2026 Good Ranchers 250

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Palou Chases History as IndyCar Returns to Phoenix After Eight-Year Hiatus

The NTT IndyCar Series returns to the high banks of Phoenix Raceway this weekend for the Good Ranchers 250, the second round of the 2026 season and the series' first visit to the 1-mile oval since 2018. Fresh off Alex Palou's commanding victory in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the field heads to Avondale, Arizona, for a 250-lap showdown on Saturday, March 7, at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.

Phoenix Raceway, a classic 1-mile oval with its distinctive dogleg configuration, promises high-speed action and tight racing. The event marks the first of six oval races on the 2026 calendar, setting the tone for how teams and drivers adapt to the unique demands of oval competition early in the year. With unlimited hybrid energy deployment capped at 150 kilojoules per lap, strategy around energy management will play a key role in the 250-mile distance.

Josef Newgarden enters as a proven Phoenix threat. The Nashville native and No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet driver won the most recent IndyCar race at the track in 2018, and he arrives motivated after a solid but unspectacular start to the season in St. Petersburg. Newgarden, seeking to climb the all-time laps-led list (needing 66 more to pass Dario Franchitti for ninth), thrives on ovals and could leverage Team Penske's Chevrolet power to challenge for the lead.

Scott Dixon, the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, brings his own Phoenix pedigree. The six-time series champion captured victory at the track in 2016, and enters chasing his 421st career start, extending his all-time record. Dixon's consistency and oval expertise make him a perennial contender, especially as Ganassi looks to build on Palou's early points lead.

Palou himself headlines the storylines. The defending champion and No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda driver makes his 100th NTT IndyCar Series start in the Good Ranchers 250, an impressive milestone achieved with 20 career wins already secured — meaning at least 20 percent of his first 100 races have ended in Victory Lane, a feat unmatched among active drivers. Palou has held the points lead after every race since Laguna Seca in June 2024, a remarkable 28-race streak, and while Phoenix marks his first competitive laps at the track, his form suggests he remains the driver to beat.

Only five drivers in the field have prior IndyCar experience at Phoenix: Dixon, Newgarden, Will Power (No. 26 TWG AI Andretti Global Honda), Graham Rahal (No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda) and Alexander Rossi (No. 20 Java House Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet). Power, Rahal and Rossi competed there from 2016-18, adding valuable institutional knowledge to their teams' preparations.

Preseason testing at Phoenix in February highlighted speed across the board, with Rossi posting the fastest lap overall (174.542 mph), signaling Ed Carpenter Racing's potential strength on ovals. Chevrolet-powered entries like Rossi's and Newgarden's showed competitive pace, while Honda teams led by Ganassi and Andretti Global also logged strong runs.

Rookies Caio Collet (No. 4 Combitrans Amazona AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet), Dennis Hauger (No. 19 Ault Block Chain Dale Coyne Racing Honda) and Mick Schumacher (No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda) face their first oval starts in IndyCar, adding an element of unpredictability to the 27-car field.

The weekend features a packed schedule at Phoenix Raceway (all times Mountain). Friday includes practice from 8-9 a.m., qualifying for the NTT P1 Award at 12:05 p.m. (single-car, two-lap format), the high-line group session from 2:30-3 p.m. to rubber in the preferred groove, and final practice from 3:10-4 p.m. FOX Sports provides coverage across FS2 on Friday and the main FOX broadcast for Saturday's race, with Will Buxton, Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe on the call.

This "Desert Double" weekend pairs the NTT IndyCar Series with the NASCAR Cup Series, creating a showcase of American motorsport in the Arizona sun. With historical winners like Dixon and Newgarden in the mix, Palou chasing more history and a full field eager to shine on the fast 1-mile oval, the Good Ranchers 250 sets up as a pivotal early test of championship mettle.