Leaders lament “miserable” lapped-traffic etiquette in IndyCar’s Milwaukee Race 2

Credit: Amber Pietz

A pair of IndyCar’s podium finishes from the first completed race of the Milwaukee Mile doubleheader weekend have called out the conduct of their lapped competitors.

Unlike on road or street courses, drivers who are set to fall multiple laps down are not mandated to give way to cars on the lead lap on ovals. But Scott McLaughlin and Christian Lundgaard were left unimpressed by how hard some of the backmarkers fought.

“Just a bit frustrated,” said McLaughlin, who finished second in Milwaukee Race 2 - completed before the postponed Race 1 - on Sunday. “Guys three laps down or something like that [are] racing to the death. At the same time, what goes around comes around. We’ve got plenty of memories. Going to be fun next time I get a lap down.”

McLaughlin was not so perturbed by drivers on the tail end of the lead lap, for whom fighting against going a lap down gives the chance of packing back up with the leaders if a caution falls. But he believes his rivals need to be more heads-up if chances of regaining lead-lap status become unreasonable.

“They’re air-blocking. Normal, just mirror-driving,” he said of the issues in navigating the traffic. “I get when you’re a lap down, trying to stay on the lead lap in front of the leader. Once you’re four seconds back of the leader, no chance of you getting on the lap - you are a lap down - I don’t know why you’re fighting so hard. 

“I get it’s going to be worse out for the leader [if only they have to fight the backmarkers] but that’s the rules. I just think a little bit of etiquette there.”

Credit: Amber Pietz

Arrow McLaren’s Lundgaard, whose third-place finish marked a first oval podium, shared the sentiment that any charge towards the race lead was often unduly halted by lapped cars, which he believes are tougher to navigate this year in Milwaukee.

“Just to echo what Scott said, the traffic is miserable out there,” said the Dane. “I don’t know if it’s the wind direction compared to last year that makes it so tough. Obviously we saw the outside in [Turns] 3 and 4 last year work excellent. This year, it doesn’t really seem to work as well. You’re just trying to find clean air out there. 

Unlike some calls for blue flags mandating backmarkers to cede position on road and street courses, McLaughlin does not believe the issue lies in IndyCar’s ruleset, as traffic management has long been a skill required to excel in oval racing. 

Rather, he insists there simply needs to be an improvement in the actions of drivers who find themselves in a position to hinder those in the lead pack.

“I get the fighting a lap down on the oval. That’s IndyCar history,” McLaughlin said. “I get more frustrated when you’re five or six seconds back of the leader, I’m trying to chase down Pato [O’Ward, race leader and eventual winner]. You’ve just got to get out of the way. At that point, you’re done, not going to get the lap back. 

“It’s tough being the leader but that’s part and parcel of racing in IndyCar with the lapped traffic. It’s just, I feel like, the gentleman agreement is when you’re toasted, you just get out of the way, especially when you’re three laps down. That one was crazy.”