Kyle Kirkwood Finishes Second in IndyCar Return to Phoenix

Marcus Armstrong scores top-five finish for Meyer Shank Racing

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood drove from 11th to second place at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Phoenix Raceway, leading 47 laps before finishing just behind race winner Josef Newgarden. Meyer Shank Racing's Marcus Armstrong also had a strong showing, finishing fifth. Four of the five Honda-powered teams finished in the top 10.

Why it matters

The podium finish moves Kirkwood into second in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship standings, just five points behind the leader. This was a promising result for Honda, which has been working to improve its performance on short oval tracks.

The details

Kirkwood started 11th and used an alternate pit strategy to work his way to the front of the field, leading for a significant portion of the race. However, Newgarden's decision to take fresh tires on the final yellow flag allowed him to pass Kirkwood and take the win. Armstrong, driving for Meyer Shank Racing, also had a strong run, finishing fifth after starting 13th.

  • The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Phoenix Raceway took place on March 7, 2026.

The players

Kyle Kirkwood

A driver for Andretti Global in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Kirkwood finished second in the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway.

Marcus Armstrong

A driver for Meyer Shank Racing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Armstrong finished fifth in the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway.

Josef Newgarden

The race winner of the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway.

Honda

The engine manufacturer that powered four of the top 10 finishers in the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway.

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What they’re saying

“I'm really happy with our JM Bullion Honda and our result today. We had a really good shot to win there up until the final handful of laps, that's just what 20-lap fresher tires can do. And today we scored a huge second place for our #27 team. We typically haven't been that good on short ovals and hopefully this is a turning point for all of us at Andretti Global to really bring the fight on these types of tracks. Shout out to Honda—our fuel economy and overall power were incredible all race long. Just a good day for our JM Bullion Honda team.”

— Kyle Kirkwood

“I'm happy to see the end of that one really. It was a tricky day because I was basically just sliding the whole day. I was really happy to see the checkered flag. I honestly had such a great time battling it out with Scott (Dixon). He's someone that I grew up watching on TV being a fellow Kiwi and I really looked up to him. So, to be able to be racing right next to him on track was something really fun and special. Phoenix Raceway is honestly such a fun track and I'm hoping that this is a regular on the INDYCAR schedule.”

— Marcus Armstrong

“It's good to be back at Phoenix. There was a great crowd out there today and I'm glad IndyCar could put on a show for them. Huge congrats to Kyle Kirkwood ending up second place. It's always a good day when you stand on the podium. We had four of our five Honda-powered teams finish in the top 10, and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team had an incredible qualifying performance. We've made a step, but it's clear that we have more work to do before our next short oval at WWTR in June. Huge thank you to everyone at HRC US for their continued hard work!”

— Kelvin Fu, Vice President, Honda Racing Corporation USA

What’s next

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES next travels to Arlington, Texas for the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on Sunday, March 15th at 12:30 PM ET on FOX.

The takeaway

This race at Phoenix Raceway was a promising result for Honda, with four of its five teams finishing in the top 10. The performance of drivers like Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Armstrong shows that Honda is making strides in improving its short oval competitiveness, which will be crucial as the season progresses.