IndyCar’s first race at Phoenix Raceway since 2018 delivered a very different kind of race and the same winner. Josef Newgarden hunted down late leader Kyle Kirkwood on fresher tires to win the Good Ranchers 250. Newgarden reclaimed his old Phoenix crown and left the one‑mile oval as the new NTT IndyCar Series points leader. Newgarden already owned the series’ most recent victory in Phoenix back in 2018. This time, he added win number 33 of his career and became the first driver other than reigning champion Alex Palou to lead the championship since June 2024.
Friday Practice and Qualifying
The weekend began with David Malukas and Team Penske setting the tone. Malukas topped the opening practice at 175.605mph, with Pato O’Ward and Newgarden the only other drivers into the 174mph bracket as everyone explored lines and traffic on IndyCar’s return to the desert.
Qualifying saw Penske stay on top. Malukas took his first NTT P1 Award for the team with an incredible 175.383mph two‑lap average. Malukas was almost 1mph clear of Newgarden’s 174.548mph, while Graham Rahal, rookie Mick Schumacher, and Scott McLaughlin completed the Top Five. Those drivers pushed proven winners like Kirkwood and Palou down the order. Only five drivers in the field had raced IndyCars at Phoenix before – Scott Dixon, Newgarden, Will Power, Rahal, and Alexander Rossi. Of those, only Dixon (2016) and Newgarden (2018) had previously won there.
A dedicated High Line session on Friday was combined with NASCAR’s “Desert Double” presence on the same weekend. That helped rubber in multiple lines and set the stage for a far racier show than Phoenix’s previous IndyCar visits. By race day, the second lane was good enough to help produce 180mph speeds and 564 on‑track passes, a new IndyCar record at the one‑mile oval.
2026 Good Ranchers 250, Early Stages
From pole, Malukas nailed the start and controlled the early laps. Palou climbed from P10 to P4 before his title momentum evaporated in a heartbeat. A clash with Rinus VeeKay exiting Turn 4 sent Palou into the SAFER Barrier on lap 21, leaving the reigning champion P21, and recording his worst finish since Detroit 2024.
As the first green‑flag pit cycles concluded, Penske’s clean one‑two began to fray. Malukas’ pit‑exit contact with Newgarden around lap 75 shuffled the order and opened the door for Marcus Armstrong, Dixon, and Felix Rosenqvist to lead. From there, Christian Rasmussen took over. Starting down in P18, he surged forward with aggressive, high‑line passes. He eventually reached the lead, logging 69 laps at the front and racking up 41 on‑track overtakes by lap 131. Power, not to be outdone, produced his own charge from the very back after his qualifying crash left him P25 on the grid. By the final quarter of the race, Power had muscled into the lead. Using racecraft and clean stops in a performance that looked set to complete a remarkable personal redemption after a tough weekend in St. Petersburg.
Late Lap Drama
The race’s decisive moment came on lap 207. Power and Rasmussen were locked in a fierce battle when they made contact. Rasmussen’s left‑front wing endplate hit Power’s right‑rear tire exiting Turn 2. The touch cut the Australian’s rubber and sent him into the wall, triggering the final caution of the day. Rasmussen continued, but with damage that would prove terminal in the final stint of the race.
Under yellow, the field split on strategy. Rasmussen, Kirkwood, Malukas, and Armstrong stayed out for track position, while Newgarden, O’Ward, and a handful of others pitted for fresh tires. That call proved correct with the balance at Phoenix. Firestone’s new, wider right‑front tires and the ability to deploy up to 150 kilojoules of hybrid energy per lap gave the pit-callers an edge. Rasmussen led the restart on lap 218 from Kirkwood, Malukas, Dixon, and Armstrong. Newgarden and O’Ward were deeper in the top ten but were armed with much newer rubber. O’Ward was first to charge forward, dragging Newgarden with him as they picked off Ferrucci, Dixon, and Armstrong before eventually catching Malukas. Up front, Rasmussen’s earlier wall scrapes and mounting tire wear left him vulnerable, and Kirkwood finally gained the lead with nine laps to go.
Kirkwood’s move only set up Newgarden’s final act. The No. 2 Penske driver erased a 0.6s deficit in a matter of laps, then swept past the Andretti car on the bottom line in Turn 4 on lap 244. Negarden took full advantage of his tire superiority and checked out. By the flag, Newgarden won by 1.7937 seconds over Kirkwood, with Malukas hanging on for his first Penske podium. O’Ward and Armstrong completed the top five.
What We Learned
The 2026 Good Ranchers 250 highlighted three things for us:
- Penske lays claim to oval races. Newgarden’s win, Malukas’ pole and podium, and McLaughlin’s steady P8 show Team Penske has just about figured out IndyCar’s ovals.
- Rasmussen fired a warning shot. In a definite bid for driver of the day, Rasmussen led 69 laps, passed more cars on track, and seemed to live for the Driver’s Eye camera of his overtakes. It seems likely Ed Carpenter Racing and Rasmussen are vying for wins in 2026.
- Palou cannot afford more mistakes. Chip Ganassi Racing must respond quickly if it wants to stop Newgarden’s early momentum. After leading the series for 28 straight races, Palou leaves Phoenix 19 points adrift after his race-ending contact with Veekay.
Looking Ahead
There’s no breathing room after Phoenix, with the paddock traveling over 1,070 miles to Texas for the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. That will be the teams’ and series’s third race in as many weekends. The brand‑new street track looping around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field will be new to all. IndyCar is also updating its qualifying format to a single‑car, single‑lap run in the Firestone Fast Six. Will that reward the bravest drivers when it’s time to fight for pole, or is it a step too far in appeasing broadcast and sponsor benefactors?
Feature Image Credit: Chris Owens | Penske Entertainment