Christian Rasmussen’s thrilling win at The Milwaukee Mile. Plus, Tony George, Alex Palou, Will Power, David Malukas, Conor Daly, Jacob Abel and Tim Broyles

Roger Penske: This is Roger Penske, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek, and SpeedSport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental as we continue our fifth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. And a big thanks to Penske Truck Rental for helping bring you the inside stories of IndyCar from the paddock to the racetrack to the highways and streets of America. What a race at the Milwaukee Mile on the August 24th snap on Milwaukee Mile 250 as four-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou was denied his ninth victory of the season by first-time IndyCar race winner Christian Rasmussen of ECR. Just when it appeared Palou was on his way to another win, which would have equaled Mario Andretti's victory total in 1969, it was as if the racing gods intervened. Five seconds of rain on an otherwise sunny day changed the outcome of the race at the Milwaukee Mile. With 42 laps to go, raindrops began to fall and the yellow flag waved, despite most of the sky displaying bright sunshine. Much of the field came down pit lane on lap 213, but Palou, Scott McLaughlin, and Josef Newgarden stayed on track, creating a gap in the cars using old tires and those pitting for fresh rubber. With 28 laps to go, the green flag waved with the top three cars on older tires, while drivers such as Rossi and Rasmussen were on fresh rubber. Palou was able to get off to a good lead, but would his tires hold up for the duration of the race? The answer was a resounding no. Rasmussen put on the show of the year in IndyCar. Rasmussen restarted the race in seventh place on the final restart, driving with fearless abandon to track down race leader Palou and make the race-winning pass with 15 laps to go to win Sunday's snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250. He defeated the four-time NTT IndyCar Series champion by 1.943 seconds in what was a splendid victory for the Splenda Chevrolet. The ECR driver became the first first-time NTT IndyCar Series race winner in 39 races. With so much ground to cover, let's get right to it. First, with this exclusive interview with Christian Rasmussen entering the race weekend, followed by his thoughts after his first career IndyCar Series win. One of the fastest young drivers in IndyCar has joined us. It's Christian Rasmussen of ECR Racing. Christian, a lot of people have noticed your ability behind the wheel of a race car. You're very fast, you're very aggressive. So how would you categorize the way your 2025 season has gone in IndyCar?

Christian Rasmussen: Yeah, I think overall fairly happy. I think we're, as a team, moving in the right direction. This year has been very much about building a foundation on which we can build on for the years to come, which I feel like we are doing. And in terms of this year, it's been up and down. But overall, I'm pretty happy with the progression from last year. Very happy with the performances on the ovals this year on the 21 car. And yeah, I mean, we had a couple unfortunate events in Detroit and mid-Ohio where kind of factors outside of our control has kind of taken over and taken away some possibly good results for us. But other than that, it's been a decent year.

Bruce Martin: Well, you also had a very fierce race at Portland. People are going to remember that because you and Connor had a little battle going on there. He ended up into the wall. From your point of view, what was that whole scenario about?

Christian Rasmussen: Yeah, it obviously started early in Turn 7. That was kind of an unfortunate situation. My wheel hit his wheel, which knocked the steering wheel out of my hands, which is why we both kind of continued off that far. Then we had another get together in Turn 2, and then obviously again in Turn 10. I saw that situation very much as a racing incident, which obviously the race control did as well. Obviously it created a big fuss because on the stream it did look pretty bad, but when you look at at my in-car view and kind of look at it a little bit closer, you can see that it was at least a 50-50. So again, I see it. I had the inside line going into the corner. He did what I see as a pretty low percentage move, which unfortunately put him into the wall pretty hard.

Bruce Martin: Do you think his move may have been more retaliation for what had happened earlier?

Christian Rasmussen: Maybe. It could have been. I think, obviously, we're both race car drivers. We both try to get in front of one another. That's in the job description. If it was retaliation or not, I don't know. I feel like he got that in Turn 2, or at least tried to get it in Turn 2 with the move that he tried to do there. You know, it's it's racing these stuff happen this stuff happen. There's the man of the hour right there but But yeah, it's it was an unfortunate event Would I have done anything differently? No, I think I had every right to be where I was and Yeah, not much more to to add to it. So did the two of you talk afterwards? I We did. We met up for coffee at a Java house in Carmel, talked things through. We obviously did not agree on the subject. I thought it was a racing incident. He thought that it was my fault, which that's fine. We talked it through. We didn't agree, but I think we're on good terms. I mean, it is what it is. We're both trying to do a job here, and sometimes these things go wrong.

Bruce Martin: When two drivers don't agree on something, how do you keep it civil?

Christian Rasmussen: That's a good question. Like, in terms of the conversation?

Bruce Martin: Yes.

Christian Rasmussen: Yeah, I don't know. In these kind of things, I'm not very, like, I don't know. I don't really try to get upset about it. Obviously, his day ended a lot harder than my day. I have less reason to be upset than he does. So I get that that was a tough day for their car. But I don't know. I think it's always good to just stay calm in those situations, talk things through, and then take it from there.

Bruce Martin: Were you surprised seeing the way race control often calls penalties that there wasn't a penalty?

Christian Rasmussen: No. Again, like I said, I saw it as a racing incident. I think he had just as much fault as I did. So I didn't see myself having to get a penalty in that situation. The Turn 7 was more of a, I guess, induced by me, which I've admitted that before. I'm fine to admit that. But at the end of the day, that's kind of how you've seen IndyCar racing this year. Not only from me, but from everyone. That's just unfortunate. Unfortunately, that's how… People race in this series. So you have to kind of do that so it was unfortunate that we both went off that far just because it knocked over steering wheel out of my hands, but Again that's what happens race control saw it the same way as I did and Yeah, so how much do you think your stock has risen this season?

Bruce Martin: because you've had a lot of races where you've blazed your way toward the front and people have noticed and

Christian Rasmussen: Yeah, hopefully a little bit. I mean, I keep growing as a driver in IndyCar, which that's the most important part. I want to keep getting better and better. I am by no means done learning and done getting better. So hopefully I will continue to to get better. But yeah, this year has been good. We've had some strong showings, getting my first podium at St. Louis. I think I saw, I think the other day, I'm the third highest point scorer on the Ovals this year out of anyone. So obviously very, very happy about that.

Bruce Martin: And then highs and lows of 2025, what are your highs and what would you say are your lows?

Christian Rasmussen: I would say the high of this year would be the Indy 500 finishing sixth. I think that was a really good result for us. And then my podium in St. Louis, those definitely take the cake for the highs. The lows… We've had some just bad weekends where we've just really struggled for pace. What stands out for me is Long Beach, Road America. And then, obviously, you can always talk about Detroit and mid-Ohio, which was unfortunate. But again, things out of our control, so not really much you can do about those. But yeah, just pace-wise, I think Road America really stands out to be a tough weekend for us.

Bruce Martin: And finally, the ECR has He brought in a partner. It looks like it's really increased the strength of the team even more. How would you assess the way ECR is in 2025 as they build toward the future?

Christian Rasmussen: I think ECR is in a great spot right now. I think we've gotten a massive opportunity with Heartland Food Group, Splenda, and Java House coming in as partners. So a lot of stuff is going on behind the scenes. We have a lot of opportunities this year that the team hasn't had in the past. So it's really what we do with it. And I think next year will be very showing of what if that extra budget and extra opportunities that we've had this year are going to translate into results. We're all very hopeful. We're all believing in this project and where we're going as a team. I think we're doing all the right stuff. So I think it'll be a very interesting year for ECR in 2026.

Bruce Martin: Well, you've certainly made it an interesting year for ECR and for IndyCar in 2025. Congratulations on that. Good luck heading into the offseason. We'll talk to you again next season and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Bruce Martin: Thank you. And now let's hear from Rasmussen after his thrilling victory in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview.

Bruce Martin: The pride of Copenhagen, Denmark has joined us, and let's be the first to call you an NTT IndyCar Series race winner. Welcome to Victory Lane, Christian Rasmussen. You won the snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250. You didn't just win it, you… grabbed it. You came and you took it. There was nobody going to keep Christian Rasmussen from winning the race. How does it feel to get your first IndyCar Series race victory?

Christian Rasmussen: Yeah, it feels amazing. Really happy with our performance as a team this weekend. We started off struggling in practice one. I think I was lost. to be honest, but turned it around for qualifying, had a good qualifying, qualified 10th and after penalties we started 9th and just kept working on the car through the weekend, progressively gotten better and better and better and obviously had a pretty good race car here today. So very happy with the team performance this year or this weekend, being able to get it done here today.

Bruce Martin: It was the ultimate checkers or wreckers moment when you were on fresh tires after the final pit stop. You drove with aggressiveness, fearless abandon, but you made it work. Was your attitude during those closing laps is I'm going to do whatever it takes to win this race.

Christian Rasmussen: No, no, I wouldn't say it was. I would say my mindset was that I'm going to try and make it as far up the ladder as I can. And then, you know, obviously found myself in P2 pretty quick. And then I was like, OK, well, we actually have a decent shot at winning this race. And then got closer to Alex. He had a little bit of a gap, but closed that in and got past him. And then from there, I was just managing it and getting it over the finish line.

Bruce Martin: Five seconds of rain that caused IndyCar to throw the yellow, which set up a decision time for a lot of the drivers to either pit for fresh tires, but the top three cars, including leader Alex Below, and Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin all decided to stay out. You peeled off. At that point, did you know, hey, this is shaping up pretty good for us to win this race?

Christian Rasmussen: Yeah, I was talking with my strategist and my engineer before the race even started that if this opportunity presents itself with a late caution and with where you can have a tire advantage by about 20-ish laps, then we should take it because that's a huge opportunity. And exactly that happened. A lot of cars dove in and I think we took the restart in seventh. So three cars in front of me had new tires, three cars didn't. But Yeah, it was good. I felt very confident on the new tyres. I kind of built that confidence, even compared to other cars on new tyres. I knew we were in pretty good shape. So, yeah, just did what we had done all race and got to the front.

Bruce Martin: But you earned the victory because not everybody that stopped for the new tires was able to do what you were able to do. You were the only driver that made the new tires work for you. So in a lot of ways, you have to credit much of the victory to your ability to drive with aggression, but yet still be calm and drive smart.

Christian Rasmussen: Yeah, obviously, that's very important. But yeah, there's been so many words this year thrown after me with being over-aggressive and whatever. But I think the fact of the matter is that we've finished every single race this year. We've not had one crash in the races. We had an engine failure, and we had a fuel issue at mid-Ohio. nothing has come down to me crashing the car. So people can think I'm aggressive. That's fine. I'll continue to drive how I drive. It obviously is paying off and we're just getting better and better at it.

Bruce Martin: And a little bit of redemption, because after the Portland race, the situation with Conor Daly, a lot of people had cast you in the role of a villain. How redemptive does it feel to now be in the role of a winner?

Christian Rasmussen: Yeah, I don't know. That's last week's news. This week, we're a race winner and looking ahead to Nashville.

Bruce Martin: And to beat Alex Palou. Nobody's beaten Alex Palou very much this season in a straight-up fight, but you did it, so how satisfying is that?

Christian Rasmussen: Yeah, that was very satisfying. I knew that I obviously had a tie advantage on Alex, but do you ever have a tie advantage on Alex? Because he always seems to take very, very well care of his sires. But no, I didn't really know how it was going to go. You know, I was catching him. and got closer and closer and closer, but that peak of the tire that you get right out of the box is obviously gone at that point where I got to him. So I didn't know if the tire range was gonna be enough to get past him, but we gave it a shot, and after, well, basically a lap side by side, half a lap side by side, we got by him, and I could kinda build on that gap.

Bruce Martin: And I've been saving this line all season, but now that you've driven to Victory Lane, I can say it was a splendid day for the splendid Chevrolet.

Christian Rasmussen: It sure was. It sure was.

Bruce Martin: Well, Christian Rasmussen, ECR Racing, congratulations on your first career IndyCar Series race victory. You only get your first once. From here on out, it's collecting the set. But good luck the rest of the 2025 season. We only got one race left. Thank you very much. Enjoy the offseason, and good luck in 2026. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy.

Christian Rasmussen: Thank you.

Bruce Martin: It was a very big win for ECR, owned by Ed Carpenter. He brought in an investor to help take his IndyCar Series team even further, and it paid off with the team's first victory since Renas VeeKay won on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2021. Carpenter's stepfather is Tony George, the grandson of Tony Holman, the man who saved the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he purchased it from Eddie Rickenbacker in November 1945. For the next 74 years, the Holman-George family owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar before selling it to Roger Penske on November 4, 2019. But that wasn't the end of racing for Tony George, who serves as a team mentor at ECR. I caught up with Tony George in Victory Lane at the Milwaukee Mile for this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Tony George, that was a heck of a great race here at the Milwaukee Mile. You grew up coming to races at the Milwaukee Mile. But to see the drive that Christian Rasmussen put on to give ECR this victory, how special is it to you to be part of the team?

Tony George: It feels great. The spectators really turned out today. It was a beautiful weather day. And the racing was really good, especially as it got down that last stop, a little strategy. But Christian was in a good place. He liked his car. He asked for the wing to be set on that last stop where he wanted it. And he did his patented outside passes that moved him forward. And it was really a great day. Long time coming for this team.

Bruce Martin: And you being Ed Carpenter's stepfather, to see everything that he's invested into this team, bringing in an ownership partner, basically redesigning the leadership of the operation, big new shops on the way up there in Westfield, Indiana. But how proud are you of what he's put together?

Tony George: Well, he's really developed into quite the car owner. He loves the driver aspect of it, no doubt, but he's becoming a really great car owner. We've got a great new partner in the team. Ted Gelov has brought a fresh new energy to this team. And we're gonna do more of this in the future, that's for sure.

Bruce Martin: And finally, this is the good old-fashioned, hard-charging IndyCar short oval racing that you grew up with. And to see it back at the Milwaukee Mile, just how perfect of a day is today.

Tony George: It's been a great day. I couldn't ask for more. Like I said, the fans, have turned out. The weather's been great, and it was exciting racing right to the finish.

Bruce Martin: Tony George, congratulations on the big win with Christian Rasmussen. Go celebrate it, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Tony George: You're welcome, Bruce. Thank you.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break. This is Will Power of Team Penske and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy.

Bruce Martin: Alex Fallot clinched his fourth IndyCar Series championship in the BitMile.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by Ask ROI on August 10th, so the Chip Ganassi racing driver didn't have to worry about the points situation when he arrived at Milwaukee before the weekend began. I caught up with the IndyCar legend in the making for the first of two interviews. Here is the first entering the race weekend at the Milwaukee Mile.

Bruce Martin: Hello, Alex. Hello.

Bruce Martin: Well, now we don't have to ask you what you have to do to clinch the championship because you already did that. So how great of a relief is that to now have two more races where you don't have to worry about points racing, championship points.

Alex Palou: It's either checkers or records now. It's amazing. It's a feeling that I know that it doesn't come very often. It's an opportunity that we have that not many people experience in their careers. So I'm enjoying it, honestly. It gives me also an opportunity to come to these two tracks that I've not done very good, Milwaukee and then Nashville. to go and allow myself to be a bit more aggressive or to try and change some stuff to be a little bit better. So when we come next year and we're fighting hopefully for another championship, we can be a bit stronger.

Bruce Martin: But to have that relief, but also you're a driven, competitive guy, you still want 10 victories.

Alex Palou: Absolutely, 100%.

Bruce Martin: So in order to get 10 victories, you're going to have to go two for two.

Alex Palou: Yes, absolutely. Honestly, that's all I have in my head now. I couldn't have it before, and I did not even think about it. My only two goals for the year were to win the 500 and the championship. But obviously now, once that's done, we can go for that secondary challenge, let's say, and try and go for 10. So as you said, the only option we have is to win the two races that we have left. And that starts this weekend here.

Bruce Martin: What did you do the night you won the championship? I know it was a flight from Portland back to Indianapolis, but what was that like?

Alex Palou: It was terrible. It was a little bit delayed. And then I landed at Indianapolis at like 4 a.m. I got like two hours of sleep. And then my my daughter decided to wake up and start the day very early. So it was it was not an amazing travel time. But honestly, when I was back in at home, it was amazing with the family. Then we did some stuff with the team. But honestly, we're waiting to do the the proper celebration after Nashville. Did Chip give you a day off? He did not give me a day off, but he doesn't need to. Like, honestly, we're still in season. We still have two great races to go, and we need to win them.

Bruce Martin: But I did see something that you did a few days after you got back. You went to the Live Golf Tournament in Indianapolis. What was that like?

Alex Palou: It was fun. I mean, they asked me if I wanted to play the amateur or pro amateur tournament that was on Wednesday or Thursday, and I said that I couldn't hit a golf ball, so we had to look for other stuff to do. So, yeah, I got to see what the event was like, which was pretty awesome. The atmosphere was great, and I watched some golf for the first time.

Bruce Martin: So you're no Seve Ballesteros.

Alex Palou: I am not. Not yet.

Bruce Martin: And I always had trouble pronouncing the other greats. Yes, well, Americans have trouble saying proper Spanish. Castilian, as they call it. Yes. So you're better at pronouncing his name than I am. What was it?

Alex Palou: It was fun. It was fun. It was very good. Honestly, it was my first event in golf. I went a couple of times with my friends, but it was my first tournament, so it was cool to see.

Bruce Martin: When you see those guys get out there and whack that ball as far as they do, is that almost as impressive to you as them coming out to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and seeing you head into turn one without blanking?

Alex Palou: Absolutely. I think there's all sports, they have one of those, like when you see without knowing, you're like really impressed. I was impressed at the precision they have, the ability they have to go from a different hole to another one and just hit it perfectly to the green like they were doing. So it's an amazing skill for sure.

Bruce Martin: The other thing about live golf as opposed to the PGA tour is They're out there playing music during the rounds of golf. Did you find that to be interesting?

Alex Palou: Oh, yeah, that was interesting. And I was actually for a couple, I would say, I don't know, maybe 30 minutes, one hour, I was at the party hall. So that was even louder. That didn't feel like normal golf that I could see on TV. But it was fun. Everybody was having fun. All the golfers there knew about it, obviously, and they are prepared and they are having fun.

Bruce Martin: And finally, you've got two chances to win two more races. So they're coming on the type of tracks that, as you said, are not your best type of tracks. How much better prepared are you for short ovals this time around than maybe you were last year?

Alex Palou: Yes, a lot more. Honestly, I think this year we found a couple of stuff that works for me that make me feel a little bit more comfortable with the car and these kind of tracks. But honestly, I'm excited that I have this opportunity to go even more, to go one more step, to take it more aggressively to try and find some more stuff in the car or in myself to be more comfortable here. So when we come back here next year, we can be fighting again for the races.

Bruce Martin: So that's four-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Bello, including the last three in a row. Congratulations on everything you've been able to accomplish. Hey, I think you won the Indy 500 this year, too. That's a pretty big deal.

Alex Palou: We did. It's been a cool year.

Bruce Martin: But anyway, we'll catch up with you between now and the end of the year. Enjoy your time in Milwaukee. Enjoy your time in Nashville. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Absolutely.

Alex Palou: Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin: Palou started on the pole and led 199 laps of the 250-lap race at the Milwaukee Mile before Christian Rasmussen's dramatic charge to victory. Palou finished second, but was still smiling and happy as he held his young daughter, Lucia, in victory lane when he gave me this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Alex blows join us now and even as a competitor I guess you have to say that was a heck of a race by Christian Rasmussen to be able to score his first victory even though you came up short wasn't able to win your ninth race of the season. How much are you going to reflect on not taking new tires on that final pit stop?

Alex Palou: Oh, it was an amazing race. Had a ton of fun, learned a lot. It was my best ever race on oval. Even though we didn't win, I think my car was on fire and we were able to drive really well through traffic. So happy for Christian, obviously a bit bummed for us, but yeah. It's tough to go on new tires whenever you've only run like 10 laps and you don't know if you're going to get through traffic or not. But they did a hell of a job. I think we were second best, obviously. So yeah, really happy.

Bruce Martin: Well, was this an example that the championship had been decided? You said you can make some bold moves and gambles to try to win. And that was a bold gamble that may not have paid off.

Alex Palou: Yeah, exactly. I mean, we had so much space, we thought we were able to keep up position. I mean, I think there was a ton of people that put new tires and he was the only one with that pace. So I think he did all the work.

Bruce Martin: But when he was trying to track you down, he was putting it up pretty high on the wall. So the kid's got a lot of bravery.

Alex Palou: Oh, yeah. He's been showing that. I think Gateway was his first podium, right? Or Iowa, I can't remember. But yeah, we'll need to watch him.

Bruce Martin: Of course, your first win came at Barber Motorsports Park, your first race with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. So what is that kid Christian Rasmussen going through right now? Because you'll probably always remember your first IndyCar win.

Alex Palou: Oh yeah, I remember all of them. All of them are special, but the first one is that extra special that He's going to remember forever, especially the way he won it today. So yeah, it's cool days.

Bruce Martin: And finally, you won't be able to get to 10 wins this year, but nine is still in play. You could win your ninth race, the season's final race at Nashville. That's got to be another goal. Absolutely. We're going for it. We're going to try and get that ninth win. Well, Alex, even though you lost the race and it looked like you were easily going to win, I guess you have to admit, as a race fan, that was a heck of a show. Absolutely. It was fun. Very fun. Thank you. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Alex Palou: Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin: Tim Broyles is the longtime general manager at ECR and has worked for the race team since the beginning. A veteran of more than 30 years of racing in IndyCar, Broyles plays a key role in creating a winning atmosphere with ECR and its two-driver contingent that includes Christian Rasmussen and Alexander Rossi. Here is an exclusive interview with Broyles in Victory Lane at the Milwaukee Mile. I guess the kids showed that you got yourself a winner at ECR. That was a brilliant drive. Took a lot of bravery. Just what did you think of the finish of this race at the Milwaukee Mile?

Tim Broyles: Well, we knew these places suit him pretty well. We felt good coming into the weekend. Been a lot of work to get to this point. And having both cars top four, Chris just drove an amazing race. It was a good strategy on both cars. And I mean, it's why he's here. We believe in him.

Bruce Martin: And also looking back, the move of the race was you got five seconds of rain. It was just enough to have one last pit stop and put on fresh rubber. Just how advantageous was that five seconds of rain to determining the outcome of this race?

Tim Broyles: Well, I mean, you saw it. That was it. That was the call of the race. And the guys up and down pit lane had to make that decision. And they did a good job. So proud of the whole group here and proud of the Heartland group and Splenda and Java House. Chevy's done a great job, a ton of work's been going on, and just proud of the whole group effort.

Bruce Martin: And finally, Ed Carper brought in an infusion of leadership this year at ECR. It really paid off. You guys have really, you're back up on top, and when you think of the highs and the lows that you've been involved with in IndyCar, how exciting and how thrilled are you to have this day?

Tim Broyles: We're super excited to have Ted Gallup join us with the Heartland brand. And just our backbone, we've had Ed and Tony George and Stuart Reed as such a big part of this and kept us going for so long. And then bringing Ted in this year has been an amazing transformation of our group. And it's just this is more of this to come.

Bruce Martin: Well, Tim Broyles, you've been a longtime veteran of this sport. Go enjoy this victory. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. I appreciate it.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to PitPass Indy after this short break.

Scott McLaughlin: Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to PitPass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: Welcome back to PitPass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Well, Power continues to be a major storyline as the season comes to a close because this is the final year of his contract with Team Penske after 17 glorious seasons. Power does not have a contract extension and team owner Roger Penske has told Power they will talk after the final race of the season at Nashville on August 31st. It appears likely that Power will be joining a new team in 2026, but that can't be completed until after the current season concludes. Here is an exclusive interview I had with Power entering the race weekend at the Milwaukee Mile for Pit Pass Indy. Back again it's Will Power and team Penske. Will, we're a track where in 2014 I believe you ran away with this race, the Milwaukee mile. Going to end the season at Nashville super speedway. Didn't really have a chance to show what you could do there last year because of the seat belts. Popping open.

Will Power: But how excited are you that the season's going to end on two short ovals? Yeah, definitely like Milwaukee, and really looking forward to doing a full race at Nashville. Felt like we had great cars here last year. You know, I think you can never just count on turning up with, you know, having everything right, but maybe something we'll have to work at.

Bruce Martin: Now it's been well documented what your situation is, that your contract's up after the last lap of the last race of the season right here. What are your emotions? Because you may be back with these guys in some capacity, or you may not ever race with these crew guys again.

Will Power: Yeah. Yeah. Who knows how it's all going to play out. You know, obviously winning Portland. It was a good thing. And, yeah, I'll just got one more week to wait. So we'll see.

Bruce Martin: What was the winner's toast like back at the shop at Team Penske's shop in Morrisville, North Carolina?

Will Power: It was very nice, actually. It was, you know, obviously being on the IndyCar side, a very rough season. You know, I've never seen the whole team so happy for a win, which I think was kind of almost a reset to understand what a win means. So, yeah, I am… I felt good for that. A couple of days after that, I started focusing again on what we need to do here.

Bruce Martin: But when you look at all those faces in the crowd at the race shop that were there to help celebrate your victory, they're more than just your crew in many ways. You've been with them for a long time. Are they almost like family to you?

Will Power: They are. I know a lot of those guys have won a lot of races and polls. just in general, just had a good time with them. Yes, it is a time, no matter what happens, I'll remember and look back on real fondly and, yeah, a time that I will have really enjoyed during my life. Are you looking forward to finally getting the decision? Yeah, I am, actually. I've been looking forward to, you know, after Nashville.

Bruce Martin: And once that decision has been made, how quick do you think it'll be until we know your next step? Probably a week after or something, I suppose. Yeah. I've been asking a lot of drivers the highs and lows of 2025. I think I know what your high was. It happened in Portland. What was the low point?

Will Power: Low point. Oh, there's a few of them. I mean, I think, man, going long at Indy and not executing there was disappointing. Yeah, just the whole month there, how that played out, having to start at the back and all that, just taking us out of the equation, sort of. Yeah, not ideal.

Bruce Martin: You have said that you have talking to Roger, and what have those discussions been like?

Will Power: Yeah, no, Roger's been great, you know, very fair. And yeah, he's maintained what he said from back in Detroit, after Detroit, that let's just wait, get the season over with, and then talk about it. Does that give you a glimmer of hope? It depends on what you're talking about. I mean, either way, it's fine, man.

Bruce Martin: But either way, you know you're going to be in a very good race car next year. with somebody?

Will Power: Well, yeah, I, you know, we'll see Sunday. See you after Sunday. That's when I… Sunday after Nashville.

Bruce Martin: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Will Power: Sunday after Nashville.

Bruce Martin: But like I said, as you enter these days with the uncertainty that there is, I'm sure that in some ways there'll be a lot of emotion if you do have to move on.

Will Power: Yep. It will be, yes, be tough, man. Very good group of people. And, uh, yeah, it will be, we'll see, see what we can do.

Bruce Martin: Well, I'm confident that wherever you end up, it'll be a good team and you'll be able to win a few more races with them. Maybe it's with team Penske, maybe it's with someone else, but anyway, you've always been a true pro. Good luck in whatever your future holds. Thank you for joining us today on Pitt Passing.

Will Power: Thank you, Bruce. Appreciate it.

Bruce Martin: Powers potential replacement at Team Penske is David Maloukas of A.J. Foyt Racing. Little Dave, as he is known in the paddock, is from Chicago and started on the front row of Sunday's race as the second fastest qualifier after Alex Pillow won the pole. Malukas had a legion of fans make the drive up I-94 from Chicago to Milwaukee, including a science teacher from junior high school, Mrs. Bowman. Here's a quick interview I had with Malukas on Saturday at the Milwaukee Mile. We might be in Milwaukee, but the way the crowd reacted on your qualifying run We'd think we were on the south side of Chicago, but David Maloukas Currently on the pole here at the Milwaukee mile heck of an effort. How do you describe the run?

David Malukas: I mean that was That was on the limit. I'm not gonna lie We were right up on the edge of those walls on the exits still trying to get that that battery in there as well Yeah, just really happy with the performance of that. We were doing so much studying in practice trying many different strategies Obviously, I think from from a speed perspective We're right there. I mean, that's pretty much just as close as we're going to get to maximizing our car. So we'll see what other people are going to do here. But I already know, I mean, that's a good qualifying there. So we're very happy.

Bruce Martin: The Vaunded Malucas Caravan has made its way up I-94 to Milwaukee. How many folks do you estimate have come with you this week?

David Malukas: It's been a good crowd. I mean, just everybody I've seen, you know, walking around. I mean, there's a lot of support from the Chicago natives, a lot of people coming up. And even my middle school teachers here. I mean, she surprised me after practice. I couldn't believe that. So that was a good sight. And a lot of friends and family coming over. I mean, it's a good crowd here at Milwaukee. You know, I heard it just at the end there, you know, shouting out my middle school teacher there. I heard some shout outs, but really a good crowd here. I mean, to me, this almost feels like a home track. A lot of people coming up from Chicago and even the Milwaukee area. I mean, I grew up around this area, Road America, watching races with my dad. So it feels a good crowd. Who is your middle school teacher and what did they teach? Mrs. Bowman, my science teacher. Mrs. Bowman, yes.

Bruce Martin: If you're able to nail the pole and then maybe get a race victor here tomorrow, does that really help set things in place for you in 2026?

David Malukas: I mean, just looking at 2025 for me, I mean, if we can finish off on a really good result and get a pole, I mean, it's going to be our first pole for me in my IndyCar career. So, I mean, right at the end of the season with AJ Foy racing and Clarence Technologies, that would be a dream for me.

Bruce Martin: And finally, with the tire dig on the tires and also the package with the hybrid assist, How crazy do you think the race will be?

David Malukas: It's going to be a crazy race. This race was good last year. It's going to be a good one this year. It's there. It's very present. It's a lot. So we'll see how it plays out. David Maloukis, good luck. Thank you.

Bruce Martin: Conor Daly was involved in a well-publicized battle with Christian Rasmussen at Portland on August 10th that concluded with Daly's car sailing into the tire barrier. Daly and Rasmussen eventually met for coffee in Carmel, Indiana to discuss the incident, but both have different viewpoints. Here's my exclusive interview with Daly for Pit Pass Indy. Joining us now is Connor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing. Connor always has a thought or two. We're getting ready to conclude the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season. How would you assess the way the year has gone, not only for yourself, but for the series in general?

Conor Daly: I mean, I think it's been… Up and down, and I think it's been good for the most part. And I think from this team, we've had a lot of opportunities to win races. I think we've been at the front at the Indy 500, which is a very, very fantastic thing to do. We've had a great shot at winning there. We've had a great shot at it. We started on the front row at Iowa, which was awesome. So yeah, it's been a fun year. I would love to be back with this organization in the future. But we still have a lot of work to do with two races to go, two races that I believe we can win. And that's our goal. So we'll try to finish it off strong and see what happens going forward.

Bruce Martin: How frustrating is it for a driver who's done a decent job with a team and the team seems interested in him, but the season comes to an end and there's no set decision? Well, I mean,

Conor Daly: I think there's a lot going on all across the paddock, right? Yes. There's drivers that are always on the move and people that, you know, there's very, very talented drivers out there that are always trying to find a way in. So we shall see. I think that we have a lot of faith in each other, this group and me. So we'll keep trying to work together and see what happens as we go forward.

Bruce Martin: Earlier today I had a chance to talk to Christian Rasmussen. He said the two of you did meet at a Java house in Carmel. So didn't necessarily agree on what happened, but from your point of view, how did the conversation go and anything get resolved?

Conor Daly: Well, I mean, we're adults. We can conversate about motor racing. So I think he's got a lot to learn. I think I've got a lot more experience than he does in this sport. So that's interesting to see how we move forward. It's all good, man. I mean, I think we are race car drivers, and I think everyone can disagree on things, and that's the point of living. So we'll see what happens as we go forward. Were you most stunned and shocked that race control did not issue a penalty? I am still surprised, yeah, about that. But yeah, we'll see how things are officiated going forward.

Bruce Martin: because race control oftentimes seems to be pretty quick triggered on calling penalties for avoidable contact.

Conor Daly: Yeah, it can happen. So we will see what happens moving forward.

Bruce Martin: your chances here concluding the season, two short ovals, you gotta feel pretty good of at least getting a podium.

Conor Daly: I feel great, yeah. We're going into this confident and I can't wait to see how it goes.

Bruce Martin: And when you look at 2026, the opportunities, like you said, you're a veteran now. We used to talk about young Connor Daly, you know, here's a young driver, American driver, get him in the IndyCar. Well, you've been in IndyCar for a while, although not consecutively as you would have liked, but with your experience level, There's a lot you can still achieve. And how anxious are you to show teams and IndyCar that you can do that?

Conor Daly: Well, it would certainly be nice to finish the year with a win, right? So we plan on attacking this weekend very aggressively. And we want to do the same thing in Nashville. And this team is extremely prepared to do that. So I love this team. And I think we've got a great chance to do great things together here. And I'm excited for it. So, yeah, appreciate the opportunity with this Hunkers Hollinger Racing team with Chevrolet and with Arco and AMPM. So we will have a good shot at it.

Bruce Martin: And as we enter the offseason, I'm asking everybody their highs and lows. What are your highs? What are your lows?

Conor Daly: Great question. Low was Portland, but the highs was taking this team to the front at the Indianapolis 500. I think racing at the front there and having a chance to win the Indy 500 was an awesome thing to do together and having a great shot to win a lot of oval races. That was a lot of fun.

Bruce Martin: You can always tell when you're in the lead at the Indianapolis 500, because the crowd roars. But Connor Daly, it's great to know that the fans are behind you. Hopefully, you'll have a full season ride once again in 2026. You've really shown Jucos Hollinger Racing, you've led their game up toward the front. Good luck with all that, and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy.

Conor Daly: Thank you.

Bruce Martin: Rookie driver Jacob Abel came to Milwaukee with a beautiful throwback car livery sponsored by Miller Lite. It was a perfect way to celebrate Miller Lite's 50th anniversary since it went on the market in 1975. It also honored the great drives by former Miller Lite driver Bobby Rahal from back in the day. Here's a quick interview I had with Abel after his qualification run at Milwaukee. Well, Jacob Abel, we're at the Milwaukee Mile and you're driving the Miller Lite car. It seems like everything in the universe is lined up perfectly, at least as far as delivery is concerned. How cool is it to be at the Milwaukee Mile helping Miller Lite celebrate its 50th anniversary?

Jacob Abel: Yeah, it's so cool. I mean, it's a dream come true for sure. You know, we were fortunate enough to have Miller on the car for Our Indy 500 attempt and unfortunately didn't get it in the show there. So now to finally represent them in a race weekend, hopefully it goes better than that did. But yeah, we'll see. We feel pretty confident about our car. We tested it earlier this year. Qualifying is going to be a bit of a crapshoot, just going first and all of that. But we feel pretty good about our race car going into tomorrow.

Bruce Martin: Plus, not only is there a lot of history with the Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee, but the Miller car at the Milwaukee Mile. Drivers like Bobby Rahal drove that thing to victories here. When you think of the honoring the duty that the accomplishments that car has had here. How impressed are you to be driving it?

Jacob Abel: Yeah, it's awesome. I think it's a little bit of added pressure, for sure. I'm excited to get going, though. I think it's just cool. It's gotten so much attention, that car, for a good reason. It looks fantastic. And yeah, I'm excited to represent it and get going in the race and hopefully making some good moves. So we end the season on two short ovals.

Bruce Martin: Does that turn out good for you, or is that a challenge for you?

Jacob Abel: I think it'll be good. Our best result earlier this year was 11th on a short oval at Iowa. Yeah, I think it'll be good. It's a bit tricky just where we are in the championship. Going first and qualifying is never easy, just because you don't have a target of where you're going and all of that. Yeah, you know, I feel pretty good about our race cars and my experience kind of running in traffic and all of that. So, yeah, excited for the races.

Bruce Martin: And also highs and lows for 2025. I think I know what your lows may be, but what are your highs?

Jacob Abel: Yeah, I think just recognizing the overall improvement, at least in my personal driving from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. I mean, Not a lot has really necessarily gone to plan, which is definitely super unfortunate. But at the end of the day, you know, I've gained a ton of experience, and hopefully that'll serve me well in the future and future opportunities. And I would imagine the low point was not making the show for the Indy 500. Yeah, for sure. I mean, that was super tough. You know, it's still a dream of mine to race in that race, and hopefully it'll come one day.

Bruce Martin: Well, Jacob, enjoy the offseason. Hopefully things turn out well for you with a ride in 2026. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thanks, man.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Josef Newgarden: Hey everyone, this is two time Indy 500 winner, Josef Newgarden, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indie. We have so many interviews from the weekend in Milwaukee that we can't squeeze them into one episode of Pit Pass Indie presented by Penske Truck Rental. We'll spread out some of those interviews over the next couple of weeks, as well as interviews from the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. But for now, that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indie presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 race winner Christian Rasmussen of ECR, Tony George, former owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar, four-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, and Tim Broyles, the general manager of ECR. Also, IndyCar Series drivers Will Power of Team Penske, David Maloukis of AJ Foyt Racing, Connor Daly of Juncos Houndra Racing, and Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing for joining us on today's Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests helped make Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, your path to victory in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways, and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team. Executive producers are Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Sean Rule Hoffman and Nathan Corson. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.