Josef Newgarden Captures Strong P2 In Qualifying For The Good Ranchers 250 At Phoenix Raceway

Team Penske's senior driver Josef Newgarden places his No. 2 XPEL Chevrolet Dallara at number two on the grid being edged out by his new teammate David Malukas for the pole - Malukas' first pole in his young career. Image Credit: James Black NICS (2026)

Josef Newgarden Captures Strong P2 In Qualifying For The Good Ranchers 250 At Phoenix Raceway

The desert heat at Phoenix Raceway delivered a fitting backdrop for the NTT IndyCar Series' long-awaited return to this iconic 1-mile oval, and Josef Newgarden wasted no time reminding everyone why he's often called the series' "oval king." In qualifying for the Good Ranchers 250 on March 6, 2026, the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time series champion locked down P2 with a solid two-lap average of 174.548 mph in his No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet.

The front row sweep belonged to Team Penske, but it was the surprise story of the session: David Malukas, the young Chicago native now in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet, claimed his first career NTT P1 Award (pole position) with an impressive 175.383 mph run. Malukas edged out his veteran teammate Newgarden by nearly a full mile per hour, marking a breakout moment for the driver who joined Penske in the offseason. "I'm just so happy! So many P2’s and finally a pole…what a way to start the season… and our Phoenix race tomorrow," Malukas said post-qualifying, capturing the excitement of a fresh chapter.

CLICK-IMAGE To Launch Post Qualifications Press Conference

Question - Tom Stahler with Josef Newgarden

Tom Stahler - Motorsports Journal: The time of day here in the Phoenix valley, this is the time of day where you really do see a significant shift in temperature. Obviously it played into your hands even starting later in the qualifying session, but a lot of other people I think faltered because the guys earlier had cooler temperatures. How do you feel about the time of day you were qualifying, and what did you do differently?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, we were sort of on the back end of it, right? We were, what, 19th or something to go out.

It depends on where you're at. It's a good question. Indianapolis you always want to be first out when the track is the coldest, and you don't want the temperature to build. I think that's somewhat true here. A colder track is typically a faster track, more grip.

I don't think you had a ton of shift. I think just -- I think in general qualifying was a higher track temperature than we had seen the last multiple sessions we had been here. It's the first time everybody really experienced that.

I think at the very end of qualifying, in particular, you saw a lot of drop-off on that second lap for most people, including myself. Compared to the very beginning, that probably got a little bit worse, where you just weren't as consistent on the second lap time.

Mick, for instance, was the first out. He was super consistent both laps, and then the last guy to go, you just saw that drop-off in the second lap. I think that was the difference today.

But I think for where we were, I think we made the most of it.

ENDS

For Newgarden, starting second aligns perfectly with his history at Phoenix. He remains the defending winner here from 2018—the last time the series visited before this 2026 revival. That victory stands as a benchmark for oval mastery, and his front-row lock today positions him ideally for tomorrow's 250-lap battle on March 7 (3 p.m. ET on FOX). The Nashville native's consistency on ovals has long been a hallmark of his career, boasting 32 wins (the most among active American drivers), and this result underscores Team Penske's strength on the high-banked tri-oval despite challenges elsewhere in the field.

Drama wasn't absent: Teammate Will Power suffered a hard crash during his qualifying attempt, adding tension to the Penske camp. Yet Newgarden's smooth, flat-out run kept the Chevrolet momentum rolling. Behind the front row, Graham Rahal slotted into third at 173.993 mph, with Mick Schumacher showing strong form in his first oval qualifying session at 173.667 mph for fourth - another highlight in a day full of surprises.

As the series dusts off this classic venue after an eight-year hiatus, Newgarden's P2 start sets the stage for what could be a dominant Penske performance in the Good Ranchers 250. With his pedigree on ovals and a front-row perch, the question isn't if he'll contend ... it's how far he'll push for another Phoenix triumph. The green flag drops tomorrow, and the "oval king" is ready to reignite the desert.

... notes from The EDJE










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