Kyle Kirkwood confesses to 'ignoring' one clause in Andretti IndyCar contract

Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood spoke with SpeedFreaks after his win at the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The reporter asked Kirkwood about his surfing shenanigans, and as it turned out, the race winner ignored his contractual clause to do the activity he liked.

Kyle Kirkwood and the reporter discussed the Andretti Global driver's role on the team when the topic of surfing came up. The reporter suggested how California is the surfing center of the USA, and Kirkwood replied that he usually does it when he's back at home in Florida.

The reporter then asked Kyle Kirkwood about when will be be surfing next time to which the American driver replied,

“Fortunately, my crew chief has a wake surf board, so I'm gonna go surf behind this boat at some point in Indy because there's a few lakes up there. That's what I do. That's the only way I get back onto board, you know, I don't surf as much as I used to because it's still considered dangerous. (1:30 onwards)

The reporter then cut Kirkwood off and asked:

“Is it in your contract that you can't?”

“It's a great question. It probably is, but, they know that I ignore that one. I take the risk, as racing drivers do,” replied the Andretti Global driver.

Motorsport contracts, or for that matter, most professional athlete contracts prevent drivers from taking part in adventure sports that are considered dangerous, like surfing or skydiving. Some contracts even prevent athletes from riding motorcycles because teams want to protect their stars from any physical damage, as the recovery can take them off the field.

In the case of Motorsport drivers, most of them live for the adrenaline rush, and when away from the track, they need something to stimulate their adrenal glands. Hence, adventure sport is a go-to activity. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton often spends the off-season surfing, skiing, skydiving and riding dirt bikes.

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Kyle Kirkwood perfectly executed the 2025 Long Beach Grand Prix

Kyle Kirkwood started the IndyCar race in pole position after setting the fastest lap time in Fast 6, over three-tenths faster than Colton Herta.

The Andretti Global driver got off to a great start, delayed his first pitstop, overcut everyone to maintain the lead and had fresher tires for the remainder of the race and other stints.

AUTO: MAR 02 INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Despite the pressure from Alex Palou in P2, Kirkwood pushed when required and kept the Spaniard at bay. Speaking about the perfect execution from the team, the American driver said:

“We controlled the race. Even from practice we felt we were in control. Really good qualifying. Amazing race. Amazing strategy.

"It was just execution all across the board. That’s what won us that race here today. Because if Palou was in front, he would have beat us for sure. This was a track position race here today, without any cautions.”

Alex Palou finished P2, while Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard rounded the final podium spot after starting in P12.