Josef Newgarden delivered a masterclass in late-race strategy and raw speed to claim IndyCar victory in Saturday’s Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway as Alex Palou crashed out early.
The two-time series champion, driving the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, started from the front row alongside pole-sitter David Malukas and methodically worked his way through the field amid a race filled with multiple lead changes and strategic pit battles.
Newgarden’s charge on fresh Firestone Firehawk tires during the final caution propelled him past long-time leader Christian Rasmussen and runner-up Kyle Kirkwood, securing his 33rd career win and the points lead after just two races into the 2026 season.
The event, held as part of a high-profile IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader weekend in Avondale, Arizona, spanned 250 laps and 255.5 miles, featuring 565 on-track passes with 11 different drivers taking the lead.
As the green flag dropped, Malukas rocketed into the lead from pole, holding the top spot for the opening 72 laps and demonstrating the No. 12’s superior early pace on the freshly laid Phoenix surface, which had been repaved since IndyCar’s last visit in 2018.
Newgarden hung close in second, fending off Graham Rahal, while further back, Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet began his charge, making a series-high number of passes to cycle into contention early.
Alex Palou‘s championship defense unraveled disastrously early when the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing star crashed out on lap 21 in turn one, tagging the wall after a restart shuffle with Felix Rosenqvist’s No. 60 Meyer Shank Honda.
Palou’s crash scattered debris and slightly bunched the field, but quick cleanup by INDYCAR officials minimized the disruption.
The first cycle of pit stops around Lap 70 shuffled the order with Rasmussen snatching the lead for laps 73-76, only for Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong to briefly take over from 77-84, highlighting the tire degradation battles that would define the afternoon.
Scott Dixon took over the lead from lap 85-96 in his No. 9 Chip Ganassi Honda as he delivered his trademark smooth throttle control, conserving tires while others pushed hard in traffic.
Dennis Hauger grabbed a lap in the No. 19 Dale Coyne entry before Pato O’Ward powered the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to the front for laps 98-107, with Rasmussen returning emphatically to dominate laps 108-125 with aggressive bottom-line runs that thrilled the capacity crowd.
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Newgarden tasted the lead briefly on Lap 126 as Malukas took over in the next lap, with Christian Lundgaard pacing the No. 7 Arrow McLaren to the front from 128-135, before Rasmussen reclaimed the helm from 136-145.
A caution flew on Lap 145 when RLL’s Louis Foster smacked the wall in the No. 45, ending his day after 140 laps and bunching the field for fresh strategies.
Under yellow, teams diverged on stops with Kyle Kirkwood’s No. 27 Andretti Global JM Bullion Honda staying out to inherit track position, beginning a long green run where he led laps 146-190.
Rasmussen pitted briefly but stormed back to lead 191-192 and again from 207-241, logging a total of 69 laps led despite mounting challenges from worn rubber.
The race’s climax unfolded on Lap 207 as Rasmussen’s left front wing endplate clipped Will Power’s right rear tire exiting Turn 2, leaving the No. 26 TWG AI Honda limping with a puncture, while the No. 21 Ed Carpenter Honda sustained front end damage.
The incident triggered a caution which turned out to be pivotal for Newgarden, who bolted for fresh tires along with Pato O’Ward, Rossi, gaining crucial grip at the expense of track position held by Kirkwood, Malukas, Armstrong and the faltering Rasmussen.
At the Lap 218 restart, Rasmussen held the lead but Kirkwood pounced on Lap 242 as the former faded, only for Newgarden to dive to the inside of Kirkwood’s Andretti Honda at Turn 4 on Lap 244, taking the lead.
Josef Newgarden pulled away over the final six laps to win Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway by 1.7937 seconds over Kyle Kirkwood, while David Malukas delivered a rock-solid podium in third for Team Penske’s 60th anniversary.
Palou, who entered as the three-time defending champion, had been running a solid fifth but misjudged the proximity in traffic, ending his day 24th and handing Newgarden a golden opportunity to seize the points lead.
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