By: Spencer Neff

August 23, 2026

Warmup Results Combined Practice Results Starting Lineup (Tire choices for start indicated)

Team Penske led the way in Sunday morning’s warmup for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., as Josef Newgarden posted a best lap of 57.6076 seconds (106.235 mph) on the new, 1.7-mile, seven-turn street course in the nation’s capital.

Newgarden, twice a winner so far during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign (Phoenix and Worldwide Technology Raceway), has not won a street course race since Long Beach in 2022. He starts today’s race in 14th on the 25-car grid.

Finishing .0782 of a second back of Newgarden was pole sitter Alex Palou. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver earned his seventh pole of 2026 yesterday and is on the verge of clinching his fourth consecutive INDYCAR Championship and fifth in six years.

Newgarden’s teammate David Malukas finished third as the Chevrolets bookended Palou’s Honda in the podium spots.

Andretti GLobal’s Kyle Kirkwood ended the 30-minute session fourth as he looks to keep his championship hopes alive from second on the grid. Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren rounded out the Top Five and rolls off seventh in today’s race.

Caio Collet of A.J. Foyt Racing was best among the rookies in eighth on Sunday morning and qualified 11th yesterday. The 30-minute session was run without major incident. Only Graham Rahal (14th) ran his best lap of the weekend in Sunday morning’s session.

Siegel, Ericsson, Schumacher given engine change penalties

Prior to Saturday morning’s warmup, INDYCAR Officiating released the following statement:

“INDYCAR Officiating has announced six-position starting grid penalties for the entries of No. 6 Arrow McLaren, No. 28 Andretti Global and No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for unapproved engine changes following yesterday’s qualifying on the Streets of Washington, D.C.

The entries were in violation of:

Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Approved Engine Change-Out if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine Change-Out.

According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., today, on the Streets of Washington, D.C.”

Up Next

Here is the remaining on-track schedule for the day. Stay with IndyCar1909.com for the latest on the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

At-track schedule (All Times Local/Eastern Time):
Sunday, Aug. 23
11:30 a.m. – FOX Pre-Race Show on air
1:06 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
1:13 p.m. – Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. (147 laps/250 miles), FOX (Live)

Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR