The Snap-On Makers and Finders 250 came to an end, the checkered flag waved. The orange and black No. 5 of Pato O’Ward drove across the finish line in first place. Fans in papaya orange jumped with joy as their favorite driver won the race. However, this wasn’t the first win from O’Ward that day.
In fact, he’s the first driver since Rick Mears in 1981 to win two races in the same day.
What was supposed to be a double-header weekend turned into a double-header day.
In the media pen, O’Ward was asked about the weekend and what his goals were.
“We have two races this weekend, and I want to win them both,” O’Ward told reporters. Little did he know, he’d do just that in a historic way.
Saturday’s race at the Milwaukee Mile was red-flagged due to the increasing rain that kept pouring onto the track. They postponed the race to the next morning, just before the Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250.
However, the track didn’t dry in time, so the initial race got postponed until after the Milwaukee Mile 250.
O’Ward took the checkered flag in the Milwaukee Mile in first, with Scott McLaughlin in second and Christian Lundgaard in third.
The Makers and Finders 250 resumed later on in the day, which was at a hotter time of day. It came down to the wire, with David Malukas leading the race for a good chunk. However, O’Ward had the speed necessary to overtake Malukas, and he secured the victory. Malukas and Rinus Veekay closed out the podium.
The last time a driver won two races on the same day was in 1981, where Rick Mears won two races at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 21. O’Ward’s distance was longer, as Mears only raced 125 miles in each race.
Mears is an important figure in the Indycar world. Currently an advisor for Team Penske, Mears was once a legendary driver. Mears is one of four drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, and has the most poles in the Indianapolis 500 with six, and the most wins in the Indianapolis 500 from pole position with three.
He currently sits in the top 20 of multiple all-time statistics within the series, and he was the first driver to receive a $10 million contract. Mears retired in 1992.
O’Ward’s victories inscribed him in the history books. Winning two races in the same day is an almost impossible feat, and he conquered the task. He also earned 104 points throughout the weekend, which puts him fourth in the standings, and two points behind Kyle Kirkwood.
Kirkwood is two points behind Lundgaard, and the second-place finish for the season is up for grabs. If O’Ward has a strong performance and beats Lundgaard and Kirkwood, he could secure that runner-up place in the driver’s championship. In 2025, O’Ward finished fourth at Laguna Seca. He trailed behind Colton Herta, Lundgaard, and Alex Palou.
Kirkwood finished 16th in last year’s race in Monterey.
The runner-up position is up for grabs as the 2026 season comes to an end. The green flag at Laguna Seca waves at 2:30 p.m. EST on Sept. 6. All events will be live on FOX.