IndyCar
OPINION – Chip Ganassi, Scott Dixon and Mike Hull’s leadership put focus back on-track in Toronto
(Pittsburgh Racing Now) – In a tumultuous past week where Chip Ganassi Racing was making more headlines off-track, six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Scott Dixon put the focus right where his team owner wanted it – on-track, and added the cherry on top by putting the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda in victory lane.
Dixon picked up his 52nd career victory winning Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto on the streets around Exhibition Place, beating Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta.
The victory tied Dixon with motorsports legend Mario Andretti for second place on the all-time INDYCAR win list. 51-of those 52-wins, and all 6 of Dixon’s Championships, came in CGR machines. Dixon has been driving for Ganassi for 21-years.
Defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Alex Palou won his title in his first season with Ganassi, so when the team announced last Tuesday afternoon that they were exercising their option for the 2023 season, it came as no surprise.
What did come as a surprise was Palou taking to social media Tuesday evening to say that he informed the team that he was leaving after the 2022 season. Moments later it turned into a soap opera when McLaren Racing announced they signed Palou for 2023, but didn’t specify which series he would be competing.
When the team arrived in Toronto all eyes, microphones and cameras were on the 14-time Champions but the venerable team owner set the tone early.
“I think Chip was extremely calm,” recalled Dixon. “I think that’s real leadership. I think somebody’s kind of throwing their toys out of the cart, running around, that’s going to be a different reaction for everybody to see. He’s very calm.”
Someone else who is very calm is Dixon, who put everything into perspective telling Racer “if you’re going to have an example of how not to go about things, this is 100 percent how you would do it.”
“For me, honesty is key, man. Loyalty as well,” he said. “You know, it’s very easy in this community – it’s a small community – to change how you’re looked upon or respected quite quickly. Personal view for myself and how I would have done this? It wouldn’t be like this.”
Dixon added, “all my deals with Chip have been very straightforward. You know, you kind of sit down have a chat, [talk about] what everybody’s looking at doing. Even when I’ve had options [presented by other teams], I’ve gone to them and said, ‘Hey, these are my options. What should we do?’”.
Palou apparently didn’t take that route. I don’t personally know if did but maybe he should’ve talked to Dixon, who McLaren took a run at a few years ago, or Jimmie Johnson, who could drive for any team, in any series, but is with CGR. How about talking to Dario Franchitti? Franchitti drove for Andretti Autosport before joining CGR where he won two Indy 500’s and three Championships for Ganassi prior to retiring. That’s decades of experience to draw from.
I bet CGR teammate Marcus Ericsson, who was dumped by Arrow McLaren SP after only one season, James Hinchcliffe and Oliver Askew would’ve been able to give Palou some perspective on his possible future employer.
One key ingredient to success is consistency. Take the Pittsburgh Steelers for example. The Steelers have three head coaches since 1969 and have won 6-Super Bowls. The Bill Belichick/Tom Brady pairing yielded 6-rings. There’s that consistency again.
The consistency at CGR starts at the top with Managing Director Mike Hull, who’s strong and steady hand are the definition of leadership. People like Hull, Dixon and so many other talented individuals have been keys to Ganassi’s consistency, which has to play a large part in the success of the team over their 30+ year history, with the team owner right at the top.
“I think it was a great calmness and a sternness that he had that kind of clears out the noise that’s out there,” said Dixon.
Last week’s drama highlights that racing is a business, but I can’t help but think of the old adage ‘the grass isn’t always greener’. I started covering Chip Ganassi’s team in the late 90’s and have seen managers, drivers, crew members, etc. leave the team. The team members that have stayed continue to reel off wins and Championships.
IndyCar
Racing Notebook: IndyCar unveils DC race layout; announces single-car Fast Six qualifying in Texas and more
The NTT IndyCar Series is changing their Fast Six qualifying for the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington plus the Series unveils the race course for the Freedom 250 in Washington D.C. Blue Envelopes with Indianapolis 500 tickets were mailed on Wednesday to fans around the Country. Conor Daly joins Dreyer and Reinbold Racing for Indy 500.
IndyCar unveils Washington D.C. layout
- The NTT IndyCar Series unveiled the course layout for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. the Freedom 250 Grand Prix street circuit will feature a sweeping .4-mile frontstretch along Pennsylvania Avenue, framed by the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. The pit lane area of the track will be adjacent to the track, on Pennsylvania Avenue, between Turns 1 and 2 on the circuit design. The IndyCar field will also race by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives.
Single car Fast Six qualifying in Arlington
- IndyCar also announced plans for single-car Firestone Fast Six qualifying at the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington. The “knockout” format of Segments 1 and 2 will remain unchanged, the Firestone Fast Six segment will be adjusted to single-car, single-lap qualifying beginning with the sixth-fastest qualifier from Segment 2 and working toward the fastest from the previous round. With the update for the Streets of Arlington event, FOX Sports has agreed to expand its coverage of qualifying to a robust, two-hour window.
Indianapolis 500 tickets mailed
- Race Day tickets for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 were mailed Wednesday, March 11 from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office. 33,000 Blue Envelopes were mailed to all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and 32 countries around the world. Tickets for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 24, the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 9 and all other Month of May events are available at IMS.com/Tickets or via the IMS Ticket Office at 317-492-6700.
Conor Daly joins DRR for Indy 500
- Conor Daly is joining Dreyer and Reinbold racing for the 110th Indianapolis 500. DRR and Daly made the announcement in partnership with Kingspan, a worldwide leader in high-performance building materials. Daly has 5 Top 10’s in twelve starts in the 500.
AVONDALE, AZ (March 7, 2026) – Josef Newgarden is reminding everyone that he and the No. 2 Chevrolet are the team to beat on short ovals in the NTT IndyCar Series after winning Saturday’s Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway.
Newgarden only led 8-laps but charged to victory after taking fresh tires following a late caution when the leaders elected to stay on the track.
“We took tires, and the thing was like a rocket ship when it needed to be, right at the end of the race,” said an elated Newgarden in Victory Lane. “Hats off to the whole crew. I’m pumped.”
Newgarden’s charge was set-up when Andretti Global’s Will Power and Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen were battling for the lead on lap 207. The front wing of Rasmussen’s No. 21 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet’s made contact with the right rear tire of Power’s No. 26 TWG Ai Honda, cutting Power’s tire and triggering the final caution.
Rasmussen and second place Kyle Kirkwood elected to keep track position and stayed on the track along with pole sitter David Malukas, Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and others.
Newgarden and crew elected to go for new tires, along with several others racing around him, as the speed difference between new and old tires were significant.
Rasmussen, who was one of the best cars in the field all day, led the restart on lap 218 but his car was damaged in the incident with Power and clearly was not as strong.
Kirkwood passed Rasmussen for the lead on lap 242 as Newgarden and his fresh tires were busy picking off Dixon, Armstrong and Malukas on their older tires.
“In the middle of the race, I don’t know that I was fully believing that we had the capability to win,” explained Newgarden. “We just kept working through it, and I’m like, ‘Look, if we get another opportunity, we’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to be on the offense.’
Newgarden certainly was on offense passing Kirkwood for the lead for good on lap 244 en route to his 33rd career win and first of 2026.
Kirkwood hung on for second and said they considered taking tires.
“We thought about it, but we were talking about it, and the pits opened,” said Kirkwood. “(Staying out) was the right thing to do at the time.”
Newgarden’s victory vaulted him to the top of the Championship standings, thanks in part to Alex Palou crashing out of the event early.
Palou, the defending and four-time series Champion, didn’t know Rinus Veekay had his nose beside the No. 10 DHL Honda and as Palou slid out towards the wall the pair made contact, turning the No. 10 into the wall. Palou finished 24th, his worst finish since he placed 25th last June in Detroit after contact eliminated him from that race. VeeKay suffered damage but was able to continue after losing a few laps in the pits for repairs.
Rasmussen faded to 14th in the end after leading 69-laps.
“We were the class of the field today – best car out there,” said Rasmussen. “It’s so frustrating because we should have won the race today.”
New up for the NTT IndyCar Series is the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on Sunday, March 15 in Arlington, Texas. The temporary street circuit travels around AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, the home of the Texas Rangers.
AVONDALE, AZ (March 6, 2026) – David Malukas is on the pole position for Saturday’s NTT IndyCar Series Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway.
Malukas’ two-lap qualifying average of 175.383 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet was just .1963-seconds quicker than teammate Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Xpel Chevrolet as Team Penske locked out the front row.
“I think the track got in our favor a little bit,” explained Malukas. “It seemed like it (track conditions) was getting a bit worse. It feels so good. What a way to start our Phoenix race day tomorrow.”
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is off to a great start after locking out Row 2 with Graham Rahal posting the third fastest average at 173.993 in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda.
Rahal’s RLL teammate rookie Mick Schumacher – competing in his first-ever oval race – surprised everyone by qualifying fourth at 173.667 in the No. 47 Honda.
“We knew what we had to do, and we managed to put a good couple of laps together,” said Schumacher, who’s first IndyCar race ended early after being the innocent victim of a Lap 1 crash.
“I’m excited to run the race,” said Schumacher. “It’s going to be a whole different situation in the race with traffic and everything, so it’s going to be tough.”
A disappointing qualifying effort for Chip Ganassi Racing as defending series Champion Alex Palou lines up 10th on the grid in the No. 10 DHL Honda with Scott Dixon five spots behind at 15th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda. Their teammate Kyffin Simpson starts 19th. Surprising for a team that tested at Phoenix.
Andretti Global’s Will Power crashed on his qualifying attempt continuing his early season struggles with his new team.
Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist did not make a qualifying attempt after crashing his SiriusXM Honda during the first practice.
Saturday’s Good Ranchers 250 will be televised by Fox and can be heard on the IndyCar Radio network starting at 3 p.m. ET
Ryan Blaney rallies for Phoenix victory, completes Penske weekend sweep
Racing Notebook: IndyCar unveils DC race layout; announces single-car Fast Six qualifying in Texas and more
Dietz Doubles at Lincoln
Allgaier outduels Love late at Phoenix, takes championship lead
Josef Newgarden wins IndyCar Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix
Last-lap pass makes a Daytona 500 winner of Tyler Reddick
Hamilton, Stickler, Gorham, and Clouser get wins on last night of the World Series
Honda and Chevrolet to continue as IndyCar engine suppliers
Shot at history slips away for Elliott, Keselowski in Daytona 500 chaos
