Josef Newgarden takes the lead atop the 2026 IndyCar Championship standings after a commanding victory in Saturday’s Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway.
The Team Penske driver started second behind pole-sitter David Malukas and capitalized on superior tire strategy and late-race pace to overtake Kyle Kirkwood with just seven laps remaining, securing his 33rd career win and his second at the one-mile desert oval since 2018.
This triumph vaulted Newgarden to the title lead with 78 points, dethroning pre-race leader Alex Palou who suffered a heartbreaking DNF on lap 22 in his 100th career start following a collision with Rinus VeeKay.
Palou’s early retirement dropped him all the way to fifth with 59 points, the four-time defending champion losing the points lead for the first time since June 2024.
Andretti’s Kirkwood climbs to second with 73 points following his podium finish in Phoenix, as Newgarden’s teammate Scott McLaughlin drops to third after finishing eighth on Saturday.
IndyCar Phoenix Race Highlights
2026 IndyCar Championship standings after Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway
| Pos | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske Chevrolet | 78 |
| 2 | Kyle Kirkwood | Andretti Global Honda | 73 |
| 3 | Scott McLaughlin | Team Penske Chevrolet | 66 |
| 4 | Pato O’Ward | Arrow McLaren Chevrolet | 63 |
| 5 | Alex Palou | Chip Ganassi Racing Honda | 59 |
| 6 | David Malukas | Team Penske Chevrolet | 56 |
| 7 | Christian Lundgaard | Arrow McLaren Chevrolet | 54 |
| 8 | Marcus Armstrong | Meyer Shank Racing Honda | 50 |
| 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Andretti Global Honda | 43 |
| 10 | Alexander Rossi | Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet | 42 |
| 11 | Dennis Hauger | Dale Coyne Racing Honda | 36 |
| 12 | Felix Rosenqvist | Meyer Shank Racing Honda | 36 |
| 13 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing Honda | 35 |
| 14 | Kyffin Simpson | Chip Ganassi Racing Honda | 35 |
| 15 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda | 34 |
| 16 | Rinus VeeKay | Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet | 30 |
| 17 | Romain Grosjean | Dale Coyne Racing Honda | 29 |
| 18 | Christian Rasmussen | Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet | 28 |
| 19 | Santino Ferrucci | AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet | 25 |
| 20 | Louis Foster | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda | 24 |
| 21 | Caio Collett | AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet | 24 |
| 22 | Will Power | Andretti Global Honda | 23 |
| 23 | Nolan Siegel | Arrow McLaren Chevrolet | 20 |
| 24 | Sting Ray Robb | Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet | 18 |
| 25 | Mick Schumacher | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda | 17 |
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