Pato O'Ward completed a Milwaukee sweep ahead of David Malukas and Rinus VeeKay as Alex Palou secured his fifth IndyCar championship.
Pato O'Ward won the 2026 Makers and Fixers 250 at The Milwaukee Mile, taking the checkered flag ahead of David Malukas and Rinus VeeKay in round 16 of the IndyCar season.
O'Ward completes the sweep
The Arrow McLaren driver turned the second race of an unusual Aug. 30 doubleheader into his second victory of the day. O'Ward had already won the Milwaukee Mile 250 before returning for the 6 p. m. start in West Allis, Wisconsin.
O'Ward's single-day sweep earned him a place in the IndyCar record book and marked his third victory of 2026, adding to his earlier win at Mid-Ohio on July 5.
Malukas settles for second
Malukas took second for Team Penske after becoming O'Ward's main challenger. The Chevrolet driver led 282 laps across the season, the second-highest total in the championship standings after Milwaukee.
His first IndyCar victory remained beyond his reach.
Malukas criticized Chevrolet after the race, then apologized for remarks he described as “immature.” Second place still gave him another top-five result in a season that had already put him near the front of the standings.
VeeKay charges onto podium
VeeKay climbed from 24th on the grid to complete the podium for Juncos Hollinger Racing. The recovery produced the team's strongest Milwaukee result and extended a career-best campaign for the Dutch driver.
It was VeeKay's fourth top-five finish and eighth top 10 of 2026. The result also moved him to 364 points after the Milwaukee doubleheader, placing him 10th in the standings.
Incidents shape second race
The second Milwaukee race featured contact between Mick Schumacher and Romain Grosjean. They discussed the incident on pit road afterward, while Grosjean's race ended following a restart.
Strategy took on greater importance during a long Sunday caused by weather disruption. Track-drying work led to a revised schedule, requiring teams to complete both 250-mile races on Aug. 30.
Palou clinches fifth title
O'Ward controlled the race, while Alex Palou claimed the season's biggest prize. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver clinched his fifth IndyCar championship in six years and secured his fourth consecutive title during the Milwaukee doubleheader.
Honda also secured its 12th IndyCar manufacturers' championship.
After 17 starts, Palou had 607 points and led Christian Lundgaard by 100. Kyle Kirkwood was third with 505, O'Ward trailed him by two points, and Malukas held fifth with 484.
Laguna Seca comes next
IndyCar travels to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey on Sept. 6 at 2:30 p. m. ET, where O'Ward will chase his fourth victory of 2026.
