Pato O’Ward was in position to contend for the victory in the Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.

He was second when the final caution flew on Lap 207 after Will Power and Christian Rasmussen touched exiting Turn 2 on the 1-mile oval while dueling for the lead.

O’Ward was among seven drivers who pitted under caution on Lap 212 (photo, top). He restarted ninth -- the highest-running driver with fresh Firestone Firehawk tires.

He gained two positions on the Lap 218 restart. By Lap 223, he climbed to fifth. Three laps later, he moved to fourth.

O’Ward appeared to be charging toward his 10th career victory. Instead, the surge stalled, and he finished fourth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Josef Newgarden used the same strategy to win the race in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet.

O’Ward said he struggled with the car’s balance late in the race.

“It was a busy one in the cockpit today just with moving tools,” O’Ward said. “I couldn’t quite get it to where I needed to be. The middle of the race we were pretty sporty, but then I really started struggling with the car. It wasn’t just one issue, so it was a little difficult.”

O’Ward led 10 laps Saturday but had to explore the high line to keep pace with the leaders.

“Every time you go there, it makes you want to change your pants,” O’Ward said.

Despite missing the win, O’Ward earned the 50th top-five finish in his 108th career start.

“It was a pretty crazy race,” O’Ward said. “I think it was very good for the fans. Josef (Newgarden) was obviously pretty stout. And I remember (Christian) Rasmussen literally bouncing off the walls. He was fast out there.”

O’Ward enters the Java House Arlington Grand Prix on Sunday, March 15 (noon ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Sports app, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio, powered by OnlyBulls) fourth in the standings, 15 points behind leader Newgarden.

He climbed from eighth to finish fifth in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 1 and again drove from Row 4 – seventh – to a top-five result.

“Two top-five finishes to start the year feels solid,” O’Ward said.

Armstrong Pleased With Oval Top Five

Marcus Armstrong had no oval experience before joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023.

That season he competed only on road and street circuits. Strong performances earned him a full-time ride in 2024.

In just his 14th oval start, Armstrong raced near the front Saturday in the 250-lap race on a sun-splashed Arizona day.

The New Zealand native climbed from 13th to finish fifth in the No. 66 ROOT Insurance Honda for Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian.

“I was maxed out just making sure I finished the race,” Armstrong said. “But the high line works for me.”

Armstrong recorded four top-10 finishes in six oval starts last season, including a third-place finish in the second race of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader.

He credits fellow New Zealander Scott Dixon for helping shape his oval approach. Dixon leads the current field with 25 career oval victories.

Armstrong spent two seasons as Dixon’s teammate at Chip Ganassi Racing. He remains closely connected through Meyer Shank Racing’s technical alliance with Ganassi.

“I have the Meister Scott Dixon to learn from,” Armstrong said. “That’s kind of cool.

“I’m just doing what feels right and following my intuition. That’s what I like about ovals, you have to trust your instincts.”

On Lap 218, Armstrong passed Dixon for fourth place.

“He gave me space, which is cool,” Armstrong said. “Racing Scott is awesome. I’ve said it a million times. I grew up watching him. Racing him wheel-to-wheel is so cool. He has so much aggression and always puts the car in a good spot, so it’s always difficult to pass him.”

Armstrong said he studies Dixon’s film and data to better understand his oval success.

“I often speak to him about what he thinks of the car,” Armstrong said. “We work together in that sense. Unless you ask him something specific, he’s not going to tell you.”

Phoenix Raceway

Dixon Compares Phoenix Race to Past Eras

Dixon entered the race with the most Phoenix experience in the 25-driver field. Saturday marked his seventh start at the track.

In six previous Phoenix races, Dixon recorded four top-five finishes, including a victory in 2016 when he led 155 of 250 laps. He also finished second in 2004, fourth in 2018 and fifth in 2017.

He charged from 15th to finish seventh in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda on Saturday.

Dixon said the racing was significantly better than in previous Phoenix events during the series’ earlier eras at the track, from 2003-05 and 2016-18.

“It was actually really good because you could use the second lane, especially on new tires,” Dixon said. “The crossovers were exciting. The different tire strategies were good.”

The race (photo, above) featured 565 on-track passes, including 323 for position. Among those were 145 passes in the top 10 and 60 in the top five. All are INDYCAR SERIES records at Phoenix Raceway.

Hauger, Penske Drivers To Attend Sunday’s Cup Race

Some drivers are staying in the Phoenix area to attend the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday as part of the “Desert Double.”

Dale Coyne Racing rookie Dennis Hauger is among them, along with Team Penske drivers Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin and David Malukas.

2025 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Hauger said he became a NASCAR fan while growing up in Norway. One of the country’s sports stations aired races, and he quickly gravitated toward Jeff Gordon.

Hauger met Gordon during Indianapolis 500 qualifying last May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when Gordon attended to watch Kyle Larson as part of a contingent from Hendrick Motorsports.

He has never attended a NASCAR race in person, which made the opportunity in Phoenix appealing.

Ryan Blaney

Odds and Ends

  • Saturday was Newgarden’s 30th career victory with Team Penske. He’s tied with Helio Castroneves for second-most in INDYCAR SERIES history with the team. Power’s 42 is most.
  • Four drivers have finished in the top-10 of both races this season. Newgarden (second, eighth), O’Ward (fifth, fourth), McLaughlin (second, eighth) and Kyle Kirkwood (fourth, second).
  • Kirkwood trails series leader Newgarden by five points entering the third race of the season. McLaughlin is 12 points behind in third.
  • 2014 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Kurt Busch walked the pre-race grid. Busch finished sixth in that year’s race. He won the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series championship and was voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame this offseason.
  • Two-time Brickyard 400 winner Dale Jarrett, who has moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, attended Saturday’s race. Jarrett said he once hoped to test INDYCAR SERIES machinery during his NASCAR career but never had the opportunity.
  • Team Penske NASCAR drivers Ryan Blaney (photo, above) and Austin Cindric visited the pre-race grid and chatted with McLaughlin and Newgarden. Blaney wore a Rick Mears four-time Indianapolis 500 champion T-shirt.
  • FOX NASCAR analyst and former NASCAR Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer led the field to the green flag as a passenger in the Fastest Seat in Sports two-seat INDYCAR SERIES car.