Josef Newgarden won Saturday’s IndyCar race at Phoenix Raceway, where IndyCar and NASCAR are part of a doubleheader weekend. IndyCar last raced on the 1-mile oval in 2018, and Newgarden also won that event.
The result moved Newgarden to the top of the IndyCar standings. Álex Palou, who won last week’s season opener, dropped to fifth after finishing 21st.
"Do we really have the lead? I mean, it's two races in, so it's early," Newgarden said.
Kyle Kirkwood finished second for Andretti Global and David Malukas finished third. Team Penske placed first and third, with Scott McLaughlin eighth in the team’s third entry.
Malukas had won the pole for the IndyCar race. Team Penske’s Phoenix weekend also included Joey Logano winning the pole for the NASCAR race. Team Penske is celebrating its 60th season in racing this year, and the doubleheader weekend allowed Roger Penske to bring together his six drivers from the two series.
"Definitely really satisfied," Malukas said.
Palou’s race ended after contact with Rinus Veekay early in the event sent him into the wall. He recorded the 10th DNF of his 100-race IndyCar career. Three of those DNFs came in his rookie year before he joined Chip Ganassi Racing.
Since joining Ganassi, Palou has won four of the past five championships and had been the IndyCar points leader since June 2024.
Christian Rasmussen was leading and had been one of the fastest drivers in the race before an incident with Will Power. Rasmussen hit the wall while attempting to pass Power on the outside. Power cut a tire in the contact, and Rasmussen’s car was damaged enough for Newgarden to catch him.
Rasmussen finished 14th and Power finished 16th. Power had crashed in qualifying and started from the back of the field before leading the race.
"We were the class of the field, I had the best car out there," Rasmussen said.
Mick Schumacher started fourth in his oval debut and finished 18th.
Romain Grosjean did not start because of an issue with his Dale Coyne Racing entry. He did not complete a lap.
IndyCar heads next weekend to the inaugural event on the streets of Arlington, Texas.
