Alex Palou has been rewriting the script all season. And on Saturday at the Milwaukee Mile, he added another sharp line.
The Spaniard snatched pole position for Sunday’s Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 with the very last run of qualifying. His two-lap average of 162.971 mph in the No. 10 DHL Honda edged David Malukas, who had been sitting on provisional pole and staring down his first career NTT P1 Award.
That late strike gives Palou his sixth pole of 2025, and his second on an oval after Iowa in July. It also adds to what’s already been a crushing season. Eight wins. A third straight championship clinched two weeks ago in Portland. The Indianapolis 500 in May. And now, another piece of evidence that the “not an oval guy” tag is officially outdated.
“I just wanted to get everything out of it,” Palou said. “Fired as much speed as I think it could handle and a little bit more. And it stuck.”
Malukas denied, but not disappointed
Malukas had looked set to steal the show. His 162.256 mph run in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Enterprises had the 27-car field covered until Palou’s late arrival.
The young American took it on the chin.
“He looked fast in practice one; he’s going to be the one to beat,” Malukas admitted. “We’re going to be starting on that front row here in Milwaukee. We can still do a lot from up there.”
The difference between the two? Warm-up approach. Malukas went aggressive, clocking 159.264 mph on his build-up lap. Palou cruised at 151.187, saving tyre life before launching into his flying runs. It worked.
The rest of the sharp end
Pato O’Ward slotted into third with a 162.078 mph run for Arrow McLaren. Last year’s Milwaukee winner Scott McLaughlin will start alongside him after posting 161.758 mph in the No. 3 Penske Chevrolet.
Scott Dixon qualified fifth at 160.951 mph but drops nine places with an engine-change penalty. That hands Will Power an effective promotion after his 160.819 mph lap. Josef Newgarden joined the top ten too, qualifying eighth, as Penske stacked three cars inside the first four rows.
It’s a strong platform for a team still hunting its first oval win of the season.
Moments on the edge
Two close calls punctuated the session. Felix Rosenqvist looped the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda into the Turn 4 SAFER barrier on his first flyer, the rear snapping around before backing into the wall. He climbed out unhurt but with damage to fix overnight.
Colton Herta had his own scare earlier. A half-spin through Turn 2 left the No. 26 Honda skating sideways, but he pulled it back with a delicate balance of throttle and steering. A save that kept his day alive.
Sunday setup
The grid is set for 250 miles around the historic Milwaukee Mile. Palou leads the way. Malukas lines up alongside, carrying the hunger of a driver still searching for his first pole or win. Behind them sit O’Ward and McLaughlin, both armed with pace and proven oval chops.
Coverage begins Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
And the champion? He’s not easing up. Not yet.