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Malukas Takes First Pole; Schumacher Grabs the Headlines

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Some thoughts on qualifying:

Imagine winning your first IndyCar pole yet being only the second biggest story of the day. David Malukas won the pole for the race at Phoenix this afternoon. It is a huge accomplishment for him in only his second race at Team Penske replacing the legend, Will Power. I’m sure the pole takes some pressure off of him.

A first career pole for anyone is a great story, but today, a bigger story took place. Mick Schumacher, driving in competition for the first time on an oval qualified fourth- yes 4th. Schumacher held the provisional pole through seven challenges, and he was only bested by Malukas, Josef Newgarden, and his teammate Graham Rahal.

Mick Schumacher

Will Power is off to a difficult start at Andretti Global. He crashed twice last weekend at St. Pete, and today he crashed during qualifying on his second lap. Power complained of pain in his knees after the crash, He will start in the last row tomorrow with Félix Rosenqvist, whose car did not get repaired in time to make a qualifying run.

I did not expect things to be so rough for Power. I knew it would take time to adjust to a new team, but this is beyond what anyone anticipated.

Graham Rahal had his best qualifying effort on an oval since IndyCar raced at Richmond. RLL locked out the second row with Rahal and Schumacher. RLL appears to be much improved on ovals in2026. I hope this carries over to the Indianapolis 500, where they have str4uggled lately.

Six teams qualified cars in the top 10. In addition to Penske and Rahal, McLaren place two cars near the front with Pato O’Ward seventh and Nolan Siegel ninth, Alexander Rossi placed ECR in sixth, Rinus VeeKay qualified eighth for Juncos Hollinger racing, and Alex Palou will start 10th for Ganassi.

FOXSports continues tgo treat IndyCar as a sideshow this weekend. As Malukas, the obvious pole favorite was on track for his qualifying run, FOX decided this was a good time to take up past of the screen and interview Joey Logano, a Nascar driver. They could have had a word with him while Malukas was on his cool down lap instead of interrupting one ofr the two runs I really wanted to watch today. I hope lots of IndyCar drivers get airtime during the nascar shows. End of rant.

Results

McLaughlin Pole Overshadowed by Hauger, Coyne Showing

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Some notes on qualifying:

Scott McLaughlin continued the fast pace he has shown all weekend and captured the pole for tomorrow’s Firestone Grand of St. Petersburg, but the buzz is all about rookie Dennis Hauger and the performance of Dale Coyne Racing.

Rookie Hauger, the 2025 IndyNXT champion who won several poles last year, will start third tomorrow in his first IndyCar race. His teammate Romain Grosjean will star sixth. Hauger is on loan to Coyne from Andretti Global, who has formed a technical alliance with Coyne. Grosjean officially got the second Coyne ride just 10 days ago.

McLaughlin led Friday’s practice and was seventh overall this morning. The pole was McLaughlin’s third at St. Pete, and he has one win. In 2025 a tire strategy call cost him the race.

Marcus Ericsson will start second, two hundredths of a second behind McLaughlin. Both front row starters have won this race, and both are coming off less than ideal seasons. Tomorrow’s race could be one of redemption for someone.

2025 St. Pete winner and series champion Alex Palou will start fourth.

David Malukas had a nice debut with Team Penske earning the fifth spot on the grid.

Newgarden’s Woes Continue

Josef Ne4wgarden hoped his win at Nashville in the 2025 season finale would provide a boost to the start of 2026. Yesterday he had an incident in practice, and he failed tom get out of the first round when his brakes locked upon his final lap. I look for him to move uo through the field tomorrow.

Results

Good Morning from St. Pete

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Greetings from cool, cloudy, foggy St. Petersburg as activity is already underway for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. USF 200 just completed qualifying, and Mazda MX-5 Cup cars will qualify in about 15 minutes.

As you can see from the photo, the fog has not completely left,m but the sky is getting brighter, but still cloudy. IndyCar is still scheduled for a 1:35 practice session.

The morning began with some major news. Chip Ganassi and McLaren have reached an unspecified settlement in thel awsuit in which McLaren was awarded $12 million dollars. Ganassi said he and Zak Brown had “a good conversation.”

Chip Ganassi Racing and A;ex Palou each issued statements about the settlement>

I am glad that this matter is closed. It has been a lingering cloud over the series, and I’m sure it was on Palou’s mind as well.

10 Titles

It was a treat this morning when four time series champion Dario Franchitti and six time series champ Scott Dixon mad an appearance. Dixon is looking for his first win at St. pete and his 60th career victory this season. Franchitti, retired from IndyCar since 2013, will be driving in the NASCAR Truck series race tomorrow.

Dario said he wasn’t nervous yet, but might be once he gets in the truck. Dixon was relieved that Franchitti isn’t coming back to IndyCar.

Both drivers expressed a desire to try out the Mazda MX-5 cup series some day.

Sorting

These photos are to help me mostly, but I hope it helps you keep these two cars straight starting Sunday.

Will Power is in this car:

David Malukas is in this car:

I hope this helps.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced a sponsor for rookie Mick Schumacher this morning.

Looking Around

As I walked around the track this morning, I noticed what seemed to be a significant increase in concessions, especially behind the first turn grandstands. It wasn’t too long ago that you mostly saw the grandstand structures and some port a potties. The area has become quite dense.

New and more numerous video boards are in place. There is one closer to turn 1, so the fans there don’t have to fight the glare of the sun to see the board just past the start/finish line across from the pits.

I will be back after IndyCar practice with a wrap up of the day.

Malukas Opens Penske Tenure by Leading First Day of Phoenix Open Test

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Note: Timing and scoring is available on the IndyCar app.

From IndyCar:

  AVONDALE, Arizona (Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026) – That was quite an entrance from David Malukas.Malukas led the first day of the Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway on Tuesday, his first official NTT INDYCAR SERIES test session since joining Team Penske after the 2025 season. Malukas was fastest on the 1-mile desert oval with a lap of 172.605 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

SEE: Day 1 Results | Open Test Entry List

“It feels good to be P1, but at the end of the day, we just ran through our test items,” Malukas said. “From that perspective, that’s what truly matters, and everything went very well. We’ve learned so many different things. Everything felt very clear. We got a lot of answers.”
Chicago-area native Malukas, 24, joined Team Penske after four seasons with three teams, including AJ Foyt Racing in 2025. His pace on short ovals shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, as two of his three career podium finishes have come on the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway oval near St. Louis.
Malukas paced a 1-2 result for Team Penske on the opening day of the two-day test at Phoenix Raceway as the winningest team in INDYCAR SERIES history looks to rebound from a sub-par 2025 season.

Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden was second overall among 25 drivers on track at 172.201 in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet.
2018 series champion Will Power, who Malukas replaced at Team Penske, was third at 171.706 in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda as he begins his tenure at Andretti Global after 16 full-time seasons with the Penske team. Power’s teammate Kyle Kirkwood was fourth at 171.423 in the No. 27 Siemens Honda.
Reigning and four-time series champion Alex Palou rounded out the top five at 171.357 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian, which put two drivers in the top 10 of the final standings for the first time last season, also opened 2026 with speed. Marcus Armstrong was sixth at 170.919 in the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda, followed by Felix Rosenqvist at 170.489 in the team’s No. 60 Honda.

2025 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Dennis Hauger was the fastest of the three rookies on track, ending up 17th overall at 169.259 in the No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda fielded by Dale Coyne Racing.
Another rookie, Formula One veteran Mick Schumacher, was 23rd at 164.006 in the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda. Schumacher, son of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher, was turning oval laps for just the second time in his career after his first circle-track test Feb. 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His 109 laps completed were the third-highest total today, behind ECR teammates Christian Rasmussen (128 laps) and Alexander Rossi (118).
The other rookie, 2025 INDY NXT runner-up Caio Collet, was involved in the only incident of the day. Collet made slight contact in Turn 4 in his No. 4 COMBITRANS AMAZONIA Chevrolet fielded by AJ Foyt Racing. He climbed from the car without help and was unhurt.

Testing will continue Wednesday in the final dress rehearsal for the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Cars will be on track from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET and 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET.

The 2026 season starts with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 1 on the streets of St. Petersburg (noon on FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network), followed by the Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday, March 7 at Phoenix. It’s the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Phoenix since 2018. 

Freedom 250: A Slippery Slope

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On Friday a presidential exe3cutive order authorized an IndyCar street race in Washington, D.C., for the weekend of Augst 21-23. The race, named the Freedom 250, will add an 18th race to the 2026 IndyCar calendar. The announcement has created a divide among IndyCar fans, and it has raised many questions.

First, I want to look at three positive aspects of a race in D.C. :

The schedule is now 18 races, closer to the 20 race calendar I have always thought ideal. It does not eliminate an oval race, which would have killed my support for the race completely.

It satisfies the need for an East coast race.

IndyCar should gain massive exposure from the event.

I have always felt that 17 races was too short a schedule. A 20 race schedule means a longer exposure and a possibly shorter off season. One can watch past races for only so long.

Since the last race at Watkins Glen in2019, IndyCar has not raced on the East coast. Richmond was pulled from the schedule because of Covid in 2020, and it never returned to the calendar. I think the series should have at least three races in the east.

The potential television audience could make this race one of the top three audiences of the season. The pr4omotion from FOX will be heavy.

As great as the positives are, many questions remain:

Preparation time- track layout (TBA); logistics; security.

Funding

Focusing on the race.

First time street race blues.

My understanding is that talks were held last August regarding an event in the nation’s capital for the 250th birthday of the United States. I do not, know how far the talks progressed, but apparently, they progressed enough that the race made the calendar. Still, putting together a street race in 6 months seems like a very tall task, especially in a city like Washington. Other street races have had years in the planning before being brought to life.

We still have no idea what the track layout is. I think the teams would want to know this to get a baseline setup. I wonder if there will be time to scan the track for a sim.

Security is another concern. I expect it to be extremely high.

I have a friend who works in DC who told this event will be a logistical nightmare.

Who is paying for this race? Team and supplier budgets have been set for a 17 race season. Sponsors have paid for 17 races, although I think teams will not have a problem getting sponsorship for this event.

Extra tires need to be covered, as well as lodging for team members and drivers (I don’t think their motorhomes will be allowed to park at the White House.)

Will IndyCar reset the engine limitations? A fifth engine? More miles?

If this is to be an IndyCar race weekend, I want the focus to be on the race, including the opening ceremonies. I don’t want any delays because a certain government official decides to delay his appearance, nor would I want that certain official to draw attention to himself and away from the event

.Inaugural street races are prone to last minute glitches. The first year at Nashville’ street course greeted fans with unfinished bleachers and a course that needed some last minute corrections. Is there any incentive at a one off event to improve any issues?

While I may not care for the principals involved in running this event, I am happy to see an extra race on the calendar in a region sorely in need of IndyCar events. It’s a risk worth taking for a series that has suffered many setbacks with hyped events in the past.

Content Days Begin with Incomplete Grid, Scheduling Questions

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IndyCar Content days begin at noon today with driver interviews and continue through tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately, the complete full time field will, not be present. Dale Coyne has not yet named the driver of his second car, and last night we learned that Prema drivers Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott will miss the sessions as well.

Prema is undergoing an ownership change and will likely not participate in the season opener at St. Pete. This morning Prema’s sporting director, Ryan Briscoe, was announced as a driver coach for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Prema struggled last year, and with no shot at Leaders’ Circle money, it was going to be difficult to continue long term without major sponsorship. One of my concerns about the charter system is being realized- that the system inhibits growth of the series, making it a challenge for a new team to enter the series.

DC Race?

Talk of a possible race in Washington, DC, in August was raised last week. I have several issues with this particular event, although I am not opposed toa race in the Nation’s capital in general,

Adding a race min one of IndyCar’s busiest months would be difficult. There are already four races on three weekends in August. Taking away one of the Milwaukee races doesn’t help since the double header is just one weekend.

Sponsors have paid and budgeted for 17 races. Who pays for the 18th race?

Engine and tire limits also have leases based on 17 races. Do teams get a fifth engine?

If the series wants a race in Washington, iun a region that has been ignored by the series for way too long, fine. But to put an event together in less than six months’ time is probably not a smart decision.

Wait until next year and do it the right way. And don’t replace an oval race for it.

FOX New Commercials

Last year FOX began promoting the upcoming season with ads during the NFL playoffs. The ads featured Josef Ne3wgarden, Pato O’Ward, and Alex Palou. They were witty, fast paced, and clever.

Last week FOX rolled out new ads for the 2026 season featuring the same three drivers. The first two, with Newgarden and O’Ward, lacked a lot of the zip and pizzazz of the initial promos. In my opinion, they ranged from dark to silly.

I hope the next two ads are better, but I’m not optimistic. Maybe so0meday FOX will learn that there are more than three drivers in the series who merit attention.

I will be posting off and on during the next two days.

Phoenix Open Test To Salute Unser Family 

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 INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026) – The incredible legacy of the Unser family at Phoenix Raceway will be honored when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES conducts an Open Test on Feb. 17-18 at the desert oval in advance of the series’ highly anticipated return to the track
.The Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway is open to all teams as they prepare for the Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday, March 7 as part of a buzzworthy weekend alongside NASCAR, providing a joint showcase of North American racing in partnership with FOX Sports. It’s the first INDYCAR SERIES race at the historic, 1.022-mile Phoenix oval since 2018.
Cars will be on track from 2-6 p.m. ET (noon-4 p.m. MT) on Tuesday, Feb. 17, with testing scheduled for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET (9 a.m.-noon MT) and 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET (1:30-4:30 p.m. MT) Wednesday, Feb. 18. The Wednesday sessions will be open and free to the public, with an autograph session at 2:45 p.m. ET (12:45 p.m. MT).
“The name Unser is synonymous with Phoenix Raceway,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. “We’re honored to salute this family’s incredible accomplishments at their home track for this important Open Test, which sets the stage for INDYCAR’s return to Phoenix in March. As a longtime fan of the sport, I also really appreciate that the logo for this special test features some familiar colors from cars driven by Al and Bobby, which I’m sure will bring back many great memories for our loyal fans.”
Phoenix was the home INDYCAR SERIES track for the Unser family, which lived in and proudly represented Albuquerque, New Mexico. And no name is more linked with success at the desert oval.
Al Unser won a track-record six INDYCAR SERIES races at Phoenix since the track first started hosting series events in 1964. He also won six poles at the track as part of an illustrious career that included three series championships and a record-tying four victories in the Indianapolis 500
.Bobby Unser took the checkered flag four times at Phoenix but powered to a track-record 11 poles at the tricky desert oval. He also won two series titles and three Indianapolis 500s.Two-time series champion and two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. finished runner-up at Phoenix four times.
“I’ll speak for our family and say how pleased we are to be honored in this way by INDYCAR,” Al Unser Jr. said.
“Dad simply loved racing at Phoenix, and no one took it to the edge in qualifying there quite like Uncle Bobby. It was exciting to see the track added to the schedule this year, and the Open Test will be crucial for drivers and teams as they get ready for the race in March. I can’t wait to see the NTT INDYCAR SERIES back at Phoenix.””
Live timing and scoring from both days of the Open Test will be provided on INDYCAR.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. Fans unable to attend the test also can follow along on INDYCAR social channels.
The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season starts Sunday, March 1 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. 

2026 Rolex 24 Schedule

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Thursday, January 22, 2026

8:45 AM to-9:45 AM ET

Practice 2 – Michelin Pilot Challenge

10:05 AM to 11:35 AM ET

Practice 1 – WeatherTech Championship

11:55 AM to 12:15 PM ET

Qualifying – Mazda MX-5 Cup

1:15 PM to 1:50 PM ET

Qualifying – Michelin Pilot Challenge

2:10 PM to 3:25 PM ET

WeatherTech Championship Qualifying

You Tube, IMSA tv, Peacock

5:15 PM to 6:00 PM ET

Race 1 of 2 – Mazda MX-5 Cup

6:15 PM to 7:45 PM ET

Practice 2 – WeatherTech Championship

Friday, January 23, 2026

10:00 AM to 10:45 AM ET

Race 2 of 2 – Mazda MX-5 Cup

11:05 AM to 12:20 PM ET

Practice 3 – WeatherTech Championship

1:45 PM to 5:45 PM ET

BMW M Endurance Challenge At Daytona

Saturday, January 24, 2026— Race Day!

1:40 PM to 11:59 PM ET

Rolex 24 At Daytona

Full race on Peacock, YouTube, and IMSAtv

!:30-2:30 ON nbc

Sunday, January 25, 2026

12:00 AM to 1:40 PM ET

Full race on Peacock, YouTube, and IMSAtv

Noon -2 on NBC

Rolex 24 At Daytona