'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Kyle Kirkwood halted Alex Palou’s flawless streak in the 2025 IndyCar season by clinching victory at the Long Beach Grand Prix. The American driver denied Palou’s rare bid to reach a milestone of three consecutive wins in the first three races of a season.
The Andretti Autosport driver fended off immense pressure from the reigning champion to claim what was his first race victory since the 2023 Music City Grand Prix. He demonstrated his expert precision throughout the 90-lap race, combining strategic pit stops with a finely controlled final stint to deny Palou the race win.
Trending
Palou, for his part, headed into the Long Beach race hoping to further etch his name into IndyCar history. While the Chip Ganassi star is already a three-time series champion, he had hoped to become just the sixth driver in the history of American open-wheel racing to win the first three opening races of a season — a feat last achieved in 2020 by his current teammate, Scott Dixon.
Other drivers who have achieved this feat in the past include A.J. Foyt (1964), Al Unser (1971), Paul Tracy (2003), and Sebastien Bourdais (2006). While the race result may not have been what Palou wanted, the Chip Ganassi driver extended his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings to 36 points over Kirkwood, who is now his nearest challenger.
Rounding out the podium finishers was Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard. The Danish driver’s third place marked his second consecutive podium finish of the season, following a similar result at the Thermal Club Grand Prix.
Kyle Kirkwood speaks after clinching win ahead of Palou
Kyle Kirkwood reacted after claiming victory ahead of Alex Palou at the Long Beach Grand Prix. The 26-year-old converted his pole position into a win on the California temporary street circuit.
Kirkwood, who came under immense pressure from Palou at various stages of the race, coasted his #27 Andretti car to victory by just over two seconds ahead of his Spanish rival.
Sharing his thoughts in the aftermath of the race, as posted on X (formerly Twitter) by IndyCar on Fox, Kyle Kirkwood stated:
“What a great day. We controlled the race—even from practice. Right off the bat, we thought we were in control. Really good qualifying, amazing race, amazing strategy—it was just execution all across the board, is what I want to say.
It worked out for us today. Because if Palou was in front, he would have beaten us for sure. This was a track position race today, without any yellows.”
Further praising the efforts of his team following the win, Kirkwood continued:
“I mean, hats off to the Honda Andretti guys—amazing job. This is our coast-to-coast weekend with Andretti and TWG Motorsport, and to finish it off with a win, that is so cool. So cool. Hats off to the entire organization, they really deserve this one.”
Kyle Kirkwood’s win could serve as the launchpad for another thrilling IndyCar championship battle in 2025. Last season's 2024 series championship, which was won by Palou, went down to the wire, with Kirkwood’s teammate, Colton Herta, missing out on the title by just 31 points.
