Felix Rosenqvist
Phoenix Raceway
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes and Quotes
Race Information
● Event: Good Ranchers 250 (Round 2 of 18)
● Date/Time: Saturday, March 7 | 3 p.m. ET
● TV/Radio: FOX / INDYCAR Radio / SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation (channel 218)
● Location: Phoenix Raceway,Avondale, Arizona
● Layout: 1-mile, asphalt tri-oval (0-11 degrees of banking)
● Laps/Miles: 250 laps/250 miles
● Practice and Qualifying:
Friday, February 27
Practice 1 10 a.m. ET
FS2 / INDYCAR Radio / SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation (channel 218)
Qualifying 4:30 p.m. ET
FS2 / INDYCAR Radio / SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation (channel 218)
Final Practice 4:30 p.m. ET
FS2 / INDYCAR Radio / SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation (channel 218)
Notes of Interest
● For Felix Rosenqvist, the one-mile desert tri-oval marks both a step into the unknown and a place of historical significance. While the Arizona venue returns to the INDYCAR calendar for the first time since 2018 – before Rosenqvist’s debut campaign in 2019 – it was also the site of his first-ever oval race, contested in INDY NXT in 2016.
● While most of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field will compete at Phoenix Raceway for the first time, five drivers in the field have raced at the 1-mile oval previously, and two of the three most recent winners are entered – Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden. Dixon won the series’ last return race to Phoenix Raceway in 2016, while Newgarden won the most recent race at the track in 2018. Alexander Rossi, Graham Rahal and Will Power also have raced at Phoenix Raceway from 2016-18.
● This weekend’s event at Phoenix Raceway is one of three Saturday races on the 2026 schedule, as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is competing in a rare doubleheader with the NASCAR Cup Series on the same weekend in a “Desert Double.” NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series also races Saturday at Phoenix.
● The Good Ranchers 250 will be the first INDYCAR SERIES event conducted at Phoenix Raceway since 2018 and the 65th INDYCAR SERIES race held on the 1-mile oval since it opened in 1964.
● The Good Ranchers 250 is the first of six oval races on the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. Other oval events scheduled are: the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (May 24), Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway (June 7), Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway (July 19) and a doubleheader at the Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend at Milwaukee Mile (Aug. 29-30).
● Texas A&M University continues as a partner of Felix Rosenqvist for the 2026 season, riding along on his helmet for the second consecutive year. Designed specifically for how INDYCAR is televised, the helmet placement is intended to show up repeatedly on FOX’s onboard cameras and tight close-up coverage, placing Texas A&M inside the broadcast during moments of performance, pressure and decision-making across 18 race weekends.
By the Numbers
● Rosenqvist is competing in his eighth season of INDYCAR competition, and his third for Meyer Shank Racing.
● Drivers receive unlimited hybrid energy deployment activation, with a maximum deployment of 150 kilojoules (kj) per lap.
● Firestone Tire Allotment: Each team receives ten sets of primary tires to be used during the event weekend. One additional set is available for use during the group session on Friday.
● Rosenqvist finished sixth in the 2025 championship standings with one podium (Road America), four top-five finishes and 10 top-tens, including a fourth-place finish at the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500. 2025 marked Meyer Shank Racing’s most successful INDYCAR campaign in team history.
Felix Rosenqvist, No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
Phoenix Raceway is new to you as an INDYCAR driver, but you competed at the track in INDY NXT.
“Phoenix is where I had my first-ever oval race, and to be honest, it was one of the worst weekends of my career. I was struggling a lot for a variety of reasons, but it was a valuable experience that introduced me to a crucial type of racing in this part of the world. I’m happy to still be in INDYCAR and prove that I’ve made some progress since then.”
This is the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Phoenix Raceway in eight-years. What are your expectations?
“It’s effectively a new race, a new track, and that in and of itself makes it exciting, especially with it being a short oval; those races always throw up so many curveballs.”
With Phoenix Raceway being a new venue to most of the field, what is your focus entering the race weekend, and are there any concerns?
“I think most of the focus will be on qualifying, and then we’ll see in final practice when people start working on the high line, whether it will be possible to pass or not. We had a pre-season test in Phoenix, but there are still a lot of unknowns. I’m curious to see how it plays out, and it’s nice to have an oval race this early in the season.”
___________________________________________________________