Circle up. After opening the season on a street course and its multiple turns, the NTT IndyCar Series makes its way westward to Phoenix Raceway for the first time since 2018 for Saturday’s (March 7) Good Rancher’s 250.
How on or off track are teams and drivers as 2026 begins? That, among other things, stands to be answered in the shadow of “Rattlesnake Hill” as the series hits the track for the second race of the season.
Last Time
Not since 2018 has IndyCar raced at Phoenix. And like that season, this is also the second race of the campaign. That year saw Josef Newgarden lead 30 of the final 44 circuits for the win ahead of Robert Wickens, who led a race-high 44 laps only to come up short. Newgarden’s win was also a big boon for Chevrolet, as its power plant outran Hondas in the positions two through six for the victory.
Could Phoenix Parity Be Super Palou’s Kryptonite?
So, what exactly can put what could be another hot start to the season for Alex Palou on ice? It could very well be Phoenix Raceway and the parity that it’ll breed. Palou is among the drivers who were not in the field the last time the series raced here in 2018. Saturday will be Palou’s first start at the track.
In fact, just five current series drivers took to the track in 2018. In addition to Newgarden, Alexander Rossi, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal and Will Power were also running. But even that experience only carries a driver so far. It has, after all, been 8 years. In this day and age, technology can bridge that gap as well as last month’s two-day test in which some of the fastest times were turned in by Team Penske and its drivers of Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, and David Malukas as well as Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rossi and Christian Rasmussen.
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What Does Milwaukee Tell Us?
On one hand, there is a school of thought that tells us not to expect a usual suspect, if you will, to win at Phoenix. Of last year’s six IndyCar races held on ovals, four of them saw different winners, with the only multi-winner being Palou. On the other hand, the official length of Phoenix is 1.022 miles. That’s awfully close to one of the sport’s most revered racing grounds, the Milwaukee Mile.
In short, if a team runs well at Milwaukee, it’s fair to expect similar from its short-track program at Phoenix, as well. Consider this: Milwaukee winners in the past five events include Will Power (2014), Pato O’Ward (2024 race 1), McLaughlin (2024 race 2), and Rasmussen (2025). And when you also note Rasmussen was one of the quickest cars in last month’s test session, there could very well be a tie-in between success in Milwaukee and a feel for Phoenix.
Can Dale Coyne Racing Harness Momentum?
Everyone loves underdogs, right? So let’s check in on one of the series’ more prominent ones in Dale Coyne Racing. Not only did both DCR drivers, Romain Grosjean and Dennis Hauger, speed their way into the Firestone Fast Six a week ago at St. Petersburg, but both also finished Sunday’s race in the top 10, the team’s first double-top 10 result since WorldWide Technology Raceway in 2022.
The job now, of course, for this group is to follow up on what was done a week ago. Having a strong start to the season in race one gives any team a strong wind at its back. This weekend, DCR gets the chance to harness it.
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What Else?
Few drivers are looking forward to this weekend more than Power, who retired last week, early in his first time out with his new team at Andretti Autosport. Power and his new team don’t necessarily need to win, but having a strong overall run will do wonders toward gelling early on. If you want experience at Phoenix, look no further than Dixon, whose total of 1.206 miles logged at Phoenix leads all active drivers. This will be one of three Saturday events for the IndyCar Series this season.
Fronstretch Predictions
Throw out all the variables. At this point, pick against Palou at your own risk. Yes, the Team Penskes of the world did put effort into improving in the offseason, but did you expect Chip Ganassi to stand pat? Last Sunday said no, and that’s why any race prediction has to have Palou at the forefront with drivers from the Team Penske and ECR stables in strong consideration for a podium as well.
- Alex Palou
- Scott McLaughlin
- Christian Rasmussen
Coverage of the Good Rancher’s 250 starts at 3 p.m. ET Saturday (March 7) on FOX.
