IndyCar champ Alex Palou starts from pole at Milwaukee Mile

If you thought Alex Palou clinching the NTT IndyCar Series title in Portland meant he’d take it easy for the final two oval races, think again.

With the championship in hand, Palou laid down a two-lap average of 162.971 mph in 44.8422s to clinch the pole for Sunday’s Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250. It’s the Spaniard’s sixth pole of his dominant 2025 campaign, positioning himself to chase a ninth victory on the year.

David Malukas and Kyffin Simpson (rear)

Photo by: Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski

Born an hour south in Chicago, David Malukas spent the bulk of the session’s second half atop the charts.

But his hopes for a maiden pole at the Milwaukee Mile were scuppered by Palou’s last-second heroics. Malukas completed his two laps in 45.04s at 162.256 mph.

Pato O'Ward (162.078) was the only other driver with an average speed above 162 mph, in third. Scott McLaughlin and Scott Dixon wrapped up the top-five, with Will Power, Kyle Kirkwood, Josef Newgarden, Conor Daly and Christian Rasmussen completing the top 10.

Dixon is one of three drivers undergoing a nine-place grid penalty for unapproved engine changes beyond the four allowed in a season, along with Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyffin Simpson and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster. The setback promotes 11th place qualifier Graham Rahal into the final top 10 starting spot.

Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren

Photo by: Penske Entertainment: Chris Owens

With IndyCar at an oval and no doubleheader race scheduled, the field was set by a two-lap average speed. Palou had the two fastest laps of all competitors, leaving little doubt of the quickest car in the field.

The opening half of the session proceeded without issue, but things briefly went haywire early in the second half.

Colton Herta took to the track shortly after Malukas’ pole run, but lost control of his car in turn 2 and went for a soft spin at corner exit. The Californian was able to keep the car off the wall, but ruined his qualifying effort and will roll off 26th.

“That’s frustrating,” Herta said while watching a replay. “Looks like we were just too loose right from the beginning, and as soon as we touched that lower pavement, the lower patch, it just kind of goes (around).

“It’s that patch, which my teammate Marcus (Ericsson) was able to use,” he added.” I think he had a better line than me in practice, so I went to his line there for qualifying. … Unfortunately, the car just didn’t like that patch.”

The session resumed minutes later. But after a trouble-free run for Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Ericsson, teammate Felix Rosenqvist lost the rear end of his No. 60 Honda and backed into the turn 4 wall.

With qualifying complete, the IndyCar field will return to the Milwaukee Mile for low-line and final practice at 4:30 p.m. ET. Coverage will be provided by FS2. Sunday’s race will go live at 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX.