Today’s question: What is attracting most of your attention at the Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend doubleheader this Friday through Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile besides Alex Palou possibly clinching his fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship?

Christian Lundgaard

Curt Cavin: Maybe Christian Lundgaard (photo, above) has agreed to terms with his new team for next season, or maybe he hasn’t. Either way, he has an opportunity this weekend to quiet much of the talk about his lack of oval-track success and perhaps convince a team owner that he’s the all-around driver they hope to sign. Let’s be honest here: Arrow McLaren’s primary goal for the 2027 season is to win the Indianapolis 500, which is why Zak Brown and Tony Kanaan hired former Indy winners Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist to go with Pato O’Ward, who is this generation’s best driver without a “500” victory. Unfortunately, Lundgaard, a three-time series race winner who hasn’t shown great pace on ovals, became the odd man out. As it turns out, the historic Milwaukee Mile comes at an opportune time for Lundgaard, whose history at the track includes three of his best oval results (ninth and 12th in the 2024 doubleheader and a career-best oval finish of sixth place last year). Legitimately contending for a win this weekend would be a big plus for him.

Eric Smith: It’s Scott Dixon for me. The six-time series champion (photo, top) aims to extend his series-record winning streak to 22 consecutive seasons while maintaining a standard of excellence that has produced 20 straight top-six championship finishes. Dixon is winless this season and sits 12th in the championship, 86 points behind Josef Newgarden for sixth. His last winless season was 2004, and that and 2002 are his only two seasons among 25 in which he failed to win at least one race. With two opportunities at Milwaukee this weekend and the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, there’s an outside chance Dixon can keep the streak alive. He won in 2009 at Milwaukee in 2009 and 2023 in Laguna Seca. He also will leave Chip Ganassi Racing at season’s end for Arrow McLaren. Can Dixon go out with one more victory?

David Malukas

Paul Kelly: Who is this year’s Christian Rasmussen, the driver who storms through the field and scores a stunning and impressive first career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory? The most obvious candidate must be David Malukas (photo, above). Three of his five podium finishes in his first season with Team Penske have come on ovals. He also recorded two podium finishes at World Wide Technology Raceway – another short oval like Milwaukee – during his first two series seasons, with Dale Coyne Racing. He’s so overdue for a win, and the Mile is fertile ground to break through. Here’s a sleeper pick for a first breakthrough win: Marcus Armstrong. The Kiwi is in a dry spell, with no top-10 finishes since he placed ninth on the short oval at WWTR back in June. But besides the solid run at St. Louis, Armstrong placed fifth on the Phoenix oval and fifth in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. There’s no better time or place to snap that slump than this weekend at Milwaukee.