A sluggish pit stop should have ruined Kyle Kirkwood’s day. Instead, he hunted down Alex Palou, pulled off a bold pass and left Arlington as the new championship leader.
After more than a decade of near misses, Ericsson finally delivered a pole lap with authority — just as title contenders were busy crashing and scrambling on Arlington’s unforgiving streets.
A late caution, a fresh set of Firestones and a very determined Josef Newgarden turned the closing laps at Phoenix Raceway into a perfectly timed ambush.
For a driver who seemed permanently stuck in second place last season, David Malukas finally flipped the script Friday at Phoenix Raceway, grabbing his first career IndyCar pole and putting himself in the perfect spot to chase an even bigger first.
Scott McLaughlin had pole. The alternates had grip. The strategy charts had drama. None of it mattered once Palou found clean air and decided he’d quite like to stay there.
Team Penske spent last year answering uncomfortable questions. On Saturday at St. Petersburg, Scott McLaughlin answered with a lap quick enough to make the entire field blink.
After 20 races of nothing but frustration, Josef Newgarden finally gave the hometown fans what they’d been waiting for—a win that felt like it belonged on Broadway’s main stage.
Christian Rasmussen got the break he needed from Mother Nature, and then he and Ed Carpenter Racing did the rest.