Newgarden Wins Good Ranchers 250 After Malukas Claims Pole at Phoenix Raceway

Josef Newgarden took the checkered flag in the Good Ranchers 250 after David Malukas earned his first career NTT P1 Award in qualifying at phoenix raceway, setting a front row that put Team Penske in position to control the short-oval race. The 250-lap event was scheduled for 3 p. m. ET on Saturday and carried on FOX, FOX One, the FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio.

Phoenix Raceway front row set by Team Penske

Malukas grabbed his first career NTT P1 Award Friday with the fastest two-lap qualifying average of 175. 383 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, putting him on pole for the Good Ranchers 250 at phoenix raceway. Josef Newgarden qualified second for Team Penske with a two-lap average of 174. 548 mph in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, completing a Penske front row on the 1-mile desert oval.

Malukas' first NTT P1 Award and a strong short-oval showing

Malukas, who joined Team Penske in the offseason to begin his fifth year in the series, was the 13th of 24 drivers to attempt qualifying and had led practice earlier at 175. 605 mph. He said the run felt especially satisfying after several near-misses last season, when he recorded multiple P2 starting spots with AJ Foyt Racing.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing posted an improved short-oval performance: Graham Rahal qualified third at 173. 993 mph in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda, while rookie Mick Schumacher, in his first-ever oval, stunned by taking fourth at 173. 667 mph in the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda.

Scott McLaughlin completed Penske's strong qualifying by putting the No. 3 Gallagher Insurance Team Penske Chevrolet fifth at 173. 448 mph. Alexander Rossi, who led an earlier Open Test at Phoenix, qualified sixth with a two-lap average of 173. 389 mph in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet. Four-time series champion Alex Palou was the fastest of Chip Ganassi Racing's trio, qualifying 10th at 172. 980 mph in the No. 10 DHL Honda.

Crashes and missed runs reshaped the grid

The qualifying session carried consequences for several contenders. Will Power crashed in qualifying in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda and was set to start 25th after a difficult start to his tenure at Andretti Global. Felix Rosenqvist did not participate in qualifying after a heavy-practice crash left the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian heavily damaged; he was assigned to start 24th.

Those setbacks contrasted with the breakthroughs by rookies and teams that had struggled on short ovals in recent seasons, producing a varied top 10 and a Penske-loaded front half of the grid.

Josef Newgarden ultimately crossed the line first in the Good Ranchers 250, taking the checkered flag after the 250-lap race that followed Saturday's qualifying session.

The Good Ranchers 250 was scheduled for 3 p. m. ET on Saturday with coverage on FOX, FOX One, the FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio. Post-race recovery and official points updates were to follow the finish of the event.