Josef Newgarden captured his first victory of the 2026 INDYCAR season at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, drawing attention to his Penske teammates in the NASCAR division as the Desert Double weekend unfolded in Avondale, Arizona. The spotlight turned to Penske NASCAR driver highlights, especially with Team Penske’s drivers dominating both poles across INDYCAR and NASCAR Cup Series events.
Team Penske Claims the INDYCAR Win and Pole Position
Saturday’s action at the one-mile desert track saw Team Penske’s David Malukas claim pole position in the No. 12 Chevrolet, setting the stage for a strong team performance. Josef Newgarden followed this up with his 33rd career victory and his second consecutive INDYCAR win at Phoenix Raceway, reaffirming his standing after a previous triumph at the venue in 2018. Malukas continued the team success by finishing third, joining Newgarden and Kyle Kirkwood on the podium to celebrate another significant Team Penske achievement.
Penske NASCAR Team Aims High as Weekend Continues
As INDYCAR wrapped up its portion of the weekend, all eyes moved to Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, with Penske’s Joey Logano set to lead the field from pole position in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford for the Straight Talk Wireless 500. The transition between the series heightened anticipation, especially after Newgarden, in a playful nudge to his NASCAR teammates, stated,
“It will be so disappointing if the Cup guys do not deliver tomorrow,”
– Josef Newgarden, Winner. Team Penske president Jonathan Diuguid echoed this sentiment, describing the possibility as, “Horribly disappointing.”
INDYCAR, NASCAR Crossover Weekend Sparks Excitement
The unique structure of the Desert Double, which sees both INDYCAR and NASCAR racing on the same oval over the same weekend for the first time, received praise from Newgarden, who enthusiastically discussed the event’s crossover appeal. He noted the energy and challenge involved, stating,
“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.”
– Josef Newgarden, Winner.
Newgarden encouraged building on this partnership between racing series, mentioning,
“I think we could get a couple more like this,”
– Josef Newgarden, Winner. He highlighted how fans benefited from experiencing both motorsport championships in one weekend, emphasizing that,
“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.”
– Josef Newgarden, Winner.
Significance of Penske’s Weekend Performance
Team Penske’s dominance in both qualifying sessions and Newgarden’s passionate endorsement of crossover racing has cast a spotlight on the organization’s versatility between INDYCAR and NASCAR disciplines. With Joey Logano prepared to lead the NASCAR field, the outcome of the weekend could reinforce Penske’s reputation for cultivating championship-caliber drivers and teams. As fans await Sunday’s Cup race and reflect on the thrilling INDYCAR contest, Phoenix stands as a powerful example of how collaboration between racing series can elevate the spectator experience and showcase the talents of figures like Josef Newgarden, Joey Logano, and David Malukas. The ongoing success and excitement generated by this doubleheader could set a new standard for motorsport weekends to come.
