Josef Newgarden secured his first win of the 2026 INDYCAR season on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, adding a 33rd career victory to his record. Fresh from his success on the one-mile oval, Newgarden playfully turned his attention to Team Penske’s NASCAR Cup Series drivers, urging them to match his performance in their race the following day as part of the Desert Double weekend.
Team Penske Dominates Both INDYCAR and NASCAR Events
The weekend at Phoenix has been largely dominated by Team Penske. David Malukas, driving the No. 12 Chevrolet for Penske, claimed the pole position for Saturday’s INDYCAR event and finished third behind Newgarden. Meanwhile, in the NASCAR Cup Series, Joey Logano secured pole position for Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 500, piloting the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.
Newgarden Praises INDYCAR and NASCAR Collaboration
Newgarden expressed enthusiasm for the rare crossover weekend where INDYCAR and NASCAR share the same oval track, marking a unique moment in motorsports history. He acknowledged the difficulty of his win and expressed hope for more combined weekends in the future.
“It will be so disappointing if the Cup guys do not deliver tomorrow,”
Newgarden joked during his post-race press conference.
Horribly disappointing,
added Jonathan Diuguid, president of Team Penske.
Continuing, Newgarden said,
“We got to go first. It worked out. Now you got to put the pressure on them. Look, it was very hard. I didn’t think we were going to win today, to be honest with you. It’s fun. I wish we had more weekends like this, to be honest with you. It’s fun going on an oval together.”
Newgarden Encourages More Tandem Racing Events
Following his victory, Newgarden voiced optimism about the potential for additional INDYCAR and NASCAR joint weekends beyond Phoenix. He emphasized the value for fans and the positive impact such collaboration could have on motorsports’ popularity.
“I think we could get a couple more like this,”
Newgarden said.
“I hope there [were] a lot of people that have maybe not seen an INDYCAR race in a while that are going to leave here and go, ‘Hey, I should give that another look.’
“Both should complement each other. If you’re a motorsports fan, you’re just getting way more value for your weekend to have the top-2 motorsports championships together on the same weekend. I don’t see why we can’t do a little more of this. I think it’s good for everybody.”
Significance of the Desert Double for Motorsports Fans
The Desert Double weekend at Phoenix Raceway provides a rare opportunity for fans to experience both premier motorsport series racing on the same track within a short period. Josef Newgarden’s INDYCAR win and his encouragement of the NASCAR team’s performance highlight both friendly competition and the growing appeal of collaborative events. As the season unfolds, this format could offer fans more action-packed weekends and increase engagement across multiple racing disciplines.
