INDYCAR - Phoenix Raceway
Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway
Start: 2nd, Finish: 1st, Points: 1st
RACE RUNDOWN: After not winning until the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale at Nashville last season, Josef Newgarden and the No. 2 XPEL Chevrolet team put a mark in the win column in the second round of the 2026 championship on Saturday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway. It is the second-consecutive win at Phoenix for the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner as Newgarden was the victor the last time the series visited the one-mile oval in 2018. Newgarden will carry the points lead into the third round of the championship standings for the first time since winning back-to-back races at Texas Motor Speedway and Long Beach early in the 2022 season. The XPEL team's strategy was to stay aggressive throughout the 250-lap event as they made five pit stops on the day to maintain a tire advantage when possible. Continued adjustments throughout the cycle of pit stops allowed the team to give Newgarden the car he needed after pitting for fresh tires with just 38 laps remaining. After restarting in the 10th position, Newgarden put on another display of his oval abilities as he carved his way through the field, setting up a late-race pass on Kyle Kirkwood to give Newgarden the lead for the first time with only a handful of laps remaining. The victory is the 33rd of Newgarden's career, placing him one victory behind Al Unser Jr. for ninth place on the all-time INDYCAR SERIES wins list.
NEWGARDEN'S THOUGHTS: “I'm just very surprised. I mean, look, we, it's only been a race since we haven't won, so it's not like it's been a while, but I just, in the middle of the race, I don't know that I was fully believing that we had the capability to win. and we just we kept working through it and I'm like, look, if we get another opportunity, we're going be on the aggressive side, we're going to be on the offense. We took tires, and the thing was like a rocket ship when it needed to be, was right at the end of the race. So, hats off to the whole crew. XPEL back in Victory Lane. We had them in 2021. Team Chevy!! So, I'm pumped. I love to be here in Phoenix. I'm so happy we are here. This is you know, this is an INDYCAR track I think people that know the history of the sport know this is an INDYCAR track. So, to be here with NASCAR is fantastic. but we gotta be here as well and, I love being here with this group."
