INDYCAR: What to know after Phoenix

The NTT INDYCAR Series returned to Phoenix Raceway and so did Josef Newgarden’s championship ambitions.

Here’s what you should know after the first short oval of the season.

Palou’s Crown has Fallen

Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing had high hopes for his 100th career INDYCAR start; But his first start at Phoenix Raceway ended early.

They came into the weekend off the momentum of his season opening win to a track type where Palou has historically shown weakness.

Weakness or not, he started his Phoenix debut with a decent tenth in qualifying and swiftly climbed to third before Dennis Hauger’s solo spin brought out a caution on lap twelve.

On the following restart, the 4-time champion had an uncharacteristically slow restart which allowed Graham Rahal to jump to third.

Then an opportunistic Rinus VeeKay saw a chance at fourth.

VeeKay swerved to the outside of the slower Palou but the natural racing line moved towards the wall which pinched the two together.

Unfortunately for Palou, he got the worst of the damage and retired from the race to finish 24th. VeeKay continued in the race to finish 22nd, six laps down.

The poor result relegated Palou from first to fifth in the championship order. Ending a points lead the he held since the 2024 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.

Palou sits 19 points behind the new championship leader as the focus shifts to another new venue.

While he lacks a personal notebook at Arlington as well, the street circuit should play far more to his strengths than the short oval did at Phoenix.

Team Penske Converts

With Alex Palou’s DNF reshuffling the standings, Josef Newgarden emerged from Phoenix as the new championship leader.

Newgarden and Team Penske arrived in the desert celebrating the organization’s 60th anniversary and to defend their last INDYCAR win together at Phoenix from 2018.

The weekend began perfectly. The teams newcomer, David Malukas, topped the opening practice session and followed it up with his first career pole.

Their pace showed across the board as Newgarden lined up alongside him to complete the front-row sweep, while Scott McLaughlin qualified fifth.

Malukas carried that pace into the race and controlled the opening stint from pole, leading comfortably until the first green-flag pit cycle around lap 70.

Pit road, however, derailed his early run and cost him the lead.

When the cycle finished, all three Penske cars found themselves battling each other on track. Unfortunately, they fought hard, which slowed them enough for the new leaders to escape.

For much of the race, it looked like the team might miss its chance to convert a dominant weekend. Then a late caution changed everything.

Their strategists gambled on new tires with 30 laps to go and their decision paid off.

On their new tires, Newgarden and his teammates picked off the competition as the tire difference grew more significant. He eventually passed Christian Rasmussen and Kyle Kirkwood with under ten laps to go for the win.

Malukas rebounded from his pit road troubles to finish third, while McLaughlin crossed the line sixth.

Josef Newgarden captured his 33rd career NTT INDYCAR Series win, earning a remarkable twelfth oval win from the previous 25 series events.

After a difficult season by Penske’s standards last year, Phoenix may have refired team’s return to form.

RLL’s Oval Speed

What a turnaround weekend for Graham Rahal and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The team arrived in Phoenix looking to rebound from a quiet showing in St. Petersburg. The opening practice session did nothing to hint a potential breakthrough, but once qualifying began, RLL’s pace suddenly appeared.

Because INDYCAR used the reverse championship order, Mick Schumacher rolled out first for qualifying after his brief debut in St. Pete ended in last place.

Whether it was lessons learned from Graham Rahal or simply having nothing to lose, he delivered a fourth-place grid slot to everyone’s surprise.

Graham Rahal set out a few cars later and confirmed the teams short oval speed by besting his rookie teammate to qualify third and securing the team a second row lockout.

The race proved more challenging.

Louis Foster struggled to find the same pace as his teammates all weekend.

He started 16th and finished 23rd after entering too high into turn three midway through the race. He hit the marbles then the wall to retire after 140 laps completed.

Schumacher couldn’t hold his starting spot either. He slipped from fourth into the mid-teens before the first caution and never regained track position, finishing 18th and two laps down.

Rahal salvaged the best finish for the team. He stayed in and around the top ten the whole day to finish ninth for his first top-ten on an oval since Iowa 1 in 2024.

RLL may have lacked the race pace to convert their strong starting spots into standout finishes, but their qualifying speed suggests the team could arrive at Indianapolis in May with renewed confidence.

A Tale of Two Weeks

Dale Coyne Racing opened the 2026 season with an impressive team performance in St. Petersburg, but the momentum stalled when the series shifted to its first oval of the year.

Both drivers had qualified inside the top six on the streets of St. Pete, yet Phoenix proved far less forgiving.

Romain Grosjean and Dennis Hauger lined up deep in the field, starting 20th and 22nd respectively.

The race continued to show their loss of momentum.

Romain Grosjean failed to take the green flag. After his top ten finish a week ago he suffered a mechanical issue prior to leaving pit road to DNF in 25th.

The early race trouble continued for Dale Coyne Racing on Lap 12.

Dennis Hauger brought out the first caution after he spun off the nose of Christian Rasmussen exiting turn two.

The rookie impressively kept the car off the wall, sliding through the backstretch before whipping it around in a quick J-turn to keep going on the lead lap.

Hauger spent much of the afternoon fluctuating between the top twenty while getting to grips with INDYCAR oval racing. He eventually finished 15th, on the lead lap after his advantageous free pass from the final caution.

As the field prepares for the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington, can DCR rebound on the street course or continue their downslide from Phoenix?

Rasmussen’s Dance with Destiny

Christian Rasmussen began his Phoenix weekend mired deep in the pack in 18th; But had no intension of staying near the rear for long.

He charged through the field early, flashing the same aggression that carried him to victory at the Milwaukee Mile a season ago.

After his early pit stop under caution to flip off the primary strategy, he took the lead during the first pit cycle.

He covered the leaders with a flip back to the primary strategy which gave him back the lead, eventually totaling 69 laps led.

However, the dominant driver of the day would soon find his fate.

Late in the race and on fresher tires, Rasmussen chased down Will Power for the lead but the crafty veteran provided a strong defense.

Power fought hard to defend, and as Rasmussen swung to the outside exiting Turn 2, Power’s worn tires stepped out. The contact cut Power’s right-rear tire and left Rasmussen with damage of his own.

Rasmussen stayed on track despite the damage and remained in the lead. As the final run to the finish progressed his worsened handling and damaged toe-link proved too much to maintain his lead.

He hit the wall in the same spot exiting turn two under ten laps to go and limped home a depressing 14th.

Click the link below for the full story, Rasmussen’s thoughts, and in depth analysis of his Phoenix weekend.

• Rasmussen came short of victory after Power’s surge