Kyle Kirkwood Wins Detroit GP with Damaged Front Wing

Kyle Kirkwood secured his second victory of the 2025 season at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, completing 100 laps on the street circuit despite front wing damage that didn't prevent his ultimate dominance of the race.

The driver of the Honda #27 for Andretti Global started from third position and crossed the finish line with a 3.5-second advantage over Santino Ferrucci, who from 21st on the grid achieved his best career result in the series.

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The race was defined by an initial strategic split among the 27 participants. Twelve cars chose to start with the more grippy but less durable Firestone alternate tires, while 15 opted for the more durable primary tires.

The top nine on the grid, including pole-sitter Colton Herta and his teammate Kirkwood, bet on quickly getting rid of the soft compound to switch to hard tires that would allow them to complete longer stints.

Kirkwood Takes Control

Kirkwood's first leadership phase came on lap 39 when Scott Dixon made his first pit stop from the lead position. The American maintained the lead until his second pit stop on lap 50, when Pato O'Ward temporarily took command.

The scenario changed radically on lap 67 when Callum Ilott hit the barriers at turn 1, bringing out a yellow flag that altered positions. Ferrucci and Kyffin Simpson, who had completed their third pit stop two laps earlier, benefited greatly from this neutralization.

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Palou Retires and Loses Ground in Championship

Championship leader Alex Palou made contact with David Malukas at turn 1 during the lap 72 restart. The impact sent the Spaniard into the barriers, forcing his retirement and giving him a final 25th position.

The exit of Palou, who had won five of the first six races including the Indianapolis 500, reduced his championship lead to 90 points over second-place Pato O'Ward.

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Wing Damage and Final Victory

During his charge to victory, Kirkwood suffered damage to his left front wing when passing Simpson on lap 78. The minor contact between both cars affected the aerodynamics of the Honda #27, but didn't compromise its performance.

A final red flag for the accident between Felix Rosenqvist and Louis Foster on lap 84 allowed Kirkwood to regroup. On the final restart at lap 89, the 25-year-old driver took a definitive lead he wouldn't relinquish.

Ferrucci Achieves Best Result

Santino Ferrucci completed an outstanding race for AJ Foyt Racing, a team that hadn't achieved a podium on street or road courses since Takuma Sato finished second in Detroit 2015 when the race was held at Belle Isle.

Andretti Global Places Two Drivers on Podium

Colton Herta completed the podium in third position, giving Andretti Global its first double podium since Toronto 2024, when Herta and Kirkwood finished first and second respectively.

Will Power reached fourth place with the Chevrolet #12 of Team Penske, while Kyffin Simpson completed the top five with his best career result in the Honda #8 of Chip Ganassi Racing.

Overtaking Record

The race recorded 261 on-track overtakes, setting a new record for Detroit's downtown circuit and becoming the second highest figure in the event's history, including Belle Isle editions.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event will be the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 on Sunday, June 15 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.