Phoenix Raceway Hosts Thrilling INDYCAR Race

Arrow McLaren drivers show promise but miss out on podium finish

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Phoenix Raceway saw plenty of on-track action, with 565 passes and 18 lead changes throughout the event. Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O'Ward, Christian Lundgaard, and Nolan Harvey all had strong showings, with O'Ward finishing fourth after flirting with a podium spot. Lundgaard came home 13th, while Harvey finished 20th after an issue with the car that had plagued him in practice.

Why it matters

The Phoenix race was an important early-season test for the Arrow McLaren team, as they look to build momentum and challenge for the INDYCAR championship. While they didn't quite achieve the podium result they were hoping for, the team showed promising pace and strategy, indicating they could be a force to be reckoned with as the season progresses.

The details

Pato O'Ward was the top finisher for Arrow McLaren, coming home fourth after a strong drive that saw him challenge for a podium position. Christian Lundgaard also moved forward during the race, ultimately finishing 13th, while Nolan Harvey struggled with a car issue that had plagued him in practice and finished 20th.

  • The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race took place on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.

The players

Pato O'Ward

An Arrow McLaren driver who finished fourth in the race after challenging for a podium spot.

Christian Lundgaard

An Arrow McLaren driver who finished 13th in the race after moving forward during the event.

Nolan Harvey

An Arrow McLaren driver who finished 20th in the race after struggling with a car issue that had plagued him in practice.

Arrow McLaren

The racing team that fields cars for O'Ward, Lundgaard, and Harvey in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Josef Newgarden

The driver who won the race for Team Chevy.

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What they’re saying

“I think that was a great race for the fans. It was busy in the cockpit. I'm proud of my pit stop crew and the guys and gals on the 5 stand. That was the right strategy call, but I'm just bummed, not being able to get the car to where I needed it to. After the middle of the race, things just started changing a bit. I started the race very loose, and I just ran out of room to take the tools to the front. By then, it just started turning into a two-problem car. You just got to be more comfortable to start exploring because every time I went there in the corners, I felt like I needed a new pair of pants. I'm proud of the result today, obviously just a little bit bummed because we did make the right strategy call. We just didn't quite get it there and deliver what I would have loved to for everybody at Arrow McLaren. Congrats to Team Chevy and Josef, and that's two solid starts to the year. I'm happy with that, and we're onto Arlington next weekend.”

— Pato O'Ward (Trackside Online)

“It was a long race. I felt the pace was decent. We were pretty good around the pit sequences which is where it really matters. Obviously we were unlucky with that yellow flag that shuffled us from a top three at that point down to the high teens. It was very unfortunate; it undid the good job that the 7 VELO crew had done up until then. They were awesome on strategy, so it's a bummer. I thought we had a much better race going for us. I'm proud of what we did. We made some good changes and had some good progression on the 7 Chevy on the ovals, so I'm pretty excited for Indy and also the rest of the short ovals. But first, Arlington.”

— Christian Lundgaard (Trackside Online)

“It was a long race today. There was an issue with the car I fought in Practice 2 that continued in the race. It's disappointing because I really wanted to make the most of our qualifying position, but we're all eager to get and stay up front. I'm confident in our group, and we're looking forward to Arlington.”

— Nolan Harvey (Trackside Online)

“Pato drove a great race; he had a great strategy, but we missed on the setup a bit on all three cars. That said, Pato did Pato things and brought it to the front. The other two had a long day. We should have capitalized more on the points, left too many on the table, especially with the 10 car ending his day early. Some days are like that, though. We just have to regroup, be proactive, look at what we need to do better and move on. That's the only way we're going to get better.”

— Arrow McLaren Team (Trackside Online)

What’s next

The Arrow McLaren team will head to the Streets of Arlington next weekend to continue the exciting INDYCAR season.

The takeaway

While the Arrow McLaren team didn't quite achieve the podium finish they were hoping for at Phoenix Raceway, their drivers showed promising pace and strategy, indicating they could be a force to be reckoned with as the INDYCAR season progresses. The team will look to build on this performance as they head to the Streets of Arlington next weekend.