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










TAGS: #IndyCar, #PhoenixRaceway, #GoodRanchers250, #JosefNewgarden, #TeamPenske, #DavidMalukas, #OvalKing, #QualifyingResults, #NTTIndyCarSeries, #MotorsportsJournal, #TomStahler, #TheEDJE

Dennis Hauger Previews Phoenix Oval Debut After Strong IndyCar Start

Norway rookie driver to NTT INDYCAR SERIES Dennis Hauger sports a decorated junior career, winning the 2021 FIA Formula 3 championship. In 2025, he dominated INDY NXT by Firestone with Andretti Global, earning six wins, eight poles and the championship over Caio Collet by 72 points. Hauger is nicknamed the “Norwegian Nightmare.” Image Credit: Joe Skibinski NICS (2026)

Dennis Hauger Previews Phoenix Oval Debut After Strong IndyCar Start

Dennis Hauger, the Norwegian rookie driving the No. 19 Ault Blockchain Honda for Dale Coyne Racing, spoke to the media on March 3, 2026, ahead of the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway—the NTT IndyCar Series’ return to the one-mile desert oval after an eight-year absence. 

Coming off an impressive debut at St. Petersburg, where he qualified third—the best rookie qualifying performance since 2018—and finished 10th, Hauger answered questions with a composed, reflective demeanor that balanced quiet confidence with the realism of someone still absorbing the intensity of his new surroundings.

He described his first IndyCar weekend as a strong if imperfect beginning. Practice setbacks were overcome, soft-tire runs unlocked confidence and delivered that near-pole lap (just four-hundredths off the top spot), and both Coyne cars reached the top six in qualifying—a result that lifted the entire team. In the race itself, he acknowledged missed opportunities but highlighted valuable lessons: the importance of aggressive yet controlled in-laps and out-laps, pushing harder on cold tires during the opening lap, and refining pit strategy amid red flags and shifting undercuts. A surprise pre-race motivational outburst from NFL quarterback Jameis Winston—“Preach,” Hauger recalled with amusement—added an unexpected jolt of energy to the team.

Phoenix marks his first competitive oval outing in an IndyCar, following a test session where he adapted swiftly to the car’s greater weight, power, and downforce compared with his INDY NXT experience. While he cautioned that testing is never definitive, he expressed solid comfort heading into qualifying—his strongest discipline—and emphasized the need to dial in balance quickly. The oval’s relative unfamiliarity to much of the current grid (beyond a handful of veterans like Scott Dixon) might narrow the experience advantage slightly, but Hauger focused on fundamentals: setup precision, execution, and learning the unique demands of oval racing, including more frequent pit stops and close-quarters traffic.

CLICK-Image To Launch ZOOM Call

ZOOM Call Transcript:
EDMUND JENKS - Motorsports Journal: It's been kind of an exciting debut, probably the strongest debut since Robert Wickens joined the series back in 2018, and oddly enough, we were racing in Phoenix at the same time. I know it's a bit of a distraction, but this is kind of a duel-sport weekend, and INDYCAR goes first on Saturday. Do you have any interest whatsoever, since you're a driver and probably curious, catching up with any of the people and watching what's going on with NASCAR? 

DENNIS HAUGER: Yeah, definitely. I'm staying on Sunday to watch the race. It's going to be the first time I've watched a NASCAR race live. I think it's awesome that the two paired up together to make an awesome weekend for the fans, for the crowds. I think you've got two different types of racing, just in terms of how we race and how the cars work. At the end of the day, we all just want to have some good sounds, some good racing, and enjoy what we love. I'm definitely going to watch the race on Sunday and see how they get on. Hopefully we'll give some good racing for the fans, as well. It's going to be a fun weekend to watch for sure. 

EDMUND JENKS - Motorsports Journal: Now revealing your background in coming to INDYCAR, you're a champion twice, you were no less than 10th in a field of 22 drivers in Formula 2, and then you finish in your first race 10th. It's like, you can't finish worse than 10th. Given your testing at Phoenix, how well do you think you might fare against everybody else? 

DENNIS HAUGER: As I said, it's really hard when you're testing because you're trying different things. You don't know what the others are doing. You're kind of just focused on your own stuff. Putting everything together for the race weekend, everyone is just figuring stuff out during testing and putting it together for the race. That's when you really find out what you've got. As I said, I hope we can be there in a decent spot for qualifying. 

I think we can do something good there. Our race pace seemed pretty decent in testing. But it's going to be completely different when we are running the high line and everything. Just the racing, as well, is just so different when you're with 25 other cars on track fighting for position. It's something I'm just really open-minded with. I know there's a lot of new stuff again this weekend, but for me, again, it's just about trying to maximize what I have at the time, and at that point, that's all I can do. 

EDMUND JENKS - Motorsports Journal: It's kind of exciting to see you blend in with Dale Coyne and Romain Grosjean. Also great to see him back behind the wheel again. It's like we've got two different kind of rookies coming back in to the field. How has he related to you on driving on ovals since he only became familiar with them when he came to INDYCAR?

DENNIS HAUGER: We haven't talked too much about it. We're all working together to try and be the quickest out there. But it's always good to hear what he has to say about balance. Our driving style is in a very similar window, which makes the feedback also very similar, which is very positive, I think, as a team. That makes it just easier to have both cars going one direction for what we want to do balance-wise. So that's been really good.

Hopefully he has some tips on the side for this weekend, as well, in terms of the racing. That's the main thing for me. Just get more experience with the racing side, being wheel-to-wheel with the others. I feel like qualifying I'm in a pretty good spot. I feel confident there.

It's just about keep progressing, and having him as (audio interruption).

ENDS

Frenchman and former F1 and NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Romain Grosjean - who now lives in Florida - back in the field for another go at a championship here in 2026. Image Credit: Chris Jones: NICS (2026)

His late-announced teammate, Romain Grosjean, has integrated smoothly despite the short preparation window. Their similar driving styles produce aligned feedback, helping both cars progress in the same direction - a dynamic Hauger values even as he aims to outperform his more experienced partner. Grosjean’s oval background offers potential insight, though the two have so far concentrated more on shared setup work than detailed oval tutorials.

Hauger downplayed any notion of heightened external pressure following his strong debut. The P3-to-P10 weekend provided a clear confidence boost without becoming a weight. He expects the season to deliver highs and lows, with consistency as the true target rather than chasing perfection every time out. 

He refuses to fixate on rookie status; the priority is maximum performance on any given weekend, whether the result is a podium or a top-10. Preparation remains his cornerstone: exhaustive study of video, data, and track details to arrive more ready than his competitors. 

Asked to sum up his IndyCar debut in three words, he chose “happy, surreal, and decent.” Decent, because he always hungers for more. Yet for a rookie confronting time-zone confusion, new sponsors, hybrid systems, fueling calculations, and the distinctive rhythm of American open-wheel racing, a 10th-place finish after starting third stands as a credible and promising foundation. 

As the series turns to Phoenix, Hauger’s approach is straightforward: keep grinding, adapt rapidly, chase every available tenth—and trust the results will reflect the effort. The young driver who left Formula 2’s frustrations behind for success in INDY NXT now turns his focus to conquering IndyCar’s ovals. Early signs suggest he is adjusting faster than most anticipated.

... notes from The EDJE

FEATURED ARTICLE >>>

TAGS: #DennisHauger, #IndyCar, #PhoenixRaceway, #DaleCoyneRacing, #RookieSeason, #GoodRanchers250, #StPetersburgDebut, #OvalRacing, #NTTIndyCarSeries, #RomainGrosjean, #MotorsportsJournal, #TheEDJE

Phoenix Raceway Pre-Unser Open Test Press Conference Unfolds With Palou And O'Ward

First of the 2026 on-site open test press conference with Pato O'Ward and INDYCAR series Champion Alex Palou at Phoenix Raceway. Drivers share a laugh about events about the tire test held at Sebring a week earlier. Image Credit: NICS ZOOM Call Video (2026)

Phoenix Raceway Pre-Unser Open Test Press Conference Unfolds With Palou And O'Ward

As the sun rose over Phoenix Raceway on a crisp February morning in 2026, and the paddock buzzed with the familiar hum of anticipation that only a season-opener test can generate. Here, in the desert air still carrying a hint of winter chill, two of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES' brightest stars - four-time reigning champion Alex Palou in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and the ever-competitive Pato O'Ward piloting the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet - stepped to the microphones. 

The moderator set the scene plainly: Phoenix was back on the calendar, a throwback oval welcoming most of the field to virgin territory, and the Unser Open Test was the first real chance to shake out the cobwebs before the green flags flew in earnest. Palou, fresh off a season of utter dominance with eight victories in 2025, spoke with the quiet confidence of a man chasing history. A four-peat would place him in rare company, only Sébastien Bourdais having achieved the feat in the modern era. Yet for all the laurels, he admitted the workload ahead felt endless - Sebring the week prior, Phoenix now, and no real pause until May. The Chip Ganassi team had poured hours into preparations over the winter, aiming to replicate or perhaps even eclipse the magic of the previous year. This test, especially on an unfamiliar oval, represented starting from scratch, but Palou welcomed the luxury of multi-day running rarely afforded on ovals outside Indianapolis. Confidence in the car, the ability to attack rather than merely survive the laps - that was the true measure of success he sought.

Pato O'Ward - The Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway - Image Credit: Joe Skibinski via NICS (2026)

O'Ward, entering his seventh full season and armed with nine career wins including two last year, approached the 1-mile tri-oval with the curiosity of a newcomer. Only a handful of veterans - Power, Newgarden, Rossi, Dixon - had turned laps here in anger, and the last INDYCAR visit dated back to 2018. He likened the layout to a blend of Gateway and Iowa, old-school and fast, and hoped the test could coax a proper second lane into life for the race to come. Sebring's times? Dismissed with a laugh; that was tire development and experimentation, not outright speed. What mattered now was building comfort, finding a setup that allowed aggressive running without the car dictating terms. Ovals demand trust - if the machine isn't planted, the delta between control and chaos widens dramatically. 

Both drivers agreed the test's value lay not in headline lap times but in feel and foundation. Palou emphasized subtle adjustments and the freedom to experiment without the pressure of a race weekend's limited laps and identical fuel loads. O'Ward echoed the sentiment: a solid base here could carry forward, even if NASCAR rubber, weather shifts, or race-day dynamics later scrambled the picture. Phoenix before the Indianapolis 500 offered another oval outing early, but neither saw it as direct preparation for the Brickyard - Indy, they noted, remains its own unpredictable beast, defying easy translation from other tracks.

The No. 10 Honda piloted by reining NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion blisters by at around 170 miles per hour on the tight banked turns of Phoenix Raceway. Image Credit: Matt Fravervia NICS (2026)

Conversation drifted to lighter matters: the new FOX commercials drawing praise (Palou singled out Will Power's spot as a standout), the grueling early-season stretch demanding no radical changes to conditioning regimens, and the visual spectacle INDYCARs might provide to crossover NASCAR fans during the shared weekend. Track limits drew a firm line - unlike NASCAR's apron exploits, INDYCAR would enforce boundaries strictly, and Palou, after a track walk, deemed the rough outer edges a recipe for disaster rather than daring passes.

Firestone's tweaked right-front tire, wider for better following and second-lane grip, came under discussion as a welcome evolution for short-oval racing. Palou referenced prior testing by veterans like Dixon and Rossi, crediting it as a step toward multi-groove action. The session underscored a mature approach from both stars: gone were the days of treating every test lap like qualifying. Now, plans guided the process - team strategy over raw bravado - though the inner drive to demonstrate speed never fully receded.

FOX Sports promotional commercial (click-image) shows Alex Palou rushing through a grocery store check-out line passing by a magazine stand featuring a magazine cover with Pato O'Ward on the face hinting that O'Ward may be getting more attention and press than the three-time and reining NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion himself. Image Credit: NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Chip Ganassi Racing (2026)

As the press conference wrapped and the first day of the two-day Unser Open Test was engaged, the timing screens told their own story by dusk. David Malukas led a Team Penske 1-2, but Palou slotted solidly fifth overall with a best of 21.0088 seconds at 171.357 mph, clocked on his 48th of 55 laps - a clean, confident marker amid the Honda contingent's strong showing.

O'Ward, meanwhile, ended the day 16th of 25 drivers at 21.2509 seconds and 169.405 mph on his 19th of a busier 98 laps, a cautious tally that spoke to methodical exploration rather than early fireworks. The sense lingered that Phoenix 2026 would test more than setups. For Palou, it was another chapter in a quest for immortality; for O'Ward, a fresh proving ground to harness his talent on ovals that define the series' soul. The cars would roll out again tomorrow, and in the desert heat, the real answers would emerge ... not in words, but in the howl of engines and the lines carved into the blacktop.

... notes from The EDJE








TAGS: #IndyCar, #UnserOpenTest, #PhoenixRaceway, #AlexPalou, #PatoOWard, #NTTIndyCarSeries, #FourPeatChase, #OvalTesting, #2026Season, TheEDJE, #MotorsportsJournal, #IndyCarOnFOX, #INDYCAR