Kyle Kirkwood might have ended his 2024 IndyCar Sequence season with a goose egg within the win column, however he nonetheless displayed nonetheless loads of progress and promise over the complete 12 months.
The 25-year-old native of Jupiter, Florida, wrapped up his third season — second behind the wheel of the No. 27 Andretti International Honda — with one podium, 5 high fives, 13 tops 10s and one pole. Moreover, he had the seventh-most laps led on the 12 months by all drivers with 121.
Whereas Kirkwood has shortly established his presence on road circuits, with each of his victories final 12 months happening at Lengthy Seaside and the non permanent course in downtown Nashville, there was an emphasis placed on his enhancing on ovals. And this 12 months noticed an uptick in precisely that, which vaulted him to a career-best seventh within the championship standings.
Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti International Honda, Josef Newgarden, Group Penske Chevrolet lead firstly
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photographs
Kirkwood steadily progressed on ovals, capturing seventh within the Indianapolis 500 earlier than seventh at Iowa Speedway (Race 1) and eighth in IndyCar’s return to The Milwaukee Mile (Race 2). The showcase of his progress, although, got here within the season finale change to Nashville Superspeedway, the place he earned his first pole on an oval with “a rocket ship” that led 67 laps and completed fourth — his greatest consequence on the observe self-discipline.
“You realize, I inform you that is probably the largest factor I take from this season is that this race proper right here (in Nashville),” Kirkwood informed Motorsport.com.
“All people is aware of I’ve been good at road programs, everyone is aware of I’ve been respectable at highway programs; the place folks query my talents have been at ovals — perhaps not the (Indy) 500 as a result of I feel I’ve performed a fairly good job there not too long ago — however brief ovals.”
And he famous how the 1.33-mile oval in Nashville is harking back to Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile observe the collection final raced at in 2023.
“Like Texas, as an illustration, I feel folks are likely to probably not examine me off as one of many rivals there,” mentioned Kirkwood, the 2021 Indy NXT champion.
“This place is very like Texas and clearly, this was a extremely good tempo for us and the No. 27 guys. So, large takeaway for us to finish the season with this. It’s simply going to construct confidence for myself on ovals.”
