Kyle Kirkwood is making a strong impression in the early stages of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, but he admits to feeling the heat from Alex Palou’s dominance.
The Andretti Global driver is sixth in the point standings, one of six drivers joining Palou, Scott Dixon, Christian Lundgaard, Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi in producing top-10 finishes in both races this season.
But the frustration of having to chase down a three-time champion, including two consecutive championships, in Palou can be tough on a driver’s mindset. Remember, Palou has won both races so far this season.
Kirkwood’s fifth- and eighth-place finishes this season are certainly respectable, but he is aiming for more, and Palou’s pace is high.
“I should be a lot more satisfied than I am,” Kirkwood said. “Because if you look back at (the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding), one of our better races, I pretty much followed Alex Palou the entire race and watched him win, which is disappointing.
“Then (at the second race, at The Thermal Club), we were on pace for what seemed like a locked top-four result, which would have been two top-five (finishes) in a row. As a driver, as a competitor, you always want better.”
Kirkwood has a 48-point deficit to Palou. To really challenge Palou for the Astor Cup, Kirkwood will need to convert those solid finishes into wins. Given his background – winning championships in USF2000 (2018), USF Pro 2000 (2019) and INDY NXT by Firestone (2021) -- it’s evident Kirkwood knows how to win and has the experience to handle the pressure of a title fight. He just needs to find a way to outpace Palou on these race days.
That pursuit begins this weekend with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the third race of the season (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports App, INDYCAR Radio Network).
“We’ve got to do the same thing that they're doing -- we got to win races,” Kirkwood said of Palou. “We can't let them get a big head start. That is one thing that Palou has done in the past couple years: He gets a huge head start, then everybody claws back at him at the end of the season. He's kind of on cruise control at that point. We need to not let him get out front and hold him back a little bit.
“It's turning into a thing that when you beat Alex Palou, you've clearly had a really good day. He's kind of the No. 1 guy that everyone is looking at now.”
This weekend’s 50th anniversary race could be a perfect place for Kirkwood to strike. He earned his maiden NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory and NTT P1 Award in this event. Add in the fact that Andretti Global has been strong at Long Beach with four of the last six race winners coming from the team, the stars could be aligning for Kirkwood.
“This is a very crucial weekend for us to turn things around in the championship hunt,” Kirkwood said. “Even though it's still early in the season, a lot of people don't look at points. They're like, well, it's only two races in of the 17-race season. But if the guy is 60 points ahead of you, you’ve got to kind of pay attention to that. There is a long way to go. You're also falling behind very early, which is not something you want to do.
“I think this weekend is one of our best opportunities (to gain on Palou). If you look back at history in general, Long Beach has been one of the best tracks for Andretti Global. I think Toronto and Detroit are starting to grow on that. Street courses in general are really, really good. Long Beach has been a top one for the team.
“We're obviously going to be looking for a win. Honestly, at this time we need wins to be able to win a championship here because Alex Palou is just walking away with (the championships) at the moment. We need to turn that ship around.”
Kirkwood is also aware that he is creating pressure for himself. He embraces the added dynamic.
When a driver has a car that’s capable of winning, the expectations naturally shift and bring a whole new level of pressure to deliver. It’s one thing to be aiming for a top-10 finish and dealing with the challenges that come with trying to extract everything from a less-than-optimal car, but when you know your car has the speed and the potential to win, the stakes are raised significantly.
“I would say the weekends that you feel like you have a really good shot are the easiest,” he said. “I guess you wouldn't think that coming into it, but now that I've had a couple years in the series, the hardest weekends are the ones that you're struggling. It's the ones that you're struggling to get into a top-10 finish. When you have kind of pace under your belt in a race weekend or across practices and qualifying, etc., it just makes things a lot easier.”
Another interesting dynamic is Long Beach is a shared weekend with IMSA leading to a compressed schedule. Kirkwood sees that as an advantage for his No. 27 Honda.
“That doesn't give you a lot of time to really focus on changes, to hone in on stuff,” he said. “Coming off the trailer very quick is very important. It just gives you a sense of ease, if I'm being honest.
“Of course, you have the pressure that now you have a fast car, now it's all on you to go out there and win. If anything, that just gives me comfort. I'm pretty confident that I can get it done if I have everything in my arsenal. So yeah, it's not really managing emotions; it's more just an easier weekend if everything is kind of flowing right.”