Newgarden Wins Phoenix Thriller in IndyCar Return

Newgarden muscled past Kirkwood late to claim his first win of 2026 season.
Malukas scored his first career podium with a 3rd place finish for Team Penske.
Palou and VeeKay crashed out early, while Grosjean suffered a clutch failure before the race.

NTT INDYCAR Series Good Ranchers 250 — Source: Michael L. Levitt / Getty

Avondale, AZ – Josef Newgarden was able to return to a familiar face when the NTT IndyCar Series left Phoenix Raceway in 2018, back in victory lane in 2026 as the winner of the Good Ranchers 250.

For Newgarden, this was his first win of 2026, his second win at Phoenix, and his 33^rd win of his career. Newgarden was able to muscle his way past Kyle Kirkwood with 5 laps to go on fresher tires. Kirkwood was able to hold off on older tires and outduel Christian Rasmussen to hold on for second place. Polesitter David Malukas was able to hang on for third for his first career podium for Team Penske, and his first podium since his runner-up finish in last year’s Indianapolis 500.

Chris Wilner of IndyCar Radio spoke to Newgarden after the race. “Great to be back here in Phoenix. You know, we love coming here. This has got a lot of IndyCar DNA, this track. So, to be back here with NASCAR’s fantastic. Our team just did a phenomenal job this weekend, unbelievable. To have the XPEL car in victory lane, so pumped. The last time we had them was in 2021 on the #2 car. Team Chevy did everything we needed. Look, I didn’t believe in the middle of that race that we were going to be able to win this thing, and we just came through firing at the end when it mattered. I’m just so pumped for the team.”

Wilner asked Newgarden what it was like having fresher tires in the late stages. “Well, you got to be on the attack in these type of deals. That’s how short track racing is, specifically in IndyCar. When the car need to be on rails, it was, and we took some missteps in the middle of the race, and we just got it dialed in at right where it needed to be at the end. It was perfect.”

Wiler asked Newgarden what it meant to him to have the early part of the starting the way that it has. “It’s just execution. Great team execution today. So proud of everybody.”

Romain Grosjean was the only driver on the 25-car field to not turn a lap as he suffered a clutch failure before the start of the race. Around 30 laps in, Grosjean’s rookie Dale Coyne Racing teammate, Dennis Hauger, was involved in a single-car spin off turn two and was able to continue.

On the next restart, the four-time champion, Alex Palou, was involved in a crash with Rinus VeeKay by the start-finish line that saw his 100^th career IndyCar race end just 40 laps in. A little past the halfway point of the race, Louis Foster hit the wall just before the start-finish line.

With 40 laps to go, Rasmussen was challenging Will Power for the lead, as Power put Rasmussen in the wall, resulting in a cut tire for Power and Rasmussen being able to continue. Rasmussen and Kirkwood stayed out while the rest of the field pitted, resulting in Rasmussen hanging on with a broken toe link and managing to hit the wall a few more times.

The official results for the Good Ranchers 250 from Phoenix Raceway: