After the recent NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader at Phoenix Raceway, reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson expressed strong support for continuing such joint race weekends. Speaking about the event held in early March 2026, Larson highlighted the exciting mix of stock car and open-wheel racing that unfolded and encouraged hosting more events where both series compete at the same track.
The IndyCar race, the Good Ranchers 250, took place on March 7, 2026, one day before the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500. Team Penske showcased outstanding performances during the 250-lap IndyCar contest, with David Malukas earning pole position by recording a fast lap of 41.0530 seconds. His teammate Josef Newgarden went on to win the 255-mile race, while Malukas finished in third place.
The following day, March 8, the NASCAR Cup Series race saw Team Penske continue its dominance. Joey Logano achieved pole position and Ryan Blaney secured the race victory, providing fans with another thrilling competition. Kyle Larson shared that he enjoyed watching the IndyCar event on television and praised Newgarden for delivering impressive racing action.
“I watched the race on TV. It was a great race. I think any cars on short ovals are really exciting. So yeah, Rasmussen and Newgarden, they’re a lot of fun to watch. So yeah, hopefully we can do more of it in the future. I think it’d be pretty neat to kind of go to their, you know, neck of the woods, maybe with, like, a street course or a road course, you know, and kind of let them be the premier division.”
?Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports driver
“You know those guys deserve it; they put on great racing, so yeah, we’d love to do it again, but the crossover is great,”
?Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports driver
In the NASCAR Cup race itself, Larson secured his first podium of the 2026 season by finishing third in the 312-lap event. He started in second position, just 0.12 seconds behind Joey Logano, and finished behind Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing.
Kyle Larson Offers Encouragement to Corey Day After Rocky Season Start
During the same Phoenix weekend, Kyle Larson reached out with a supportive message to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Corey Day following a challenging start to the 2026 season. Day encountered controversy beginning at the EchoPark Speedway race and faced further issues at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) event.
At Atlanta’s NASCAR O’Reilly Series event, Day was involved in incidents that resulted in wrecks for two JR Motorsports drivers, Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil. Weeks later at COTA, Day caused another wreck involving JR Motorsports driver Connor Zilisch.
Addressing the young driver’s difficult stretch, Larson encouraged Day to stay positive and not be too hard on himself. He posted on X:
“I haven’t really talked to him a whole lot, but just like, ‘Hey man, you’re doing great. Obviously you’ve had a rough couple weeks and all that, and you’ve taken in a lot of advice, but keep your head up.'”
?Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports driver
“I think (that’s) important to do when you’re 20 and you’re getting a lot of advice and you’re beating yourself down, I’m sure, for how you’ve handled things. So just trying to like, ‘Hey, we all believe in you. You wouldn’t be here if we didn’t. And keep your head up. You’re a great race car driver. You’ll figure it out,”
?Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports driver
Currently, Corey Day sits eighth in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series standings with 118 points. He has recorded two top-five finishes at both EchoPark Speedway and COTA, along with one top-ten result at Phoenix Raceway, in four races this season.
What the Doubleheader Means for NASCAR and IndyCar’s Future
The success of the Phoenix doubleheader highlights a growing interest in blending NASCAR and IndyCar events to create more dynamic race weekends for fans. Larson’s enthusiasm reveals a willingness among top drivers to explore opportunities for crossover events that could combine various types of racing circuits.
With both Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports featuring prominently across the weekend’s contests, it illustrates the depth of talent and rivalry present in both series. Fans can expect more enthusiasm for future scheduling of such doubleheaders, possibly incorporating diverse track formats like street courses or road courses, as Larson suggested, allowing the open-wheel and stock car disciplines to showcase their best performances side by side.
As the 2026 racing season progresses, the synergy demonstrated in Phoenix could lead to increased collaboration between NASCAR and IndyCar organizers, benefiting teams, drivers, and supporters alike, while providing more compelling racing experiences.
More #IndyCar and #NASCAR doubleheaders?
Kyle Larson supports it.
He's one of quite a few who enjoyed the crossover at @phoenixraceway, and has an idea of where else he'd like to see it happen. pic.twitter.com/2UuPJ6AI53
— Jess Peters (@_Jess_Peters_) March 9, 2026
