Josef Newgarden Hunts Down Victory, Takes Series Lead at Phoenix

Two-time series champion Newgarden secured his first win of the season and the 33rd of his remarkable career by overtaking leader Kyle Kirkwood with seven laps to go, clinching the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday. Starting from second, Newgarden pulled away to achieve a 1.7937-second victory in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, beating the No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Andretti Global driver Kirkwood.

“I’m very surprised,” Newgarden admitted. “In the middle of the race, I wasn’t sure we had what it took to win. We just kept pushing through, and I thought, ‘If we get another chance, we’ll be aggressive and on the offense.’

“We took tires, and the car was like a rocket ship when it mattered, right at the end. Hats off to the whole crew. I’m thrilled.”

NTT P1 Award winner David Malukas claimed third in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, as Roger Penske’s legendary team celebrated its 60th anniversary season with two podium finishes.

Pato O’Ward finished fourth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, and Marcus Armstrong completed the top five in the No. 66 ROOT Insurance Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian.

INDYCAR’s first race in Phoenix since 2018 – also won by Newgarden and Team Penske – was action-packed, featuring 565 on-track passes, an INDYCAR record at the 1-mile desert oval. A combination of tire strategy and skillful traffic navigation secured Newgarden’s victory (photo, top and above), who also won the season finale last August at Nashville Superspeedway to avoid a winless 2025.

Kirkwood made his final stop on Lap 192 and was running fourth behind teammate Will Power, Christian Rasmussen, and O’Ward on Lap 207. Power and Rasmussen were locked in a fierce battle for the lead, with Rasmussen’s No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet making contact with the right rear tire of Power’s No. 26 TWG AI Honda exiting Turn 2.

This collision cut Power’s tire, triggering the race’s final caution and ending his improbable victory hopes after starting last in the 25-car field. Rasmussen’s car also sustained damage.

During the final caution, Newgarden and several other front-runners entered the pit lane for fresh Firestone Firehawk tires, as tire grip was a more significant factor than fuel management. Rasmussen, Kirkwood, Malukas, and Armstrong chose to stay on the track, favoring track position over traction.

Rasmussen led at the final restart of the 250-lap race on Lap 218, but his damaged car couldn’t compete with Kirkwood, who passed Rasmussen for the lead on Lap 242. Rasmussen fell back in the last eight laps due to car damage and worn tires, finishing a disappointing 14th after thrilling the large crowd with numerous daring passes to lead five times for 69 laps.

“We were the best on the field today – the best car out there,” Rasmussen said. “It’s frustrating because we should have won the race today.”

Kirkwood led Newgarden by six-tenths of a second when he took the lead, but Newgarden’s tire advantage became evident within a lap. Newgarden closed in on Kirkwood’s lead and overtook him in Turn 4 for the decisive lead just two laps later, on Lap 244.

“We considered it, but we were discussing it when the pits opened,” Kirkwood said about the potential late caution pit stop. “(Staying out) was the right decision at the time.”

As a bonus in this young season, Newgarden became the first driver other than four-time series champion Alex Palou to lead the standings since June 2024. Two-time Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Newgarden leads Kirkwood, 78-73, after two races as he aims to win the series crown for the first time since 2019.

“Do we really have the lead?” Newgarden said. “Two races in, so I wouldn’t read too much into it. But momentum is significant. It’s hard to understand how things work. Sometimes things go against us; sometimes they go for us. It was just great execution by the team.”

Palou placed 24th, completing just 21 laps in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, after side-by-side contact with the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet of Rinus VeeKay led to a trip into the SAFER Barrier.