IndyCar: Afternoon Report from Phoenix International Raceway
Good afternoon from sunny Avondale, Arizona for Day 1 of the Unser IndyCar Open Test for the NTT INDYCAR Series. The temperature is 64 degrees which feels good to a Midwesterner coming from Indiana.
The1 mile track has changed since the last time IndyCar raced here in 2018. The frontstretch has been widened an additional ten feet . The frontstretch grandstand were demolished and rebuilt, the Allison Grandstand was extended, the track’s infield was redesigned and the start-finish line was shifted after turn two and before the dogleg.
Only four of the current drivers have ever driven here. Scott Dixon, who won in 2009, Will Power, Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi.
Alex Palou, the 2025 Series Champion, talked about what he intends to accomplish in the two day test.
“Normally at ovals, it’s just about how you feel with the car, if you have confidence to push and attack the car and be, like, on top of the car and not just allowing the car to drive you and take you around.”
“A lot of subtle changes. I think normally we don’t really have much time to test on ovals. It’s only at IMS that we really have days or hours to do any testing. On all other ovals we just have like one hour before qualifying and you cannot really test much.”
“It’s exciting. Although it’s a new track, so we’re starting from zero. But at least tomorrow we’ll be able to do a lot of changes.”
“But at the same time, it’s just a lot easier, I feel, here when it comes to testing to get a super big lap compared to when you come here on the race weekend and you only have two qualifying laps and then the race. Everybody on the same fuel, setup and everything.”
“I just want to feel confident with the car.”
The Rookies for 2026 just finished an hour long practice session with AJ Foyt’s Caio Collet going the fastest over Dennis Hauger and Mick Schumacher.
Stay tuned for updates as all the drivers are allowed on track now until 4 pm.
Lucille Dust reporting live from Phoenix