Newgarden Captures Good Ranchers 250 Win in Phoenix

Josef Newgarden celebrates in Victory Lane after capturing his 33rd career victory in the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway. (Photo: Chris Owens | Penske Entertainment)

AVONDALE, Ariz. – On a day when it appeared that the most dominant car in the field was going to take home the victory, two-time champion Josef Newgarden put himself in position after late-race drama to pass Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood in the No. 27 JM Bullion Gold.com Honda on Lap 244 and conquer the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway for the 33rd victory of his storied career.

“I’m just very surprised,” said Newgarden. “It’s only been a race since we haven’t won, so it’s not like it’s been a while. Middle of the race I don’t know if I was fully believing that we had the capability to win. We kept working through it. The thing was a rocket ship when it needed to be, right at the end of the race.”

NTT P1 Award winner David Malukas finished third in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, sharing the podium with his teammate Newgarden.

Team Penske set the tone for the weekend early Friday when it swept the front row in qualifying. The momentum carried into the start of the race, with Malukas taking full command of the first quarter and leading the first 72 laps with his teammate Newgarden in tow. The pair ran 1-2 while the first round of pit stops took place.

Kirkwood made his final stop on Lap 192, which ultimately handed the lead to his Andretti Global teammate Will Power on Lap 197, with the dominant car of the day in Christian Rasmussen running second and charging ferociously for the lead.

Rasmussen caught Power, and the two engaged in an intense battle that led to Rasmussen’s front wing making contact with Power’s right rear tire on the exit of Turn 2, ultimately cutting down the 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion’s tire and bringing out the final caution of the day.

The aftermath of Christian Rasmussen’s No. 21 Chevrolet after late-race contact with Will Power that ultimately cost him the race win. (Photo: James Black | Penske Entertainment)

The move of the race took place during that caution period when Newgarden and others near the front took their final pit stop of the day and bolted on a fresh set of Firestone tires. With the extra grip, Newgarden aimed to work his way up from 10th place on the restart with 32 laps to go.

The second group that opted for track position by not pitting under that final caution included Rasmussen, Kirkwood, Malukas and Marcus Armstrong. The damage to Rasmussen’s No. 21 Splenda ECR Chevrolet from the contact with Power proved to be the final nail in the coffin for his day, as he slowly started to fade after Kirkwood made a pass for the lead on Lap 242, ultimately leaving him with a disappointing 14th-place finish after a dominating day.

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

Being the last driver to win at Phoenix Raceway in 2018, Newgarden knew what it took to chase down Kirkwood for the lead. That is exactly what he did, taking the lead on Lap 244 for good.

Alex Palou racing Rinus VeeKay just prior to their Turn 4 contact in the Good Ranchers 250. (Photo: Joe Skibinski | Penske Entertainment)

Newgarden’s victory at Phoenix moved him into the championship points lead, a mere five points over Kirkwood. This marks the first time since June 2024 that a driver other than Alex Palou has led the points standings.

Palou finished a disappointing 24th in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda after Lap 21 side-by-side contact with the No. 76 Arco Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet of Rinus VeeKay on the exit of Turn 4.

After a wild start to the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season, the series maintains momentum as it heads next to the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on Sunday, March 15 in Arlington, Texas.

Race Results: