IndyCar Race Results and Recap for First 2026 Oval Race in Phoenix

All eyes in American motorsport have been turned to the Good Ranchers 250 with the return of the IndyCar and NASCAR double-header weekend. This track is also an exciting addition to the 'short oval' list that brings some of IndyCar's most exciting racing.

During our last time out in St Petersburg, it was Alex Palou who, with a shock to no IndyCar fan, took home such a dominant victory that he set a new record at the track. Today, all eyes were set on other teams that have traditionally shown their dominance over Palou and Chip Ganassi at oval races.

After a Qualifying that saw rookie Mick Schumacher in P4 alongside RLL teammate Graham Rahal in P3 behind a blistering performance from the Penske's of Newgarden and first-time pole sitter David Malukas, anything could have happened on track today.

It was Josef Newgarden of Team Penske who took home the victory, with shocking results from other favorites in the field.

Heartbreak for Palou during his 100th Start

IndyCar fans are used to absolute perfection from Chip Ganassi's Alex Palou and 4-time IndyCar Champion. After a masterclass start, up six positions from his starting position of P10, Palou's day was cut short on Lap 11.

Alex Palou Chip Ganassi, Good Rancher 250 IndyCar Race | Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski

After a restart on Lap 10 that saw Palou sitting near the front of the pack, the 10 car was being threatened for his position by both Rinus VeeKay and Graham Rahal. However, it was Rinus VeeKay who collided with Palou, ending his day in Phoenix.

In his post-crash interview, Palou remarked to IndyCar on Fox that he had no clue VeeKay was 'behind him' as he drifted up into the high line, putting both cars into the wall. Palou was markedly unhappy and added that he would have to rewatch the collision to decide who was at fault.

This will be the first time since June of 2024 that Alex Palou is not the championship leader in IndyCar.

Team Penske Returns to 'Penske Perfect'

Team Penske faltered during the 2025 season, but have had a very strong performance in Phoenix this weekend. All three drivers finished in the Top 10 with Josef Newgarden as the race winner, David Malukas (team rookie) also on the podium in 3rd, and Scott McLaughlin in P8.

David Malukas Team Penske, Good Ranchers 250 IndyCar Race | Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski

The team has been rocked with controversy and one of their most shocking driver changes in years, with Will Power now at Andretti. It seems that this 'new era' for Penske is exactly what the team needed to return to the form that so many fans recognize... racing for wins.

Josef Newgarden won at Phoenix Raceway in 2018 and technically has won 2 of the past 3 races – the other being the 2025 season Finale in Nashville. Even so, he expressed genuine shock and surprise that he was able to win the race.

"I don't know that I believed we had the capability to win. We took tires and the thing [car] was a rocketship when it needed to be. It was right at the end of the race, so hat's off to the whole crew."
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske

David Malukas similarly shared the excitement of such a strong race in only his second race at Team Penske. He qualified on pole and finished on the podium. The question now remains, is it Penske who will finally take the title fight to Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi? After all, Josef now leads the IndyCar Championship.

IndyCar Good Ranchers 250 Results

Position	Driver/ Team	Time Diff from Lead
1	Josef Newgarden/ Penske	-
2	Kyle Kirkwood/ Andretti	+1.794
3	David Malukas/ Penske	+2.841
4	Pato O'Ward/ McLaren	+3.932
5	Marcus Armstrong/ Meyer Shank	+6.482
6	Alexander Rossi/ ECR	+7.291
7	Scott Dixon/ Chip Ganassi	+8.165
8	Scott McLaughlin/ Penske	+9.879
9	Graham Rahal/ RLL	+10.469
10	Kyffin Simpson/ Chip Ganassi	+12.131
11	Santino Ferrucci/ AJ Foyt	+16.836
12	Felix Rosenqvist/ Meyer Shank	+17.214
13	Christian Lundgaard/ McLaren	+17.658
14	Christian Rasmussen/ ECR	+18.286
15	Dennis Hauger/ Dale Coyne	+18.974
16	Will Power/ Andretti	+1 Lap
17	Marcus Ericsson/ Andretti	+1 Lap
18	Mick Schumacher/ RLL	+1 Lap
19	Caio Collet/ AJ Foyt	+1 Lap
20	Nolan Siegel/ McLaren	+2 Laps
21	Sting Ray Robb/ Juncos	+3 Laps
22	Rinus VeeKay/ Juncos	+4 Laps
23	Louis Foster/ RLL	DNF
24	Alex Palou/ Chip Ganassi	DNF
25	Romain Grosjean/ Dale Coyne	DNS

Rasmussen's 'Valiant' Effort Cut Short

It would be neglectful to not discuss Christian Rasmussen's 'valiant performance' as Will Buxton put it throughout the race. Christian is known for his aggressive style of race craft – especially on Ovals – taking his first IndyCar victory in Milwaukee last season.

Christian Rasmussen ECR Good Rancher's 250 IndyCar Race | Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski

Rasmussen was involved in several near incidents including Dennis Hauger's early race spin, light contact with several drivers including Will Power throughout the race that didn't seem to damage the #21 ECR Car.

However, it was on the final few laps of the race that Josef Newgarden swept in front of Rasmussen ultimately resulting in Rasmussen colliding with the wall with just enough force to drop Rasmussen back to finish in P14.

Rasmussen expressed his frustration after the race on the broadcast.

"I think it's very clear what happened. We were the class of the field today. Best car out there. I was so happy with the car. You can't just run people into the wall... which is what happened here today."
Christian Rasmussen, ECR, P14

The IndyCar Series returns for the 3rd race of their triple-header next weekend. Will Josef Newgarden keep up Penske's momentum? Can Alex Palou have redemption? Will Texas-native, Pato O'Ward take home the win?

Check back in on Sunday at the debut of their Street Race in Arlington, Texas for your answer!