There are three oval races remaining in the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, and two of them are taking place on the same weekend, Aug. 29-30 at the Milwaukee Mile.

So, nearly the full field of series drivers took advantage of a team test July 8 at the historic 1.015-mile oval in Milwaukee, preparing for the Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 on Saturday, Aug. 29 and the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on Sunday, Aug. 30.

It’s time for some itemized deductions.

Scotty Mac on Full Attack

Scott McLaughlin’s last victory came 30 starts ago, in September 2024 in the second race of the doubleheader at Milwaukee. He finished third in last year’s single race at the Mile and won the NTT P1 Award for the first race of the doubleheader in 2024.

So, it came as little surprise to see McLaughlin atop the speed chart in the test. His best lap was 161.189 mph in his No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet, nearly 1 mph faster than his closest pursuer, Rinus VeeKay at 160.271 in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet.

Impressive Flex for Andretti, MSR

It’s safe to say Andretti Global delivered the best results of the test, as all three of its drivers ended up in the top seven.

2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson was third overall at 160.067 in the No. 28 Andretti Global Honda, with 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power fifth at 159.942 in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda. Championship contender Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the Andretti results in seventh at 159.563 in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda.

Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian also enjoyed a strong test. 2026 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Felix Rosenqvist – headed to Arrow McLaren next season – was fourth at 160.032. Teammate Marcus Armstrong, re-signed last week by MSR, was sixth at 159.706 in the team’s No. 66 Honda.

Felix Rosenqvist

Mixed Results for 2026 Oval Winners

It was a day of interesting results for the two drivers who have won oval races this season.

Indy 500 winner Rosenqvist (photo, above, 2025) enjoyed a strong test in his No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda, ending up fourth at 160.032.

Josef Newgarden, winner on ovals at Phoenix and World Wide Technology Raceway, was 23rd fastest at 155.415 in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet.

To be fair to Newgarden, teams sometimes don’t aim for outright speed in tests, preferring to work on race setups. And does anyone doubt Newgarden will be one of the favorites to win one or both races at Milwaukee even though he’s never won there in an INDYCAR SERIES car?

The two-time INDYCAR SERIES champion and Indianapolis 500 winner has won two of the three oval races this season and 13 of the last 30 oval races since 2021, a strike rate of 36 percent. His closest pursuer in this category is Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, with a distant four oval wins during this span.

Balance of Power?

McLaughlin and VeeKay both used Chevrolet power to take the top two spots in the test, but this was far from a speed parade by the Bowtie brigade.

Honda-powered drivers took the next six spots on the speed chart, led by Ericsson in third at 160.067 in the No. 28 Andretti Global Honda. The next Chevy-powered driver after VeeKay in second was Mid-Ohio winner O’Ward, ninth at 159.148 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

Busy, Busy

Slightly more than 4,800 laps were turned during the test, an average of more than 200 laps per driver – close to the full distance for both races.

2014 Milwaukee winner Power turned the most laps, 266, as he continues to adapt to his new-for-2026 No. 26 TWG AI Honda at Andretti Global. Reigning series champion and current points leader Alex Palou wasn’t far behind, completing 246 laps as he continues to sharpen his oval chops in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Series leader Palou, aiming for his fourth consecutive championship, was 10th fastest overall at 159.039.