Power Rankings: New(garden) Sheriff in Town Heading to Texas

Editor’s Note: Power Rankings is a feature after every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race in which INDYCAR.com staff writer Eric Smith ranks the top 10 drivers in the series based on objective recent and season-long performance statistics and the subjective “eye test” from race weekends.

Alex Palou endured his worst NTT INDYCAR SERIES weekend, crashing out of and finishing 24th in the Good Ranchers 250 last Saturday at Phoenix Raceway, since crashing and finishing 25th in last June’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. The Phoenix result opened the door for a new No. 1 in this week’s Power Rankings.

Josef Newgarden takes the top spot after starting second and winning at Phoenix Raceway. A week earlier, the two-time series champion charged from 23rd to finish seventh in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Newgarden replaces Palou, who qualified 10th at Phoenix but was out after contact with Rinus VeeKay on Lap 21.

Here are the drivers, including many newcomers, joining Newgarden and Palou in the Power Rankings entering Sunday’s Java House Arlington Grand Prix (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio, powered by OnlyBulls).

↑10. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Last Week: NR)

Dixon finished seventh at Phoenix after using an alternate strategy to the leaders. He also was left wondering what might have been after his right-rear wheel fell off after his second pit stop at St. Petersburg, derailing his opening race. The six-time series champion believed he had a podium-caliber car in the season opener, and his different strategy in Phoenix could have produced a similar result.

↑9. Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet, Last Week: NR)

Rossi started and finished sixth at Phoenix after showing strong speed throughout race weekend. The performance puts him back in the Power Rankings after finishing sixth and fourth, respectively, in the final two rankings of the 2025 season.

↑8. Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 ROOT Insurance Honda, Last Week: NR)

Armstrong returns after falling out of the rankings with an 11th-place finish in St. Petersburg. He rallied to finish sixth at Phoenix, his fifth top-10 result in his last six oval starts. This marks the ninth time in the last 10 races that Armstrong, a Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian driver, has appeared in the Power Rankings.

↑7. Christian Rasmussen (No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet, Last Week: NR)

Rasmussen finished 19th and 14th in the season’s first two races, but the Dane showed winning speed at Phoenix. He climbed from 18th to lead 69 laps, second most among the 25 starters, and appeared poised for his second career victory before contact with Will Power while battling for the lead on Lap 209 of the 250 lap race ended his chances.

↓6. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Gallagher Insurance Team Penske Chevrolet, Last Week: 2)

McLaughlin followed his runner-up finish in St. Petersburg with an eighth-place result at Phoenix. The New Zealander didn’t match the speed of his teammates Newgarden and David Malukas last weekend, qualifying fifth while they locked out the front row. That contrasted with St. Petersburg, where he won the NTT P1 Award and finished second.

↑5. David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Last Week: 10)

Malukas earned his first career NTT P1 Award at Phoenix and converted it into a third-place finish after leading a race-high 73 of 250 laps. He also showed speed in St. Petersburg practice, ranking ninth and sixth before qualifying fifth and finishing 13th.

↑4. Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Last Week: 6)

O’Ward qualified in Row 4 in both races this season – eighth in St. Petersburg and seventh at Phoenix. He finished fifth and fourth, respectively, giving him 50 career top-five finishes. The Mexican driver has appeared in the Power Rankings for 20 consecutive race weekends.

↓3. Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Last Week: 1)

Palou’s difficult Phoenix weekend came just one race after opening the 2026 season with victory in St. Petersburg, where he led a race-high 59 of 100 laps. Palou had topped the Power Rankings every week since winning the $1 Million Thermal Club Challenge on March 24, 2024. He falls to his lowest position since ranking fourth after the 2024 St. Petersburg season opener and enters Arlington fifth in the standings.

↑2. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda, Last Week: 4)

Kirkwood started 15th and 11th in the first two races of the season but finished fourth and second, respectively. He trails Newgarden by five points in the standings. This is Kirkwood’s highest ranking since placing second five times over a seven-race stretch between Long Beach and Road America last season.

↑1. Josef Newgarden (No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, Last Week: 9)

Newgarden said race day was his best session of the St. Petersburg weekend -- and he proved it by charging from 23rd to seventh to earn the Jostens Hard Charger Award. He followed that performance with his 33rd career victory last Saturday at Phoenix and has won two of the last three series races, dating to the 2025 season finale at Nashville Superspeedway.