IndyCar News: Malukas Wins his First Career Pole at Phoenix Raceway

David Malukas will start on the pole for Saturday’s Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway after clocking the fastest laps in  Friday’s qualifying session.  Driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, the American posted a blistering speed of  175.383 mph around the 1-mile oval.

“Finally!” Malukas said. “I’m so happy. So many P2s. The story of ovals last season was we had it, waited until the last few guys and then boom, you get P2. But finally we got it.”

Malukas was the 13th of 24 drivers to make a qualifying attempt today on the 1-mile desert oval at Phoenix after leading practice this morning at 175.605.

“I think the track got in our favor a little bit; it seemed like it was getting a bit worse. It feels so good. What a way to start our Phoenix race day tomorrow.”

Malukas’ teammate, Josef Newgarden,  driver of the No 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet entry, will start next to Malukas on the front row after posting an average speed of 175.548 mph.   

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin will start fifth in his No 3 Gallagher Insurance Chevrolet after his average of 174.548mph.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Graham Rahal, driver of the No 15 Fifth Third Bank entry, will start third after turning an average of 173.993 mph.

“For our team, it’s not race day, but this means so much to have this sort of qualifying performance. When I saw Mick’s time, I knew it was going to be hard for everyone to beat. And then when I saw my first lap time I just wanted to keep pushing. To be hanging with the Penske cars is not something we can say we’ve done on a short oval in a really long time—maybe ever. I’ll take it, especially as the top Honda! We’ve worked really freaking hard on short ovals and it’s just nice to feel the reward of that for everybody. All the guys and gals and engineers have worked so hard, and it just feels good.”

Rahal’s rookie teammate, Mick Schumacher,  driver of the No 47 RRL entry, will start fourth after recording an average of  173.667 mph.

“We knew what we had to do, and we managed to put a good couple of laps together,” Formula One veteran Schumacher said. “I’m excited to run the race. It’s going to be a whole different situation in the race with traffic and everything, so it’s going to be tough.”

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin will start fifth in his No 3 Gallagher Insurance Chevrolet and his average speed of 173.448 mph.

ECR’s Alexander Rossi will start sixth in his No 20 Java House Chevrolet after an average speed of 173.389 mph.

Four-time series champion Alex Palou, who won the season opener last Sunday at St. Petersburg, qualified 10th at 172.980 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda as the fastest of Ganassi’s three drivers.

Will Power, in his No 26 Andretti Global Honda,  only made one qualifying lap before spinning and making contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2.

WILL POWER SPINS IN QUALS 🫣 pic.twitter.com/nT5YDAo9T0

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) March 6, 2026

“The car was just loose, and I did not stay ahead of it.  I was not adjusting.”

“Very surprised and disappointed.”

The Australian was seen and released to drive by the IndyCar Medical Unit, but will start the race second from last.

Qualifying Results

Lucille Dust reporting