McLaughlin leads full-field IndyCar test at Milwaukee

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin posted the fastest speed at The Milwaukee Mile during Wednesday’s full-field test at the venerable Wisconsin oval.

Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson held the top spot among the 25 drivers in attendance for most of the day, but it was McLaughlin in the No. 3 Chevy who took charge late in the afternoon and held onto the unofficial best with a lap of 22.669s (161.189mph).

“It was solid,” McLaughlin told RACER. “Honestly, every test day for me and [his new race engineer] Raul [Prados] has been like, amazing. That was a good day, just working along with him.”

Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Rinus VeeKay was second with a 22.798s lap in the No. 76 Chevy ahead of Ericsson in the No. 28 Honda (22.828s), Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist in fourth with the No. 60 Honda (22.832s), Andretti’s Will Power in the No. 26 Honda (22.845s), and MSR’s Marcus Armstrong in the No. 66 Honda (22.879s).

Elsewhere, Mid-Ohio winner Pato O’Ward was ninth for Arrow McLaren in the No. 5 Chevy (22.959s) and championship leader Alex Palou was 10th with Chip Ganassi Racing in the No. 10 Honda (22.975s). Last year's Milwaukee winner Christian Rasmussen from ECR was 16th in the No. 21 Chevy (23.207s) and Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard was 18th in the No. 7 Chevy (23.244s). Josef Newgarden – the season’s dominant oval driver – was an uncharacteristic 23rd in the No. 2 Chevy (23.511s) while his Penske teammate David Malukas closed the day in 25th with the No. 12 Chevy (23.694s).

“It started rough. I feel like sometimes just that's just the way it goes, regardless of you arriving with something that's been good in the past or not, or at least decent.” O’Ward told RACER after spending a good portion of the day in the bottom half of the field.

“We were nowhere to begin, but hats off to my race engineer and all the guys; they turned it around and we finished the day in a much better position, in terms of like just feeling and car pace and everything. I was so much happier where we ended.”