Pato O’Ward wins Milwaukee IndyCar Race 2 as Alex Palou denied title clinch

In the final race of the 2026 IndyCar season, Alex Palou secured his fifth title after placing fifth and tenth in the Milwaukee doubleheader races. However, the championship battle for the remaining positions continued. Christian Lundgaard ascended to second place, just two points ahead of Kyle Kirkwood, who himself led Pato O' Ward by four points after his sweep of the Milwaukee races. Rinus Veekay climbed inside the top ten following his impressive podium finish.

The battle for the Rookie of the Year award was poised to be an intriguing storyline in the season finale. Dennis Hauger held a substantial 18-point lead over Mick Schumacher, and a 30-point margin over Caio Collet. The official race results for the 2026 IndyCar Milwaukee doubleheader are as follows, representing Race 17 of 18 in the championship standings:

1. Alex Palou leads with 607 points

2. Christian Lundgaard follows with 507 points

3. Kyle Kirkwood is third with 505 points

4. Pato O' Ward occupies fourth place with 503 points

5. David Malukas rounds out the top five with 484 points

Completing the top 10 are: Scot McLaughlin (428 points), Josef Newgarden (408 points), Marcus Ericsson (407 points), Felix Rosenqvist (379 points), Rinus Veekay (364 points), Will Power (351 points), Scott Dixon (318 points), Kyffin Simpson (307 points), Marcus Armstrong (293 points), and Graham Rahal (291 points).