovals

Lundgaard is another driver similar to Kirkwood who proves his pace in his Arrow McLaren on street and road course races. His average finish until Milwaukee was 14th, while his teammate, Pato O'Ward, consistently runs at the front of the pack.

Oval racing is one of the main reasons that team leaders Zak Brown and Tony Kanaan opted to replace Lundgaard with Scott Dixon for the 2027 season. However, fsince that announcement, Lundgaard has been the highest performer by FAR for Arrow McLaren. He has more wins than Pato, more Top 10s, and seems to be driving with 'spite' and something to prove.

Christian Lundgaard raises his fist in victory following the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, Sunday, June 21, 2026, at Elkhart Lake, Wis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In the end today, Lundgaard drove himself up to 3rd – even with a horrible final pit stop. This result is also hugely important in deciding where Lundgaard drives in 2027 – presently considered the favorite to replace Dixon at Chip Ganassi.

IndyCar Milwaukee Mile Race 2 Results

Position	Driver / Team	Time Diff from Lead [s]
1.	Pato O'Ward / McLaren	-
2.	McLaughlin / Penske	+0.792
3.	Lundgaard / McLaren	+2.746
4.	Malukas / Penske	+3.289
5.	Palou / Chip Ganassi	+12.044
6.	Kirkwood / Andretti	+17.531
7.	VeeKay / Juncos	+18.700
8.	Rasmussen / ECR	+22.784
9.	Ericsson / Andretti	+24.084
10.	Foster / RLL	+26.862
11.	Rossi / ECR	+1 Lap
12.	Ferrucci / AJ Foyt	+1 Lap
13.	Schumacher / RLL	+1 Lap
14.	Power / Andretti	+1 Lap
15.	Dixon / Chip Ganassi	+1 Lap
16.	Armstrong / Meyer Shank	+1 Lap
17.	Siegel / McLaren	+1 Lap
18.	Robb / Juncos	+1 Lap
19.	Simpson / Chip Ganassi	+1 Lap
20.	Rosenqvist / Meyer Shank	+1 Lap
21.	Hauger / Dale Coyne	+1 Lap
22.	Rahal / RLL	+ 2 Laps
23.	Collet / AJ Foyt	+ 3 Laps
24.	Grosjean / Dale Coyne	DNF
25.	Newgarden / Penske	DNF

The 2026 IndyCar Championship is not over! As it stands, Alex Palou will need to lead Kirkwood by a several-place gap in the second half of Race 1's continuation in a few hours.

The second half of Milwaukee Mile Race 1 will air at 6:00PM ET tonight on Fox Sports.