David Malukas earned his inaugural NTT P1 Award during qualifying on Friday for the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway, positioning himself for a possible first career triumph in the 250-lap event scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The Chicago-area native, now in his fifth season and racing for Team Penske, posted the fastest two-lap average speed of 175.383 mph in his No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.
Following several near-pole finishes last season with AJ Foyt Racing, Malukas finally clinched the top starting spot on the 1-mile desert oval, a milestone he described with excitement.
“I’m so happy. So many P2s. The story of ovals last season was we had it, waited until the last few guys and then boom, you get P2. But finally we got it,”
Malukas remarked, signaling his breakthrough.
Qualifying Details and Team Penske’s Strong Performance
Malukas was the 13th of 24 drivers to make a qualifying attempt and had set the pace earlier in practice with a 175.605 mph lap.
“I think the track got in our favor a little bit; it seemed like it was getting a bit worse. It feels so good. What a way to start our Phoenix race day tomorrow,”
he said after clinching pole position.
Team Penske demonstrated dominance on the front row, with Josef Newgarden qualifying second at 174.548 mph in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden was the last driver to win this race back in 2018, underscoring Team Penske’s continued success on short oval tracks.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Makes Notable Progress on Short Ovals
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing experienced a significant improvement during qualifying, overcoming previous struggles at short oval tracks. Graham Rahal secured the third starting position with a 173.993 mph lap in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda. Rookie Mick Schumacher, competing in his first-ever oval race, surprised many by claiming fourth place at 173.667 mph in the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda.
Schumacher reflected on his performance and the challenges ahead:
“We knew what we had to do, and we managed to put a good couple of laps together,”
he said.
“I’m excited to run the race. It’s going to be a whole different situation in the race with traffic and everything, so it’s going to be tough.”
Context on Rookie Success and Other Notable Qualifiers
The rare achievement by Schumacher echoes previous standout rookie performances, such as Louis Foster’s pole position at Road America in June 2025 for Rahal Letterman Lanigan, and Robert Shwartzman’s pole at the Indianapolis 500 the previous May. These instances highlight the potential impact rookies can have in the series.
Completing the strong Team Penske showing, Scott McLaughlin qualified fifth at 173.448 mph in the No. 3 Gallagher Insurance Team Penske Chevrolet. Meanwhile, 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi, who topped the Open Test at Phoenix last month, earned the sixth starting spot with a 173.389 mph qualifying average in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet.
Season Favorites Face Challenges as Race Approaches
Four-time series champion Alex Palou, who won the season-opening race at St. Petersburg last weekend, qualified tenth as the best among Chip Ganassi Racing’s drivers at 172.980 mph in the No. 10 DHL Honda. Conversely, two-time champion Will Power had a difficult qualifying session at his new team, Andretti Global. Power crashed in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda and will start the race 25th after finishing 22nd in his debut with the team last weekend.
Felix Rosenqvist also missed qualifying after a heavy crash in practice severely damaged his No. 60 SiriusXM Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian, relegating him to 24th on the grid. Both Power and Rosenqvist were reported uninjured following their incidents.
Implications of Malukas’ Pole and What Lies Ahead at Phoenix Raceway
David Malukas’ first pole position establishes an important momentum shift as he aims for his first victory in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Given Team Penske’s strong qualifying showing and historical success on short ovals, this sets the stage for a competitive and dynamic Good Ranchers 250. Meanwhile, the promising performances from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and rookie drivers signal a competitive field.
As the race weekend unfolds, fans and teams alike will watch closely to see if Malukas can convert his pole into a career-defining win and how the rest of the field maneuvers through the challenges of Phoenix Raceway’s demanding desert oval.
