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Kyle Kirkwood had an exceptional start to his 2025 IndyCar season with a Top 5 finish at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The No. 27 Andretti Global driver was the team's highest finisher, with Marcus Ericsson one place back in P6, and Colton Herta's misfortunes pulling him down to P16. Kirkwood affirms that he is only getting started with a streak of such results.
IndyCar's next stop is the Thermal Club Grand Prix on March 23. The 3.067-mile circuit hosted a non-points-paying race last year called the $1 million challenge. Two 'Heat Races' served as qualifying events for the main 'All-Star Race'. Kyle Kirkwood, who was in Heat Race 1, failed to make the Top 6 to qualify for the main race, finishing in P10. Alex Palou dominantly won the main event after leading every lap.
In 2025, the track will host a points-paying IndyCar race. Though Kirkwood doesn't have fond memories considering last year's result, Andretti Global tested their 2025 cars at the permanent track earlier this year, which gives him confidence for another Top 5 finish. The 26-year-old addressed his outlook for the Thermal Club race weekend on the Pit Pass Indy podcast, saying [20:56 onwards]:
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"We did not have a good weekend there last year, but we went there preseason testing, which was really strong. And I've been strong there in the past. So I'm looking forward to it. It'll be nice to get our second race under our belt and hopefully, tick away at these Top Fives and start working at podiums and wins."
Kyle Kirkwood's performance at the St. Pete qualifying was respectable, but he was the slowest of the three Andretti drivers. He qualified in P9, while Colton Herta secured a front-row P2 spot and Marcus Ericsson earned a P7.
Kyle Kirkwood left with mixed feelings after Top 5 finish at the St. Pete GP
Kyle Kirkwood wasn't absolutely satisfied with his P5 finish at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg which gave him 30 points in the championship. He was a metaphorical arm's-length away from the podium and some more from taking victory. The Andretti Global cars had the championship-caliber "Penske pace," as he described it post-race.
In a trackside interview with reporter Tony Donohue, Kirkwood admitted how the recurrent Top 5 finishes have left him yearning for wins.
"I'm happy with it. It's a good finish for me. I have been working to get top fives, but every top five that I get now is making me more eager to win. So, it's not the best feeling in the world, but it's a better feeling that I have come out of this event with. So we will take that as a positive. But at the same time, racing here, you are never satisfied unless you are winning," the American driver said.
Kirkwood comes into the 2025 season with the high of securing a career-best finish of seventh place in the IndyCar standings last year, including five Top Fives. His last victory came at Nashville in 2023, something he would want to change at the Thermal Club later this month.
