Breakthrough in Milwaukee: Rasmussen Earns First Career Win

Christian Rasmussen celebrates in victory lane after his statement win at the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250. (Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish)

WEST ALLIS, Wis. – After a handful of impressive showings on oval tracks, it was not a question of if, but more of a question of when Christian Rasmussen would break through for his first NTT INDYCAR Series victory.

By virtue of a bold tire strategy call by his No. 21 Splenda Stevia ECR Chevrolet team, overcoming a pit speed penalty on Lap 119 and some aggressive driving by the 25-year-old Danish phenom, that time came at the legendary 1.015-mile Milwaukee Mile.

The 2023 Firestone INDY NXT champion Rasmussen, in only his 30^th start in his second season of competition, erased a 2.2 second deficit to 2025 NTT INDYCAR Series champion Alex Palou and stormed past with authority on Lap 235 to claim one of the most impressive victories of the 2025 season.

“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 became the series’ newest first-time winner since Christian Lundgaard earned his first career victory in July 2023 at Toronto.

“I knew this was coming for Christian,” team owner Ed Carpenter said. “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.”

Palou salvaged a second-place finish in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Scott McLaughlin finished third in the No. 3 Sonsio Vehicle Protection Team Penske Chevrolet, tying for his season best finish.

Rasmussen’s teammate Alexander Rossi finished a season-best fourth in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet to place both ECR team cars in the top five for the first time this season. Pato O’Ward completed the top five in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

Alexander Rossi leads teammate Christian Rasmussen on his way to his best finish with ECR during the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250. (Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish)

Palou was on-track to getting an unprecedented ninth victory of the season with 199 laps led, until he had his two-second lead over McLaughlin vanish due to a Lap-209 caution for rain.

During that yellow, Palou, McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden elected not to come to pit road for new tires and maintain their track position with a late-race restart. On the contrary, Rasmussen, Rossi and O’Ward came to pit road for new Firestone Firehawk tires knowing the vast speed advantage they would have once the race went back to green.

One lap after the restart, the ECR teammates began their march to the front. Rasmussen passed Rossi for fourth on Lap 223, then set his sights on Newgarden for third. Rasmussen drove to Newgarden’s inside on Lap 227 and was .6 of a second behind McLaughlin for second place.

With 15-lap fresher tires, Rasmussen wasted no time getting around McLaughlin for second place and set sail for Palou. By Lap 235, Palou was met with an aggressive, hungry Danish driver in his mirrors. Rasmussen executed a bold move on Palou’s outside entering Turn 3 as the two raced side by side just inches apart in the corner and finally cleared the newly crowned champion entering Turn 1 on Lap 236.

Rasmussen navigated lapped traffic with aggression as he built his lead over Palou in the closing laps to become victorious by 1.9463 seconds.

“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.”

Colton Herta navigating his way through traffic to be the biggest mover of the race, in the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250. (Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish)

Sunday’s Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 saw nine lead changes among six drivers, five caution flags for a total of 49 laps and 685 total passes. Colton Herta was named the race’s biggest mover, by improving 13 positions from his 24^th starting spot in the No. 26 Gainbridge Andretti Global Honda.

Up next for the NTT INDYCAR Series is the season finale at the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway for the 225-lap Borchetta Bourbon Misic City Grand Prix. The weekend kicks off on Saturday, August 30 at 10:30 a.m. ET for practice, ahead of qualifying at 2:00 p.m. ET on FS2, INDYCAR Radio Network and INDYCAR Nation SiriusXM channel 218.

Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 race results: