The NTT IndyCar Series completed a fast and exciting 250 laps at Phoenix Raceway Saturday afternoon.
The race came down to the final laps with various pit strategies playing out, but it was a familiar face that visited victory lane.
Josef Newgarden swooped into the lead with less than 10 laps remaining and pulled out a gap all the way to the end.
READ MORE: IndyCar Phoenix– Full Race Results
It was the veteran’s 33rd career victory and boosted him into the points lead two races into the season.
Kyle Kirkwood finished second, with his older tires not able to hold up against the hard charge of the two-time champion behind.
David Malukas rounded out the podium, ensuring the start of his tenure with Team Penske is as fruitful as possible.
Throughout the afternoon, the undercut was the strategy that paid dividends due to the advantage new Firestone rubber provided.
Any driver who pit a few laps early and was able to run on fresher tires had an immediate advantage on his competitors, sometimes as much as a five MPH difference.
Christian Rasmussen used that strategy to the biggest effect, clawing around his fellow competitors left and right all day long.
He started 18th and received a penalty at one point for improper pit entrance, but still spent a majority of the day at the front and looked set to claim his second victory.
While battling for the lead with less than 50 laps left, however, Rasmussen was squeezed into the wall and ended up with bent suspension.
He valiantly held the lead for a few laps, but the handling on his car was gone and he slipped down to 14th by the checkered flag. He completed the most passes of anyone, 61, and was bitterly disappointed to not stand in victory lane
Turns of fortune
Will Power’s bad run of fortune to begin his relationship with Andretti Global continued into his second race.
The veteran started at the back but worked his way to the lead with just 50 laps remaining, but then a single mistake undid all his hard work.
Power was seemingly at fault as he drifted high defending against Rasmussen as they battled for the lead, causing the two to touch.
Power was not as lucky as Rasmussen and had to come to pit lane with a cut tire. He ended the day down in 16th.
A few other drivers saw their promising runs vanish as well, including Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing drivers Graham Rahal and rookie Mick Schumacher.
Both started in the front two rows, but drifted backwards as the rest of the field found better pace in traffic.
Rahal was in the top 10 for a majority of the race, which is still an improvement from the team’s usual oval performance, and ended the day in ninth.
Schumacher also lost ground to a broken wheel gun in pit lane, which sent him back to an 18th place finish.
More oval woes
Alex Palou, who started 10th and was slowly working his way forward, crashed out of the race on lap 22.
He had been battling with Graham Rahal and Rinus VeeKay stuck a nose to the outside in an attempt to take advantage of the others fighting.
Palou did not see that the front corner of the Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevy was alongside his rear wheel, and ran both cars up into the wall.
VeeKay was able to continue after a few laps spent taking on repairs on pit lane, but the reigning champion’s day was done on the spot. He relinquished the championship lead for the first time since June 23, 2024, a remarkable run.
Rookie Dennis Hauger was the cause of the first caution of the day, spinning on his own on the exit of Turn 2.
Incredibly, he regained control before hitting the wall by pulling the clutch and allowing his car to roll backwards down the track while still travelling over 100 MPH.
Once he slowed further, the reigning IndyNXT champion pulled a quick J-turn and got back underway with no damage to anything except his Firestone tires. Hauger crossed the line in 15th.
Louis Foster brought a caution as well when he drifted high and tagged the wall just past the halfway point.
He was able to drive his #45 RLL Honda back to pit lane, but was forced to retire early with suspension damage.
Drivers have no time to rest after an exhausting couple weeks, as the third race on the 2026 calendar takes place next weekend in the form of a brand new street course in Arlington, Texas.
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