Rasmussen Lives On The Edge In First IndyCar Win
Rasmussen Lives On The Edge In First IndyCar Win At Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — The championship is wrapped up and the season’s final two races appear to be only a formality for some. But, for some drivers, such as Christian Rasmussen, the season’s final races are an opportunity to (quite literally) go big or go home.
Rasmussen chose to do the former on Sunday at the storied Milwaukee Mile. His car, seemingly trying on it’s own to put him out of the race all day, stayed in line just enough for him to wrestle it across the finish line first for his first ever victory in the NTT IndyCar Series.
The day began like pretty much every other race has all season long…. Alex Palou starting on pole.
He was the only driver to eclipse the 163 mph mark in qualifying on Saturday. Still, it was not without some early challenges for the 2025 series champion. Young David Malukas, driving both for pride and quite possibly a seat at Team Penske next season, was able to get around Palou from the second position to lead 25 of the races first 35 laps.
However, as Malukas’ tires began to go and as he caught lap traffic, dirtying the air over his car, Palou was able to get the position back with utter ease.
Palou then reverted back top the sheer dominance that we have some all year long both on race strategy and simple driving ability. He led the race by as man as ten seconds at one point as drivers of the likes of Scott McLuaghlin, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, and Alexander Rossi had to fight over the scraps left behind from the dinner table by Palou.
Still, lurking in the shadows all day was Rasmussen, who was fighting a loose car all day. On several occasion he had to save it from spinning into the wall or even his other competitors. It was a bend but no break situation as the laps kept winding down for ECR and Rasmussen.
Soon, with less than 30 laps left, Mother Nature intervened. It had been sunny all day, but then a random shower appeared out of nowhere. It dampened the track just enough for race control to throw the caution. At this point, all drivers had pitted for the last time… except Rossi and Rasmussen. ECR boss Ed Carpenter seized the opportunity to pit his drivers for fresh tires. Upon the subsequent restart, Rossi and Rasmussen found themselves in the top ten.
With rubber two laps to the good on the field, the two ECR teammates sliced and diced their way forward. It was Rasmussen who was just a bit more aggressive than his veteran counterpart. He would go on a tear, passing to the outside, inside, and seemingly right through his competitors until he reached Palou.
As if Palou was uncharacteristically the sitting duck, Rasmussen bolding moved to the outside of Palou out of Turn Four and made the race-winning pass for the lead. Yet, he didn’t stop there. Rasmussen, wanted insurance. He passed another lapped car just as aggressively, nearly wrecking in the process. Then another one, and one more.
With five laps left and a massive gap to Palou, Carpenter got on the radio with his young driver and told him “You don’t have to pass anyone else. You’re good”, as if to tell his young buck to stand down.
He did so and took the checkered flag for the first time in his career.
The win is not only significant for Rasmussen, but for ECR as well. It is their first win since Rinus Veekay won on the IMS Road Course in May of 2021.
The IndyCar season will come to a close next weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.
