Josef Newgarden earns thrilling IndyCar win at Phoenix

Newgarden surged late to take the checkered flag in an eventful race at Phoenix Raceway.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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Josef Newgarden of Team Penske won the Good Ranchers 250 IndyCar race at Phoenix Raceway, charging through the field late in the race to take the lead with seven laps remaining and holding on for the victory. Newgarden beat Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood by 1.77937 seconds on the 1-mile tri-oval, with Newgarden's teammate David Malukas finishing third.

Why it matters

Newgarden's victory continues a strong start to the season for Team Penske, while the race featured several lead changes and dramatic moments, including a collision between Will Power and Rinus VeeKay that brought out a caution late in the event.

The details

Pole-sitter Malukas led early, but Newgarden eventually took the lead and held it until a late pit stop cycle. Pato O'Ward of Arrow McLaren briefly led, but Newgarden charged back through the field in the closing laps to take the win, his 33rd career IndyCar victory.

  • Malukas led early, pulling a gap of almost 2 seconds on Newgarden after just 10 laps.
  • The first caution came out on Lap 19 after Dennis Hauger spun off Turn 2.
  • Newgarden took the lead from Malukas during the first pit stop cycle on Lap 73.
  • The second caution came out on Lap 142 after Louis Foster hit the wall.
  • Newgarden took the lead for good with 7 laps remaining and held on for the victory.

The players

Josef Newgarden

A 33-time IndyCar race winner and two-time series champion, driving for the powerhouse Team Penske organization.

Kyle Kirkwood

A rising young talent driving for Andretti Global, who finished second to Newgarden.

David Malukas

Newgarden's teammate at Team Penske, who led early but finished third.

Pato O'Ward

The Arrow McLaren driver briefly led the race before finishing fourth.

Will Power

The Andretti Global driver was involved in a late-race collision with Rinus VeeKay that brought out a caution.

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What they’re saying

“We must have had the fastest car out there at the end. I'm really proud of the effort from the whole team.”

— Josef Newgarden, Driver, Team Penske (yahoo.com)

What’s next

The IndyCar Series will next head to the streets of Long Beach, California for the next race on the schedule.

The takeaway

Newgarden's thrilling victory at Phoenix continues his strong start to the 2026 IndyCar season and showcases the depth of talent and competitiveness within the series, with multiple drivers and teams battling for the win throughout the event.