Practice 2 results || Qualifying order
WEST ALLIS, Wis. – Josef Newgarden topped the 24-car field for the second consecutive practice session at The Milwaukee Mile with a lap of 21.4117 seconds (170.654 mph).
Newgarden’s lap speed in the No. 67 CFH Racing Chevrolet was 5 mph faster than the August 2014 second practice session top speed posted by James Hinchcliffe, who also was fastest in the initial session.
Verizon IndyCar Series drivers will participate in single-car qualifications at 12:30 p.m. CT and compete in the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest presented by the Metro Milwaukee Honda Dealers at 4 p.m. CT (NBCSN). Watch qualifications on Racecontrol.indycar.com augmented by real-time Timing & Scoring and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network broadcast. Timing & Scoring and the radio broadcast for the race also is on Racecontrol.indycar.com at 4 p.m. CT.
Will Power earned the Verizon P1 Award for the pole last year with a two-lap average speed of 169.262 mph on the 1.015-mile oval. Dario Franchitti holds the qualifying two-lap track record of 170.840 mph set in 2011.
Helio Castroneves was second-fast in the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet (170.348 mph) and Graham Rahal was third (169.957) in the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.
The top 20 entries were separated by a half-second.
Castroneves, who earned the first podium finish of his Indy car career at Milwaukee in 1998 and won the pole for the 1999 race, said he's seeking to "turn around our season" in the race. He is fifth in the championship standings -- 77 points behind front-runner Juan Pablo Montoya -- with five races left.
"Obviously we've been up and down," he said. "Last race in Fontana was not the result we wanted. We had a very, very strong car. We want to make that this championship stay in the hands of Team Penske. We're going to do anything we can to make that happen."
It's a strenuous race 250 laps, according to the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion.
“When you achieve a good result in a tough place like Milwaukee, it's great,” Castroneves said. “Detail makes a huge difference. If something goes a little bit off, you better pack your bag and go home because it's very difficult to turn around.
"Everything happens very fast in the cockpit, believe it or not. Even though we're not going over 220 miles an hour, but the feeling is you constantly are turning. Certainly in race conditions, you're in traffic. Because you don't have the banking, you got to drive the car. The car's not going to be perfect most of the times. At one point it might be great. Another part of the track it might be a disaster. To combine both, you got to hit the limit."