David Malukas impressed during the first practice session for Friday’s Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway, leading the pack on the 1-mile oval with a top speed of 175.605 mph. This marked a significant moment for Malukas and Team Penske as he pushed ahead of a field that included six other drivers who have previously won oval races in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Under clear skies and cool temperatures in the mid-50s, Malukas showcased his readiness to claim his first oval victory in the series.
Practice Performance Signals Potential Breakthrough for Malukas
Driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Malukas topped the 60-minute session by more than 1 mph, a notable feat alongside established winners like Pato O’Ward and Josef Newgarden. Malukas, who joined the powerhouse Penske team during the offseason, has accumulated five top-four finishes in 21 oval starts, including runner-up spots at the 2022 World Wide Technology Raceway and last year’s Indianapolis 500. His strong showing in Phoenix continues the momentum from his recent testing performance, where he ranked fifth fastest in the Unser INDYCAR Open Test at this same track.
“It feels really good,” Malukas said.
“The track right now, with it being so cold this morning, it’s very different. We made a few adjustments to the car to get it where it needed to be. Thankfully, having tested a few weeks ago, the car has been strong. We knew that.”
It’s going to be timing, getting it all right with wind, track temperature, all that. I trust these guys. I think we’ll have it in there. Hopefully we’ll have a good qualifying.
– David Malukas, Driver
Strong Competitors Follow Close Behind in Practice Times
Following Malukas on the speed charts were seasoned INDYCAR oval race winners, highlighting the competitive field at Phoenix. Pato O’Ward secured second place at 174.461 mph in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, while Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden finished third at 174.057 mph in the No. 2 XPEL Chevrolet. Newgarden notably won the last INDYCAR race held at Phoenix in 2018.
Christian Rasmussen, fresh off his first career INDYCAR victory last August at the Milwaukee Mile, ranked fourth at 173.967 mph driving the No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet. Will Power, recovering from a difficult opening race weekend in St. Petersburg, earned fifth place at 173.829 mph in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda for Andretti Global.
Alexander Rossi, who topped the chart during last month’s Open Test at Phoenix, recorded the sixth fastest time at 173.551 mph in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet. Scott McLaughlin rounded out the Team Penske trio in the top seven at 173.544 mph with the No. 3 Gallagher Insurance Chevrolet.
Rookie and Other Driver Highlights from Practice
Formula One alum Mick Schumacher was the fastest rookie, claiming 11th place at 173.264 mph in the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda—the quickest among his team’s three drivers during the session. Meanwhile, four-time series champion Alex Palou, who began the season with a victory in St. Petersburg, posted 18th fastest speed at 172.563 mph in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Felix Rosenqvist Faces Setback After Crash During Session
Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian encountered a significant challenge when Felix Rosenqvist’s No. 60 SiriusXM Honda suffered severe rear-end damage after a spin in Turn 2, followed by a heavy impact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 3 roughly 20 minutes into practice. Fortunately, Rosenqvist was uninjured in the incident but will require substantial repairs before the qualifying rounds.
I just lost it in Turn 2 on exit,
Rosenqvist explained.
Got a little loose in the middle, kind of recovered, and then it snapped again. I just couldn’t catch it. Super bummed.
– Felix Rosenqvist, Driver
Upcoming Qualifying and Race Weekend Overview
All attention now turns to the NTT P1 Award qualifying session scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on Friday, which will be broadcast across FS2, FOX One, the FOX Sports app, and INDYCAR Radio. The 250-lap Good Ranchers 250 race will commence at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, also available on multiple platforms. This event is part of a high-profile “Desert Double” weekend alongside NASCAR, which plans to hold a Cup Series race on the Phoenix oval on Sunday, intensifying the weekend’s competitive atmosphere for both series.
