By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Scott McLaughlin set the pace for Team Penske’s revised 2026 INDYCAR lineup Friday during Practice 1 for the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The NTT P1 Award winner at the Florida venue in 2022 and last season, McLaughlin was quickest around the 1.8-mile/14-turn temporary street circuit at 1-minute, 1.1020-seconds/106.052 mph in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet. McLaughlin led both the earlier portion of the 85-minute practice for all 25 cars and improved upon that time during the smaller session after the field was divided into two groups. “Decent first…
Author: John Sturbin
John Sturbin
John Sturbin is a Fort Worth-based journalist specializing in motorsports. During a near 30-year career with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he won the Bloys Britt Award for top motorsports story of the year (1991) as judged by The Associated Press; received the National Hot Rod Association’s Media Award (1995) and several in-house Star-Telegram honors. He also was inaugural recipient of the Texas Motor Speedway Excellence in Journalism Award (2009). Email John Sturbin at jsturbin@hotmail.com.
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Phil Krueger, a versatile mechanic and fabricator who made two Indianapolis 500 starts, died on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 after sustaining injuries from a fall at his home in Freetown, Ind. Mr. Krueger was 74. A native of Milwaukee, Phillip E. Krueger was born on June 22, 1951. Krueger competed in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1986 and 1988, completing a combined 263 laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval. Krueger qualified the No. 42 Squirt/Moran Electric March/Cosworth 24th in the traditional 33-car field in ‘86 en route to a 31st-place result.…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Led by Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing muscled-up against open-wheel powerhouses Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing during Day 2 of the Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway. Rossi led both sessions Wednesday around the 1-mile oval in Avondale, Ariz., including the fastest overall lap. The 2016 Indianapolis 500 champion, Rossi recorded his top lap of 174.542 mph in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet during the afternoon session, which started 90 minutes late due to passing sprinkles. Rossi also paced the morning session at 174.444 mph. “We got through everything…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio David Malukas delivered a fast first impression with Team Penske during Day 1 of the Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway. Malukas was fastest around the 1-mile oval in Avondale, Ariz., at 172.605 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Tuesday’s session marked Malukas’ official NTT IndyCar Series debut since exiting A.J. Foyt Racing for Team Penske and the car formerly driven by Will Power. SEE: Day 1 Results | Open Test Entry List “It feels good to be P1, but at the end of the day, we just ran through our test…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team has scheduled a fan-friendly, meet-and-greet event leading into next month’s inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington street race. The Arrow McLaren Arlington Fan Fest presented by Mission Foods is booked for Wednesday, March 11, from 4-8 p.m. (CT) at the Arlington Backyard inside the Texas Live! Fans are invited to join the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team for a kick-off party prior to the headline NTT IndyCar Series race on Sunday, March 15. Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel will be on-site and sign autographs at…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Texas-centric Hall of Famers DeMarcus Ware and Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez will serve as Co-Grand Marshals for INDYCAR’s inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington street race on Sunday, March 15. Ware and Rodríguez will deliver the command, “Drivers, start your engines!” ahead of Race No. 3 on the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule, adding hometown star-power to open-wheel racing’s return to the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Ware, a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker, built a Pro Football Hall of Fame career as the franchise’s all-time sack leader with 117.0 _ and two fumbles returned for touchdowns…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio The McLaren Racing Center in Indianapolis is redefining the term “garage majal.” Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team officially unveiled its new home during its recent 2026 season kickoff event. McLaren CEO Zak Brown and drivers Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel welcomed more than 200 partners, industry and community guests and select fans for an evening of live programming, guided tours and on-site experiences. The event was live-streamed on the NTT IndyCar Series’ YouTube channel and is now available to watch on demand. Arrow McLaren acquired the building in June 2025. A fast-paced, six-month…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Mick Schumacher described his first INDYCAR oval-track test laps with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing as “a bit weird and awkward” Wednesday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “It can only go better from here,” said Schumacher, who will contest the full, 18-race 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule with RLLR. Six oval races, including the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s famed 2.5-mile oval, are featured on the schedule. The 26-year-old son of seven-time Formula One World Driving Champion Michael Schumacher, Mick’s racing resume includes 43 F1 starts with a best finish of sixth, along with three…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio The NHRA Funny Car rivalry between corporate atagonists John Force Racing and Bob Tasca Racing was amped-up Thursday, when two-time/reigning world champion Austin Prock was introduced as driver of Tasca’s Ford Mustang beginning with the 2026 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Prock and the tuning pairing led by his father, Jimmy, and brother, Thomas, were introduced live on stage by Mark Rushbrook, Ford Racing’s global director, during the 2026 Ford Racing Season Launch Event at Michigan Central Station in Detroit. Prock’s PPG Nitro Mustang Dark Horse Funny Car will carry the No. 1…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will return to his NASCAR roots next month at Daytona International Speedway as first driver of Kaulig Racing’s innovative Dodge Free Agent Driver Program in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020, Stewart will wheel the No. 25 Ram Trucks entry during the season-opening Fresh From Florida 250 on Friday, Feb. 13, around DIS’ high-banked/2.5-mile trioval. “Having Tony Stewart in one of our Ram trucks is the kind of thing you dream about,” said Matt Kaulig, founder/owner of Kaulig Racing.…