Kyle Kirkwood secured a victory at the Detroit Grand Prix on Sunday, interrupting Alex Palou’s near-perfect run in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Championship. Despite the win, Kirkwood expressed skepticism about his chances to claim the championship this season, reflecting on the challenges ahead in the title fight.
The Detroit race was marked by a significant incident early in the event when David Malukas collided with Palou’s #10 Honda at Turn 1 during a restart. This contact sent Palou’s car into the tire barriers, ending his race on Lap 72 of 100. Although Palou was not poised to reach the podium at that moment, he was still positioned to earn important points toward the championship standings.
With Palou’s exit, Kirkwood, who had previously won at the Long Beach Grand Prix and was the only other race winner this season, saw an opening to narrow the points gap. However, he remained cautious about his standing in the championship battle moving forward.
Kirkwood reflects on championship prospects despite recent success
After the Detroit race, Kirkwood acknowledged the difficult position he finds himself in the championship despite the win.
“We’re not really still in the hunt, I wouldn’t say. I could imagine. I don’t know what the points actually are, but it at least gives you a taste of, ‘oh, maybe we can claw back at this,’ which is pretty cool. I don’t know where we end up in the championship now. I know we were, I think, fifth coming into this weekend and now we’re second,”
Kirkwood said.
Currently, Kirkwood sits third in the championship standings with 209 points, trailing leader Alex Palou by 102 points. His recent victory has boosted his position but has not erased the significant points deficit he faces heading further into the season.
The emotional comeback and intensity behind Kirkwood’s Detroit victory
Kyle Kirkwood’s win in Detroit was a significant rebound after a tough period in his season. His promising finish at the Indianapolis 500 ended in disappointment when his car failed the post-race technical inspection, dropping him from seventh to 32nd place. The disappointment carried into Detroit’s practice sessions, which featured a tense moment on track with veteran driver Will Power involving contact between the two cars.
Despite these challenges, Kirkwood maintained his composure and delivered a strong qualifying performance, starting from third on the grid. He carried that momentum through the race to secure his second victory of the year.
Reflecting on the emotional roller coaster of recent weeks, Kirkwood said,
“I’ve gotten every emotion that I’ve ever had in motorsport, we had a phenomenal 500, and I got every emotion in the 500 alone. … Obviously, drama through the week and then coming into this weekend, where we knew we’d be fast.”
He added,
“We were extremely fast, I kind of threw it away a little bit in qualifying, but then got some of that positivity back, or all of it I should say, back here today and put an exclamation point on everything that has happened.”
In Kirkwood’s view, the highs and lows of racing enhance the experience, with setbacks making victories feel even more rewarding as drivers chase their ambitions amid intense competition.
As the season progresses, Kirkwood’s win in Detroit has offered a glimpse of potential, but his cautious outlook underscores the difficult path he faces in attempting to secure the 2025 IndyCar championship. The coming races will be crucial as he aims to close the gap to Palou and challenge other contenders in the standings.
