Starting the season with a flurry of races is taking some getting used to. Not that I object. It is a great thing for the series to not have three weeks off after St. Pete. This weekend is a two day show at Phoenix Raceway with the good Ranchers 250 on Saturday afternoon.

The event is the earliest oval on the schedule in quite some time, and it’s about time the series has an oval race before the Indianapolis 500. Teams that are strong on ovals have an early opportunity to gain some traction in the points. Rookies can get some oval experience.

It is possible that someone not named Alex Palou could lead the points going into Arlington next weekend,

Phoenix Raceway opened in 1964 and was a pre-Indy staple on the IndyCar schedule for many years. A second race was run in the fall as well. Times changed, and NASCAR bought the track. IndyCar returned for three years from 2016-2018, with races run in front of meager crowds.

For 2026, IndyCar runs at Phoenix on a shared weekend with NASCAR. I don’t mind an occasional shared weekend with the stock car series, but I think for the first two races of the season, IndyCar should showcase its product in standalone events.

The track configuration has changed since 2018, with the starting line moved to between the old turns 1 and 2. As Felix Rosenqvist told me last week, it’s the same track.

The question is how many lines there will be. A high line practice is scheduled for Friday afternoon to help rubber in a second line. How much will the rubber from the NASCAR tires affect the grip is another thing to watch for.

Experience Helpful?

Just five drivers- Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, Alexander Rossi, and Will Power- have raced at Phoenix. Will their experience give this quintet an edge? It’s hard to say. While the open test at the track a few weeks ago was mainly to find a setup, how the track races is still unknown. We might get an idea during tomorrow’s practice sessions.

Rookies

The trio of rookies get their first taste of IndyCar oval racing early, and as Dennis Hauger said the other day, it will be a weekend of learning. Hauger is realistic about his chances Saturday. He and Caio Collet got some oval work in last year in IndyNXT, but IndyCar is completely different.

Mick Schumacher, whose IndyCar debut lasted just three corners in St. Pete should get some laps in this time. Saturday will be Schumacher’s first oval race ever.

I look for Team Penske to be very strong this weekend, and either Josef Newgarden or Scott McLaughlin should win.

St. Pete Postscript

Just a couple notes about last weekend.

Attendance continues to grow for this event. Grandstands were full every day.

The truck race was much better than I expected it to be, but if this race continues, it needs to be shortened to about 65 laps. The trucks definitely helped the Saturday crowd, and it added a lot of value to the weekend.

I’m not sure the two stint rule for the alternate tires is necessary. It did not improve the racing, and the early yellow made satisfying the requirement too easy.