Kirkwood keeps Palou honest after first INDYCAR practice at Road America
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio
Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood methodically has emerged as “last man standing” between Alex Palou and his bid for a fourth NTT IndyCar Series championship.
The only driver other than Palou to win an INDYCAR race in 2025, Kirkwood led an eventful opening practice Friday for The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the All-New 2026 Passport. Kirkwood turned a top lap of 1-minute, 5.8272-seconds/123.487 mph in the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda featuring a special Honda tribute livery.
SEE: Practice Results
“We’re really fast right now,” said Kirkwood, a 26-year-old native of Jupiter, Fla. “As long as we continue that, we’ll be in a really good spot. We’ve come here this year with maybe a different philosophy and it seems to be working out.”
Kirkwood, who ran 16 laps Friday, finished fourth in the series’ most recent event at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on June 22.
Reigning Mid-Ohio winner Pato O’Ward was second-quick Friday at 1:06.0160-seconds/123.134 mph after 20 laps in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet around the 2.258-mile/13-turn permanent road-course. This event in Lexington, Ohio, marks the first anniversary for introduction of INDYCAR’s hybrid system _ and the first time teams can return to their car setup notes from 2024 on a road or street-course.
“We’d love to go back-to-back, but it’s very early in the weekend,” said O’Ward, a 26-year-old native of Mexico with family ties to San Antonio, Texas. “The car is in a great window. I’m comfortable, I’m happy. We have a couple things to clean up but it’s been a good session for us. I love coming here, and the fans are always super-pumped to be here for the Fourth of July weekend. Happy to be a part of it.”
Bidding for his seventh victory this season, Palou placed third at 1:06.0409-seconds/123.087 mph in the No. 10 Open AI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Palou earned his third win at Road America and the 17th of his domestic open-wheel career to climb into the top 30 all-time in INDYCAR history. Palou also is the first INDYCAR driver to score at least six wins in a season since Australian Will Power of Team Penske in 2011. In addition, Palou expanded his lead to 93 points over Kirkwood as the season passed its halfway point. Eight races remain on the 17-event schedule.
Honda also remained perfect after Road America in its corporate engine rivalry with Chevrolet this season. Honda’s twin-turbocharged V-6 engines have powered Palou and Kirkwood to their combined nine race wins. The last time two drivers so dominated the first half of an INDYCAR season was in 1980, when Bobby Unser and Johnny Rutherford were the only winners through nine races. Rutherford, of Fort Worth, Texas, went on to win the driver’s title under Championship Auto Racing Teams sanction in the famed “Yellow Submarine” No. 4 Chaparral/Cosworth fielded by fellow-Texan Jim Hall of Midland.
Two-time Mid-Ohio winner Josef Newgarden was fourth Friday at 1:06.1791-seconds/122.830 mph in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden, a two-time Indianapolis 500 and series champion, is a disappointing 17th in the standings heading into the season’s second half.
Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson completed the top-five at 1:06.2324-seconds/122.731 mph in the No. 28 FOX INDYCAR Honda of Andretti Global.
Dallas resident Santino Ferrucci was 13th Friday at 1:06.5278-seconds/122.187 mph in the No. 14 Sexton Properties Chevrolet fielded by Waller, Texas-based A.J. Foyt Racing. Ferrucci scored a career-best third-place finish on a permanent road-course at Road America.
The rollercoaster topography of Mid-Ohio’s natural-terrain layout caught-out a handful of drivers during the 80-minute session, which was split into two groups.
David Malukas backed hard into the tire wall in Turn 9 in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet fielded by Foyt Racing. Malukas placed 25th on the time sheet with a best lap of 1:07.5454-seconds/120.346 mph.
In addition, Colton Herta backed his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda into the tire barrier in Turn 6. The Andretti Global w/Curb-Agajanian team was able to fix Herta’s machine and he returned to the track. Neither Malukas nor Herta was injured.
Native New Zealander Scott McLaughlin, the Mid-Ohio winner in 2022, spun into the gravel in his No. 3 Odyssey Battery Team Penske Chevrolet and continued. Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist was forced to stop on- track due to a mechanical problem in his No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian. Rosenqvist wound up 27th and last on the sheet at 1:07.6211/120.211 mph, albeit confident he would move up the chart during Saturday morning’s second practice.
“I love Mid-Ohio,” said Rosenqvist, a 33-year-old native of Varnamo, Sweden. “This track is very special to me as it’s where I drove an Indy-car for the first time. It’s also our team’s home track and the place of my first podium. We have the Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne and Ozzy’s Boneyard wagon (livery) going this weekend as well, so there’s a lot to look forward to.”
NTT P1 Award qualifying is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (EDT) today on FS1, FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. The 90-lap/203.22-mile race will start at 1 p.m. Sunday on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
INDYCAR announced a six-position starting grid penalty for Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 21 entry driven by Christian Rasmussen of Denmark for an unapproved engine change following a team test at Iowa Speedway on Wednesday, June 25.
The entry was in violation of:
Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.
According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street-course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the All-New 2026 Passport Sunday, July 6, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Rassmussen was 14th on the time sheet after Friday’s opening practice at 1:06.5692-seconds/122.111 mph.
The duel for the INDY NXT by Firestone championship between Andretti Global rookies Lochie Hughes and Dennis Hauger ramped-up during Friday’s opening practice for the Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio.
Hughes turned a strong lap late in the session to take P1 from his teammate. Hughes prevailed after a lap in 1-minute, 11.0263-seconds/114.448 mph in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car of Andretti Global. Hughes is second in the standings for INDYCAR’s developmental series, 28 points behind series leader Hauger.
SEE: Practice Results
Hughes’s top lap was recorded with 1-minute, 45-seconds remaining in the 45-minute practice on Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course’s 2.258-mile/13-turn permanent road-course in Lexington, Ohio. Hughes trimmed more than six-tenths of a second from his previous best and jumped from 10th to first, supplanting Hauger.
“Decent first practice,” said Hughes, a 23-year-old native of Australia. “Made some changes, changed the balance a little bit. Felt really good and ready for the rest of the weekend.”
Hauger took second at 1:11.1107-seconds/114.312 mph in the No. 28 Nammo machine. Hauger and the Andretti Global crew continued to tinker with the setup throughout the session, as Hauger wandered off-track during the session as he explored the limits of grip.
“This track is quite different compared to the test we had (here), so just trying to work on that, go for a few things,” said Hauger, a 22-year-old native of Norway. “I think we did a really good job and the pace is surprisingly strong. We didn’t go on the new tires at the end of the run, and we have those for (today), and that’s good.”
Callum Hedge of New Zealand placed third at 1:11.2255-seconds/114.128 mph in the No. 17 Abel Motorsports car. Like Hauger, Hedge also explored the outer reaches of grip and took a ride through the gravel trap in Turn 4 late in the session, barely missing the tire barrier.
Salvador de Alba of Mexico was fourth at 1:11.3392-seconds/113.946 mph in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car as Andretti Global placed three drivers in the top four. Caio Collet of Brazil, winner of the most recent round at Road America, completed the top-five at 1:11.3983-seconds/113.851 mph in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports entry.
Collet passed Hauger with less than five laps remaining and drove away to win the Grand Prix of Road America on June 22, his second career INDY NXT by Firestone victory. The 2024 series Rookie of the Year, Collet crossed the finish line 1.7093-seconds ahead of Hauger.
Hauger’s lead over second-place Hughes grew from 19 to 28 points at Road America after his fifth podium finish. Collet is third, 70 points behind Hauger.
Qualifying for the 19-car field is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. (EDT). The 35-lap/79.03-mile/55-minute race is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network are broadcasting all remaining sessions this weekend.
NTT IndyCar Series Point Standings _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 386; 2, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 293; 3, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 275; 4, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 231; 5, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 231; 6, Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, 228; 7, Will Power, Team Penske, 197; 8, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 190; 9, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 184; 10, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, 184;
11, Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing, 183; 12, David Malukas, A.J. Foyt Racing, 174; 13, Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, 161; 14, Rinus VeeKay, Dale Coyne Racing, 157; 15, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 150; 16, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 141; 17, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 137; 18, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 133; 19, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 133; 20, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 128;
21, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 123; 22, Robert Shwartzman, PREMA Racing, 104; 23, Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 102; 24, Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 93; 25, Devlin DeFrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 89; 26, Callum Ilott, PREMA Racing, 78; 27, Jacob Abel, Dale Coyne Racing, 56; 28, Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 36; 29, Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, 20; 30, Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, 16;
31, Jack Harvey, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports, 12; 32, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports, 10; 33, Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren with Henrick Motorsports, 6; 34, Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta with Marco & Curb-Agajanian, 5.
FOX SPORTS’ 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES BROADCAST COVERAGE SCHEDULE
Sunday, March 2 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, March 23 _The Thermal Club, Thermal, Calif. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, April 13 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif. (Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global)
Sunday, May 4 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Saturday, May 10 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, May 25 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, June 1 _ Streets of Detroit (Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global)
Sunday, June 15 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill. (Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global)
Sunday, June 22 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, July 6 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington (FOX, 1 p.m.)
Saturday, July 12 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 1 (FOX, 5 p.m.)
Sunday, July 13 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 2 (FOX, 1 p.m.)
Sunday, July 20 _ Streets of Toronto, Canada (FOX, noon)
Sunday, July 27 _ WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif. (FOX, 3 p.m.)
Sunday, Aug. 10 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway (FOX, 3 p.m.)
Sunday, Aug. 24 _ The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis. (FOX, 2 p.m.)
Sunday, Aug. 31 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn. (2:30 p.m.)
NOTE _ All times Eastern. Dates and times subject to change.
