Testing sometimes can be a necessary chore for NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers and teams, but series veterans Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi were downright giddy to have a chance to evaluate Firestone Firehawk tires Nov. 6-7 at Phoenix Raceway in advance of the series’ return to the 1-mile desert oval.

Six-time series champion Dixon represented Honda teams in his No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing car, while 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Rossi tested for Chevrolet teams in his No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing machine. Both tested many compounds and constructions for Firestone as the exclusive tire supplier and INDYCAR prepare for the first series race at Phoenix since 2018, scheduled for Saturday, March 7 in a combination weekend with the NASCAR Cup Series at the track.

“It’s definitely great to be back here at Phoenix,” Dixon said. “Definitely lots of great memories. The test is going well. It’s great that INDYCAR and Firestone are working hard to create opportunities for racing, not just here at Phoenix but for some of the other tracks down the road, short ovals especially. It’s cool to be actually back doing a full-on tire test.”

The importance of this test wasn’t lost on either driver, as their feedback will help guide the direction of the tire to be used by the entire field in March.

“This is a super-important one for the series, to try and make sure we choose the right tire,” Rossi said. “With how close INDYCAR racing has gotten now, with how dynamic short-oval racing can be, a lot of that is about choosing the right tire. The more that we’ve done these tests, the better the race product we put on.

“So, I’m really honored to be a part of it and help kind of steer the direction of what this race will be in March.”

Phoenix is one of the most historically significant tracks in INDYCAR SERIES history. There have been 64 series races there since the facility opened in 1964, and the winner’s list includes icons such as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Gordon Johncock, Johnny Rutherford, Tom Sneva, Rick Mears, Michael Andretti and Bobby Rahal.

Scott Dixon

Dixon (photo, above) drove in all six INDYCAR SERIES races at Phoenix between 2003 and 2018, winning in 2016. Rossi started all three races between 2016-18, with a best finish of third in 2018 with Andretti Global.

But nearly everything is different now. The cars that Dixon and Rossi drove in 2018 at Phoenix didn’t feature the aeroscreen or the hybrid system, both of which have added weight and shifted the balance of the car.

The configuration of the oval also is different. Right after Josef Newgarden won the last INDYCAR SERIES race at Phoenix in 2018, a major renovation project moved the start-finish line to the other side of the track, flipping the turn names to the opposite of the past.

“Pit exit has changed a little bit,” Dixon said. “I think the kink (on the oval) and how they’ve moved the back wall, the grandstand is not where it used to be, the start-finish is on the other side. I guess everything has changed.

“As far as the old track when I first came in the early 2000s, it’s kind of flipped on its head.”

Said Rossi with a laugh while pointing to the old Turns 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4, “I’m still very much calling that Turn 1 and 2 and that Turn 3 and 4.”

The renovation project also added more asphalt below the banking in the new Turn 4 and beyond, creating an apron in the dogleg that NASCAR stock cars are allowed to use as part of the racing surface. INDYCAR SERIES cars run far lower ride heights than stock cars, with bottoming possible when transitioning from the banking to the apron. It’s unlikely INDYCAR SERIES cars will race on that apron, Rossi said.

Still, both drivers expect a compelling, action-packed show when open-wheel cars return to the Valley of the Sun for the second event of the 2026 season and the only oval race before the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The Indy 500 was the first oval race on the schedule the last two seasons.

“This is a really cool market to be in,” Rossi said. “Everyone loves coming to the Phoenix-Scottsdale area. A good one to add to the calendar. It gives everyone a chance to get their oval legs before they head to the big one (Indianapolis 500).”

Hauger, Collet Clear for Non-Indy Ovals, ‘500’ ROP

INDY NXT by Firestone graduates Dennis Hauger and Caio Collet both cleared important hurdles en route to their respective rookie seasons in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2026, as they passed the series’ rookie oval test Nov. 6 at Nashville Superspeedway.

2025 INDY NXT champion Hauger and 2025 series runner-up Collet can compete in all non-Indy 500 oval races next season, starting with the first oval race March 7 at Phoenix Raceway. They’re also eligible for the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program in late April at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a prerequisite for competing in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Hauger will drive a Honda for Dale Coyne Racing in 2026, while Collet will be behind the wheel of the No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet.

Passing the rookie test on the 1.33-mile concrete oval was a case of déjà vu for Hauger. His first INDY NXT oval test also took place in early April this year at Nashville.

“First Oval test in an Indycar,” Hauger wrote on Instagram. “I like the speed!”

Said Collet on X: “Super-nice day, my first time driving an Indy car on an oval and also on a superspeedway like Nashville. I enjoyed it a lot today. Big thanks to the team.”