McLaughlin leads Milwaukee Mile IndyCar test
Scott McLaughlin set the pace for Team Penske at a crucial full-field test in Wisconsin, with the August doubleheader now firmly in his sights.
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McLaughlin Milwaukee Mile IndyCar test sets the tone
Scott McLaughlin, driving the No. 3 Chevrolet for Team Penske, topped the timing sheets during the July 8 session at the Milwaukee Mile. It was a closed test, meaning no public or media access on the day, but the result sends a clear message to his rivals.
The timing is significant. McLaughlin has not visited Victory Lane since winning at the Milwaukee Mile in 2024, a drought of 28 races. Topping a full-field test at the very track where he last won? That will do his confidence a world of good.
The test precedes the 2026 Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend at Milwaukee Mile, scheduled for Aug. 28-30, which will feature the only doubleheader weekend on the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar. The Snap-on Makers and Mixers 250 is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, and the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 is scheduled for noon Sunday, Aug. 30. Both races will air on FOX.
Who else was quick at the Milwaukee test?
Teams and drivers listed for the test included Andretti Global (Marcus Ericsson, Kyle Kirkwood, Will Power), AJ Foyt Racing (Caio Collet, Santino Ferrucci), Arrow McLaren (Christian Lundgaard, Nolan Siegel, Pato O’Ward), Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Kyffin Simpson), Dale Coyne Racing (Romain Grosjean, Dennis Hauger), ECR (Christian Rasmussen, Alexander Rossi), Juncos Hollinger Racing (Sting Ray Robb, Rinus VeeKay), Meyer Shank Racing (Marcus Armstrong, Felix Rosenqvist), Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Louis Foster, Graham Rahal, Mick Schumacher) and Team Penske (David Malukas, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden).
That is basically the entire grid. So when McLaughlin comes out on top, it really means something. The list also includes four-time and reigning series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing and six-time series champion Scott Dixon, who won at Milwaukee in 2009.
Check out our latest piece on Alex Palou and the post-Dixon era at Ganassi, which gives you great context on just how strong that team is right now.
The legendary Milwaukee Mile on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin is a one-mile oval that truly drives more like a road course because of the 9-degree banking in the turns, which produces some of the most exciting racing. Drivers can’t go flat out on the course, which creates overtaking opportunities in the turns as well as the straights. The Mile opened in 1903 and little has changed to the configuration.
Why this Milwaukee Mile test matters for Penske
The McLaughlin Milwaukee Mile IndyCar test result is more than just a feel-good number. Team Penske has been hungry to rediscover its best form in 2026, and topping a full-field session on a track McLaughlin knows well is exactly the kind of momentum shift the team needs.
Four of his seven career series victories have come on permanent road courses, but Milwaukee is the oval where he has shone brightest. His 2024 win there was a masterclass in racecraft. Going fastest in this McLaughlin Milwaukee Mile IndyCar test shows the setup work is already pointing in the right direction. You can read more about that difficult period for the team in our story on the McLaughlin grid penalty at Mid-Ohio.
Meanwhile, Arrow McLaren will also be watching these results very closely. Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren was one of the 2024 doubleheader winners at Milwaukee and will be eager to defend that form. For a broader look at the team’s future plans, check out our coverage of Arrow McLaren’s 2027 IndyCar lineup.
IndyCar TV boom adds extra pressure ahead of Milwaukee
The stakes for the August Milwaukee double-header are huge, and it is not just because of the championship. IndyCar’s television numbers in 2026 have been outstanding. FOX had 1.344 million viewers tune in to the road course race at Mid-Ohio, which is a 73% uptick from last year’s 775,000 viewers.
IndyCar’s debut on FOX in 2025 delivered five out of 17 races with more than 1 million viewers, and so far in 2026, seven out of 11 races have surpassed the 1 million mark. The rise in viewership to date this season is up 18 percent over last year. More eyes on the screen means more pressure to perform, and the Milwaukee doubleheader is set to be one of the biggest events of the year.
With the McLaughlin Milwaukee Mile IndyCar test now complete, the New Zealander heads into the second half of the season with real momentum. The next race for the series is the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville on July 19. Then comes Portland in August, before the Milwaukee doubleheader takes centre stage at the end of the month.
For the very latest from the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, including standings, results and race previews, head to the official series page at indycar.com. Keep your eye on our IndyCar coverage hub at rnt-motorsports.com for all the latest updates as the Milwaukee weekend approaches.
