Andretti INDYCAR Milwaukee Mile Race 1 Report
Race 1 Notes
After a nine-year hiatus, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned today to the famed Milwaukee oval for qualifying and Race 1 of the doubleheader weekend. To kick off the afternoon, the Andretti INDYCAR lineup made their qualifying debut on the one-mile oval to secure their starting positions for the doubleheader weekend. Taking the track in reverse Championship order, drivers claimed their spots on the grid for Race1 on the first flying lap while the second flying lap determined their starting position for Race 2. Following numerous grid penalties throughout the field, Colton Herta and Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top-10 positions in their first Milwaukee Mile appearance while Kyle Kirkwood started 15th in today’s race.
Making his 15th oval start, Kirkwood came into the first race of the doubleheader weekend determined to navigate the No. 27 AutoNation Honda up the field. Kirkwood managed to get as high as 11th, but was issued a drive-through penalty on Lap 98 after hitting a crew member during his pit stop. After being a lap down due to the incident, Kirkwood was able to maintain his strategy and take a top-12 result for the team on the Milwaukee oval.
Starting from the fifth row, Herta rolled off the grid determined to capitalize on his recent oval success to keep his Championship run alive. The Gainbridge Honda ran consistently in the top five throughout the majority of the race, even leading nine laps of the 250-lap race. Unfortunately, an issue in the pits saw the Gainbridge Honda lose the left front tire as Herta rejoined the field on track, causing a yellow flag on Lap 187. Herta was called back in immediately to remedy the tire issue, but because the caution was out and pits were still closed, the Gainbridge Honda was issued a penalty for taking emergency service in a closed pit and moved to the back of the field on Lap 200. Race Control would also eventually issue Herta a 30-second Stop and Hold penalty on Lap 206 for unsafe conduct in response to the loose tire on Lap 187. The Gainbridge Honda finished the race four laps down.
Taking on the Milwaukee Mile in his 95th INDYCAR start, Ericsson used his experience on oval circuits to stay consistently in the top 10. The Delaware Life Honda ran as high as third and was battling for second until contact with the No. 2 on Lap 146 ended his race early.
With only two races remaining on the calendar, INDYCAR will tackle the MilwaukeeMile for the final race of the doubleheader weekend tomorrow. Fans can catch the excitement live on USA and Peacock at 2:30 PM ET.
Race Results
Colton Herta No. 26 Gainbridge Honda
P22
Started: P10*
Standings: P3 (426pts)
“Very disappointing day for the Gainbridge Honda. We were very quick, running up at the front for most of the race, and we absolutely had a car to finish on the podium today. We just had an issue there toward the end of the race in the pits that we just couldn’t really recover from, and that was it for us. We’ll refocus and look to redeem ourselves tomorrow.”
*Herta qualified 12th in today’s qualifying session, but numerous grid penalties throughout the field moved the Gainbridge Honda up to 10th for Race 1.
Kyle Kirkwood No. 27 AutoNation Honda
P8
Started: P15*
Standings: P7 (360pts)
“Not a fantastic day for No. 27 crew. Unfortunately, I missed my marks on the first stop and clipped our fueler, which ultimately gave us a drive-through penalty. We were a lap down, but we played our strategy right, got our lap back and fought our way back up into 12th, which was a decent result after what was seeming to be a terrible day. We know we have a fast race car, and we were happy with our performance on track all day. So, we’ll get it going for tomorrow.”
*Kirkwood qualified 19th in today’s qualifying session, but numerous grid penalties throughout the field moved the AutoNation Honda up to 15th for Race 1.
Marcus Ericsson No. 28 Delaware Life Honda
P27
Started: P7*
Standings: P14 (262pts)
“I had the momentum, had the pass going, was side by side into the corner and then I just felt like he [Newgarden] was turning into the corner, and then I couldn’t do much more there. I was just holding my line and he [Newgarden] turned down more and more and pinched me until at some point we touched. The No. 28 Delaware Life Honda was great. I think the team did a really good job and had good pit stops, so it’s a pretty disappointing day for us.”
*Ericsson qualified ninth in today’s qualifying session, but numerous grid penalties throughout the field moved the Delaware Life Honda up to seventh for Race 1.
Rob Edwards Chief Operating Officer
“Today was a disappointing day for our first race back at the Milwaukee Mile since 2015, especially after clinching the INDY NXT title earlier this afternoon. Colton showed pace immediately out of the gate and quickly moved up the field. The Gainbridge Honda was quick, but unfortunately, an issue in the pits on his final stop led to penalties that put us multiple laps down. Marcus was quick too and seemed on pace to come away with a strong finish, but his incident with Josef put an early end to the Delaware Life Honda’s day. Even though he qualified behind Colton and Marcus, Kyle stayed consistent throughout the race and was able to salvage a finish higher than where he started. We’re definitely leaving Race 1 behind and shifting our focus to a much better day tomorrow for Race 2.”
