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Christian Rasmussen driving the No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing during a late caution period drove past series champion Alex Palou with 16 laps to go to win the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on yesterday, his first career NTT IndyCar Series victory.
“Today was amazing,” Rasmussen said. “We were so good on new tires, even compared to other cars on new tires. Wow – that’s a good day, a good Sunday.”
Rasmussen beat Palou by 1.9463 seconds after taking the lead on Lap 235 of 250. Scott McLaughlin finished third in the No. 3 Sonsio Vehicle Protection Chevrolet of Team Penske, tying his season best. Rumors circulating in the paddock say Mclaughlin’s seat is open for next season.
Alexander Rossi finished a season-best fourth in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet to put two ECR cars in the top five at the checkered flag for the first time this year. Pato O’Ward rounded out the top five in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
Palou, who led 199 laps, saw a 2.011-second lead over McLaughlin vanish when light rain around the 1.015-mile oval were reported on Lap 209, triggering the fifth and final caution period of the race.
During that caution, Palou, McLaughlin, and third-place Josef Newgarden elected to stay out of the pits and keep their track position. However, Rasmussen, Rossi and O’Ward were among a handful of drivers to dive into the pits for a change to fresh Firestone Firehawk tires. Lap times showed that speed diminished quickly when tire wear increased during the race.
After the restart on Lap 222, it took Rossi and Rasmussen just one lap to climb to fourth and fifth, respectively. Rasmussen then passed Rossi for fourth, with Newgarden in third. Rasmussen dove under Newgarden’s No. 2 Snap-on Team Penske Chevrolet in Turn 3 on Lap 227 and was 0.6 of a second behind second-place McLaughlin and 2.2 seconds behind Palou.
The traction provided by the fresh Firestone tires – Palou, McLaughlin, and Newgarden each made their final stops on Laps 196 or 197, nearly 15 laps earlier than Rasmussen – proved definitive.
Rasmussen was running fast on every area of the track with fresh rubber and his typically aggressive style, driving around McLaughlin with a high-line move in Turn 2 on Lap 230. Palou was 1.321 seconds ahead in the lead. However mathematics showed it would take little time until Rasmussen would catch the four-time series champion.
That moment arrived on Lap 235 when Palou and Rasmussen went side by side through Turns 3 and 4, inches apart, with Palou hugging the low line and Rasmussen in the high groove. Rasmussen edged ahead on the front straightaway, officially taking the lead for good at the start-finish line, and finally got around Palou in Turn 1 on Lap 236.
This was the first time Rasmussen led all day. He continued to make it a trend. The Dane successfully navigating through lapped traffic during the closing laps for his first win. Rasmussen, Palou and O’Ward are the only three drivers to finish in the top 10 in all five series oval races this season.
“We were talking before the race that if there was a late caution, then we want to go on new tires because it is such an advantage,” Rasmussen said. “There were more people that did it than I thought there would in that last stint, but it was definitely the right choice.”
The runner-up finish for Palou was his 12th top-three result in 16 starts this season, with eight victories. However, finishing second also ended his chance to tie A.J. Foyt and Al Unser for the most victories in an IndyCar Series season, 10, at the season-ending Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by Willscot on Sunday 31 August at Nashville Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Sports app, IndyCar Radio Network).
“I knew this was coming for Christian,” said team owner Ed Carpenter. “He’s the best there is right now on short ovals, He has shown it all season long. That yellow played to his hand, and he did an amazing job taking advantage of his new tires and Chevy power. It feels so good; it’s been a while since we’ve won a race.”
IndyCar imposed a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entry of No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for an unscheduled engine change beyond the entry’s season allotment prior to the Milwaukee Mile. For Race Timing and Scoring click HERE.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
IndyCar – Rasmussen with Chevy Power Wins Milwaukee
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Christian Rasmussen driving the No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing during a late caution period drove past series champion Alex Palou with 16 laps to go to win the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on yesterday, his first career NTT IndyCar Series victory.
“Today was amazing,” Rasmussen said. “We were so good on new tires, even compared to other cars on new tires. Wow – that’s a good day, a good Sunday.”
Rasmussen beat Palou by 1.9463 seconds after taking the lead on Lap 235 of 250. Scott McLaughlin finished third in the No. 3 Sonsio Vehicle Protection Chevrolet of Team Penske, tying his season best. Rumors circulating in the paddock say Mclaughlin’s seat is open for next season.
Alexander Rossi finished a season-best fourth in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet to put two ECR cars in the top five at the checkered flag for the first time this year. Pato O’Ward rounded out the top five in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
Palou, who led 199 laps, saw a 2.011-second lead over McLaughlin vanish when light rain around the 1.015-mile oval were reported on Lap 209, triggering the fifth and final caution period of the race.
During that caution, Palou, McLaughlin, and third-place Josef Newgarden elected to stay out of the pits and keep their track position. However, Rasmussen, Rossi and O’Ward were among a handful of drivers to dive into the pits for a change to fresh Firestone Firehawk tires. Lap times showed that speed diminished quickly when tire wear increased during the race.
After the restart on Lap 222, it took Rossi and Rasmussen just one lap to climb to fourth and fifth, respectively. Rasmussen then passed Rossi for fourth, with Newgarden in third. Rasmussen dove under Newgarden’s No. 2 Snap-on Team Penske Chevrolet in Turn 3 on Lap 227 and was 0.6 of a second behind second-place McLaughlin and 2.2 seconds behind Palou.
The traction provided by the fresh Firestone tires – Palou, McLaughlin, and Newgarden each made their final stops on Laps 196 or 197, nearly 15 laps earlier than Rasmussen – proved definitive.
Rasmussen was running fast on every area of the track with fresh rubber and his typically aggressive style, driving around McLaughlin with a high-line move in Turn 2 on Lap 230. Palou was 1.321 seconds ahead in the lead. However mathematics showed it would take little time until Rasmussen would catch the four-time series champion.
That moment arrived on Lap 235 when Palou and Rasmussen went side by side through Turns 3 and 4, inches apart, with Palou hugging the low line and Rasmussen in the high groove. Rasmussen edged ahead on the front straightaway, officially taking the lead for good at the start-finish line, and finally got around Palou in Turn 1 on Lap 236.
This was the first time Rasmussen led all day. He continued to make it a trend. The Dane successfully navigating through lapped traffic during the closing laps for his first win. Rasmussen, Palou and O’Ward are the only three drivers to finish in the top 10 in all five series oval races this season.
“We were talking before the race that if there was a late caution, then we want to go on new tires because it is such an advantage,” Rasmussen said. “There were more people that did it than I thought there would in that last stint, but it was definitely the right choice.”
The runner-up finish for Palou was his 12th top-three result in 16 starts this season, with eight victories. However, finishing second also ended his chance to tie A.J. Foyt and Al Unser for the most victories in an IndyCar Series season, 10, at the season-ending Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by Willscot on Sunday 31 August at Nashville Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Sports app, IndyCar Radio Network).
“I knew this was coming for Christian,” said team owner Ed Carpenter. “He’s the best there is right now on short ovals, He has shown it all season long. That yellow played to his hand, and he did an amazing job taking advantage of his new tires and Chevy power. It feels so good; it’s been a while since we’ve won a race.”
IndyCar imposed a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entry of No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for an unscheduled engine change beyond the entry’s season allotment prior to the Milwaukee Mile. For Race Timing and Scoring click HERE.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.