Winners and losers from an action-packed IndyCar race at Phoenix

There was a feeling that Josef Newgarden’s moniker as ‘The Oval King’ was in danger after Team Penske teammate David Malukas got the better of him in qualifying and captured the pole, and then again during the race when ECR’s Christian Rasmussen’s daring outside passes put on a show that propelled him to the front. In the end, though, it was Newgarden surging on a late restart from 10th and making the winning pass with seven laps to go, reminding everyone why he’s the standard they’re chasing anytime the IndyCar Series races on an oval.

There was no shortage of action and drama around Phoenix Raceway’s 1-mile tri-oval, with plenty of winners and losers once the checkered flag fell.

WINNER: Josef Newgarden

Josef Newgarden, Team Penske

This one is obvious. Anytime someone charges from 10th to first with 33 laps to go, they’ll make the cut on the good side of this list. And that is exactly what Newgarden, driver of the #2 Chevrolet, did en route to the 33rd victory of his storied career. The Tennessee native only led eight laps, including the last seven after getting around the #27 Andretti Global Honda of Kyle Kirkwood – who was on older tires – and rolling to a 1.7937s margin of victory.

It also elevated Newgarden, a two-time series champion, to the top of the points standings, holding a five-point advantage over Kirkwood. Lastly, the result marked the 12th consecutive season Newgarden has scored at least one victory in the IndyCar Series.

WINNER: Kyle Kirkwood

Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian

For the second consecutive week, Kirkwood showed flashes of being a threat to win. To say his performance was unexpected would be a disservice to the improvements Andretti Global have made, but the ‘how’ should certainly be getting people’s attention.

There was one instance midway through the race when the caution waved on Lap 142 of 250 and the majority of the field opted to pit for fresh tires; Kirkwood, along with teammate Will Power, stayed out. Despite the significant disadvantage of being out on tires 25 laps older than his rivals, Kirkwood was able to hold the lead and keep the field at bay until Lap 190 – pitting two laps later and kickstarting the next cycle of stops for the majority of the field.

And the Floridian nearly replicated that same strategy to victory, staying out on the last caution and then passing Rasmussen with eight laps to go for the race lead, only to lose it moments later to Newgarden. Kirkwood’s performance, which included leading 47 laps, showcased Andretti Global’s continued progress on short ovals, and now sits second in the title race thanks to it.

LOSER: Christian Rasmussen

Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing

There is no denying that Rasmussen was a force, putting on a show with passing on the high side while vaulting from 18th to first and leading a race-high 69 laps. Those bold outside moves, which he prominently displayed en route to his first IndyCar win last season at The Milwaukee Mile, was on display again in Phoenix.

For all the fearlessness Rasmussen has, though, it also put him in a few precarious positions.

With 43 laps to go, the Dane was in a fight for the lead with Power and was attempting a pass on the outside of Turn 2 when the two came together. Power’s #26 Andretti Global drifted to the right trying to stop the run, but Rasmussen’s front wing was already there. The contact pushed Rasmussen’s #21 Chevrolet into the wall, somehow not immediately ending his day or breaking the front wing, while Power nursed a flat right-rear tire to pit road for a replacement.

The incident brought out a caution and Rasmussen opted to stay out and assumed the race lead, and held it until eight laps to go when Kirkwood got around. Despite his admirable fight, though, Rasmussen’s wounded ride, with significant suspension damage, worsened and he dropped down to 14th.

WINNER: Everyone Watching

It’s only the second round of the 2026 season but a case can already be made for Phoenix – which was a rare shared weekend with NASCAR – being a race of the year candidate.

There were 18 lead changes among 11 leaders, with constant action throughout the field courtesy of tire wear and the high line developing early. And the proof was in the statistics, with 565 on-track passes, 323 passes for position, with 145 of those in the top 10 and 60 in the top five – all records at track located in the Valley of the Sun.

LOSER: Juncos Hollinger Racing

Qualifying delivered a healthy surprise after the Juncos Hollinger Racing duo of VeeKay and Sting Ray Robb ended up eighth and 12th, respectively.

That’s where the good times stopped rolling, though.

VeeKay’s aforementioned incident with Palou left him wounded and never being able to recover the pace that propelled the Dutchman into the top five. He was left five laps down and finishing a lowly 22nd.

Robb struggled to convert the qualifying pace to the race, losing ground on every stint as the #77 was unable to keep up with the tire falloff. In the end, he was left finishing four laps down in 21st.