2025 Long Beach INDYCAR Grand Prix: Kyle Kirkwood Shines in Flawless Victory

Indiana Chronicle — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:39:21 +0000

LONG BEACH, Calif. – On April 13, 2025, the streets of Long Beach roared to life with the Acura Grand Prix, where Kyle Kirkwood delivered a masterclass performance in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The 1.968-mile street circuit saw no yellow flags, allowing drivers to showcase their skills in a clean, high-speed battle. Here’s a full recap of the race, standout moments, and the latest championship standings.

Final Race Positions

Position	Grid	Driver	Engine	Laps	Status
1	(1)	Kyle Kirkwood	Honda	90	Running
2	(3)	Alex Palou	Honda	90	Running
3	(12)	Christian Lundgaard	Chevrolet	90	Running
4	(4)	Felix Rosenqvist	Honda	90	Running
5	(13)	Will Power	Chevrolet	90	Running
6	(6)	Scott McLaughlin	Chevrolet	90	Running
7	(2)	Colton Herta	Honda	90	Running
8	(14)	Scott Dixon	Honda	90	Running
9	(19)	Sting Ray Robb	Chevrolet	90	Running
10	(17)	Kyffin Simpson	Honda	90	Running
11	(27)	Santino Ferrucci	Chevrolet	90	Running
12	(5)	Marcus Ericsson	Honda	90	Running
13	(9)	Pato O’Ward	Chevrolet	90	Running
14	(7)	Marcus Armstrong	Honda	90	Running
15	(8)	Alexander Rossi	Chevrolet	90	Running
16	(20)	Louis Foster	Honda	90	Running
17	(10)	David Malukas	Chevrolet	90	Running
18	(24)	Robert Shwartzman	Chevrolet	90	Running
19	(25)	Rinus VeeKay	Honda	90	Running
20	(11)	Nolan Siegel	Chevrolet	90	Running
21	(22)	Callum Ilott	Chevrolet	89	Running
22	(16)	Graham Rahal	Honda	89	Running
23	(18)	Christian Rasmussen	Chevrolet	89	Running
24	(23)	Devlin DeFrancesco	Honda	89	Running
25	(21)	Conor Daly	Chevrolet	88	Running
26	(26)	Jacob Abel	Honda	88	Running
27	(15)	Josef Newgarden	Chevrolet	88	Running

Race Breakdown

Victory Margin: Kirkwood crossed the finish line 2.6859 seconds ahead of Palou.
Race Duration: The 90-lap event lasted 1 hour, 45 minutes, and 51.2058 seconds.
Speed: Kirkwood’s average speed was 100.395 mph, a testament to the race’s relentless pace.
No Yellow Flags: The absence of cautions made this a rare, uninterrupted street race.
Lead Swaps: Seven drivers exchanged the lead 9 times, with Christian Lundgaard (26 laps) and Sting Ray Robb (12 laps) among the standout leaders.

Who Led When

Kyle Kirkwood: Laps 1-6, 30-34, 53-65, 69-90
Christian Lundgaard: Laps 8-27, 35-40
Sting Ray Robb: Laps 41-52
Kyffin Simpson: Laps 66-68
Scott Dixon: Laps 28-29
Marcus Armstrong: Lap 7

Championship Standings (After Long Beach)

Alex Palou – 142
Kyle Kirkwood – 108
Christian Lundgaard – 96
Felix Rosenqvist – 88
Scott Dixon – 86
Pato O’Ward – 80
Colton Herta – 73
Scott McLaughlin – 69
Will Power – 63
Josef Newgarden – 58
Alexander Rossi – 58
Marcus Ericsson – 55
Santino Ferrucci – 51
Marcus Armstrong – 50
Kyffin Simpson – 48
Rinus VeeKay – 46
Graham Rahal – 45
David Malukas – 42
Christian Rasmussen – 40
Sting Ray Robb – 39
Conor Daly – 32
Robert Shwartzman – 30
Nolan Siegel – 26
Callum Ilott – 25
Louis Foster – 25
Devlin DeFrancesco – 24
Jacob Abel – 17

Standout Moments

Kirkwood’s Dominance: Kyle Kirkwood led 49 laps, starting from pole and securing his third career INDYCAR win, his first since 2023.
Palou’s Steady Run: Finishing second, Alex Palou maintained his championship lead with a consistent podium finish.
Lundgaard’s Surge: Christian Lundgaard climbed from 12th to 3rd, proving Chevrolet’s strength on the street circuit.
Clean Racing: The lack of cautions highlighted the drivers’ precision on the challenging Long Beach layout.
Siegel’s Grit: Despite battling food poisoning, Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel finished 20th, a testament to his determination.
Team Performance: Siegel’s teammate Lundgaard earned a podium (3rd), underlining Arrow McLaren’s strong showing.
Next Stop: The INDYCAR series heads to Barber Motorsports Park on April 28, where Siegel aims to bounce back after his health setback.

Follow along for more INDYCAR action as the 2025 season unfolds!