The NTT INDYCAR SERIES held two offseason test sessions at Phoenix Raceway, though both were limited to two-car Firestone tire tests.

It’s been eight years since the series last competed on the 1-mile Arizona oval, and much has changed – from the cars themselves to the track configuration.

So how are the 25 drivers participating in the Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway maximizing 11 hours of track time spread across two days, beginning with five hours Tuesday?

Six drivers have prior Phoenix experience: Scott Dixon (six starts), and Will Power, Graham Rahal, Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi have three starts each.

Dixon and Rossi tested here in November and Newgarden and Power in January.

Newgarden was second fastest in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet with a top speed of 172.021 mph. Teammate David Malukas was fastest at 172.605 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

“We got a lot of good learnings,” Newgarden said.

Pato O’Ward (photo, top) was 16th fastest in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, but speed wasn’t a goal for the Mexican star.

“This is a new race for me,” O’Ward said. “Obviously, the ovals require a bit more caution whenever the car isn’t really to your liking. You need something that’s underneath you. If it’s not, the delta from good to bad is big.

“You have to be comfortable. You have to be happy with what you have, and this test is a huge opportunity to understand the car in every aspect rather than just doing a performance run and guessing what it’s going to be like in the first stint.”

Among O’Ward’s nine career victories, four have come on ovals. He scored the second-most oval points across six races last season, underscoring his strength on circle tracks.

“INDYCAR oval racing is a big part of what the fans love,” O’Ward said. “I share that same passion. It’s obviously very different from street and road courses, so it’s been good to add a new one.”

Palou Adjusts to Phoenix

Entering the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, the lone criticism of Alex Palou was his lack of oval victories. His first 11 wins came on road and street circuits.

That changed in dramatic fashion last season. Palou won the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and captured the second race of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader. He also finished runner-up at Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway, accumulating the most oval points of any driver.

Phoenix Raceway, however, is new territory for the Spaniard.

In his first starts at other ovals, Palou needed time to adjust. He finished 23rd at Texas Motor Speedway, 28th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 11th at Iowa Speedway and 15th at World Wide Technology Raceway in his debuts at those tracks. The key differences? The series had years of recent data at those venues, and Palou debuted at those tracks with Dale Coyne Racing in 2020 before moving to the powerful Ganassi team in 2021.

When INDYCAR returned to Milwaukee Mile in 2024 for the first time since 2015, Palou finished fifth in his debut there. At Nashville Superspeedway -- another track returning to the calendar for the first time since 2008 -- he finished 11th while managing the points race en route to the championship.

Two full days of testing ahead of the series’ first Phoenix event since 2018 could provide Palou an advantage. He was fifth fastest (171.357) in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda on Tuesday.

“Normally at ovals, it’s about how you feel with the car, whether you have the confidence to push and attack it and really be on top of it instead of letting the car drive you,” Palou said.

“We don’t usually get much testing time on ovals. It’s really only at IMS where we have multiple days. At most other ovals, we get maybe an hour before qualifying, and you can’t experiment much.

“It’s exciting, even though it’s a new track, and we’re starting from zero. You always want to go fast -- even if you’re not chasing lap time, you want to feel fast.

“But testing here makes it easier to put together a big lap compared to a race weekend, when you only get two qualifying laps and then the race, with everyone on the same fuel and setup.

“I just want to feel confident with the car.”

Alex Palou

Palou Awarded ‘Baby Borg’ at Phoenix Raceway

Palou continues to bask in the celebration of his Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge victory from last May.

Reigning series champion Palou (photo, above) received his Championship Driver’s Trophy, better known as the “Baby Borg,” during a ceremony Tuesday at Phoenix Raceway.

The 20-inch trophy is a miniature version of the iconic Borg-Warner Trophy and features Palou’s name, team, average speed and a sculpted sterling silver likeness.

The Baby Borg was first awarded in 1988, with the Championship Team Owner’s Trophy introduced 10 years later.

By comparison, the Borg-Warner Trophy was unveiled in 1935. The sterling silver trophy stands more than 5 feet, 4¾ inches tall and weighs more than 110 pounds. It features the sculpted face of every Indianapolis 500 winner since 1911, as well as former Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman.

Palou’s next “500”-related appearance comes Tuesday, Feb. 24, in Fishers, Indiana, for the ticket design unveiling for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Clarience Expands Partnership with Team Penske

Team Penske announced Tuesday that Clarience Technologies will serve as the primary sponsor for two races on the No. 3 Chevrolet driven by Scott McLaughlin.

The first primary appearance will come at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on May 31, followed by the opening race of the Milwaukee Mile doubleheader Aug. 29.

Clarience will also appear as a season-long associate sponsor on both McLaughlin’s No. 3 entry and the No. 12 Chevrolet driven by David Malukas.

FOX Sports Finalizes 2026 INDYCAR Broadcast Team

FOX Sports begins its second season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES coverage with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 1, at noon ET on FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One and the FOX Sports app.

Will Buxton returns as play-by-play announcer and will once again be joined in the booth by analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Pit reporters include Jack Harvey, Georgia Henneberry and Kevin Lee.

Jamie Little joins the team for the INDYCAR/NASCAR “Desert Double” at Phoenix Raceway and for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 24.

Award-winning producer Pam Miller returns as lead producer, with Emmy Award winner Mitch Riggin again serving as director.

FOX INDYCAR enters 2026 following a successful inaugural season that produced a 27 percent year-over-year viewership increase and the series’ most-watched season in 17 years.

Odds and Ends

  • Teams return to the track Wednesday for two sessions: Cars will be on track from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET and 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET.
  • Wednesday features free admission for fans, including an autograph session from 12:45-1:15 p.m. MT.
  • Billboards across the Phoenix area promote the shared NASCAR/NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader March 6-8, including the Good Ranchers 250 on March 7 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. The campaign features a side-by-side image of Kyle Busch’s No. 8 NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet and the No. 26 Andretti Global Honda driven by Power. Busch won the Daytona 500 pole. Could that signal good fortune for Power in the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge? Power owns a series-record 71 career poles – but none in the “500.” He was third fastest Tuesday (171.706).
  • Chevrolet held the top six speeds for much of the afternoon, but Honda surged in the final hour, claiming five of the top seven spots on the speed chart.