©IndyCar/Joe Skibinski
Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood roared to glory at the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, outsmarting reigning champ Alex Palou to claim a thrilling victory under sunny California skies in the third round of the NTT IndyCar Series.
The Florida native steered his No. 27 PreFab Honda with precision, mastering tyre strategy and fending off Palou’s relentless pressure to win from pole – his second Long Beach triumph in three years.
Leading 46 of 90 caution-free laps, Kirkwood’s flawless execution ended the Chip Ganassi Racing driver’s two-race streak, with Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard clocking in third.
“We controlled the race, even from practice,” Kirkwood said. “Really good qualifying, amazing race, amazing strategy. It was just execution all across the board that won us that race today because if Palou was in front, he would have beat us, for sure.
“This was a track-position race here today, without any yellows.”
Kirkwood’s win cements his rise, with the 26-year-old now trailing Palou, the championship leader, by 34 points as the IndyCar season heats up.
©IndyCar/Joe Skibinski
