Kirkwood Keeps Honda Streak Rolling, Captures First Oval Win at Gateway
By David Morgan, Associate Editor
MADISON, Ill. – On a night that was poised for Chevrolet to strike back, it was the Andretti Global Honda of Kyle Kirkwood that scored the win in Sunday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
After asserting himself as a street course ace since coming into the NTT IndyCar Series, with all three of his wins before Sunday on those types of tracks, but now the 26-year-old driver of the No. 27 Honda can add an oval win to his resume.
“The starts and the restarts were big. That was absolutely huge. But we were not too happy with the car yesterday. We got some help from the teammates, made the car really good and went on track with an amazing car,” Kirkwood said.
“In the beginning, I really didn’t think that we had it, but as it got dark and the track cooled down, this Honda and this Andretti Global Siemens No. 27 just came alive. Hats off to these guys, these guys killed it in pit lane. Awesome, awesome job. Everybody at Andretti Global, they deserve this.
“Third win of the year, man, that’s incredible. My first oval win. I’m over the moon right now. Ovals have eluded me for a very long time, so it’s nice to get that first one off and break that ice.”
That’s an oval dub for KIRKWOOOOOOD! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/lQc48kxI2T
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) June 16, 2025
As a number of contenders in the Chevrolet camp fell by the wayside, Kirkwood and his team took the opportunity to pounce in the latter half of the race. The turning point being the final round of green flag pit stops with 26 laps to go when Kirkwood cycled out ahead of the two closest challengers on the same strategy in Pato O’Ward, Scott Dixon, and Christian Rasmussen
A handful of other drivers trying to stretch their fuel stood between Kirkwood and the race lead, including Felix Rosenqvist and Callum Ilott, but that strategy would be for not as they would have to duck off onto pit road as the laps waned.
That moved Kirkwood to the lead coming to four laps to go, with O’Ward and Rasmussen giving chase in second and third, respectively.
At the time Kirkwood assumed the lead, O’Ward sat approximately two seconds back, but was gaining ground rapidly, with Rasmussen following closely in his tire tracks.
O’Ward would close the gap to within a half-second, but it was too little, too late as Kirkwood would cross the line to take the checkered flag and bank his maiden oval win.
Afterwards, O’Ward was appreciative of the car that Arrow McLaren and Chevrolet had provided him, but lamented having come so close to finally winning a race in 2025, but ultimately falling short.
“All in all, a very good points day for us, for the Arrow McLaren No. 5 Chevy” said O’Ward. “I just can’t…I would have loved to have gotten that for Team Chevy. We’re still winless all year, but we’re going to keep pushing.”
Still, he was confident in the races that lay ahead for the remainder of the season and the chances to get the monkey off their back at some point down the road and still have a shot at stealing the championship away from Alex Palou.
“The guy has been on a run. He has five wins or something,” O’Ward said of Palou, who finished eighth on the night. “I’ve got zero wins. I’ve just got a handful of podiums. We need to start racking up some wins, and that’ll make that points count come down a lot faster than what you’re seeing now.
“I feel like we’re just sitting at bay right there just waiting for our run to come, so hopefully that does come to life, and yeah, I think it’s going to be a tight end to the championship.”
The podium finishers would be rounded out by Rasmussen, who started deep in the field in 25th place, but put in yeoman’s work throughout the night, passing some 62 cars on his way forward and even finding himself on fire at one point in the race.
“It’s huge, especially with how this weekend has gone for us. We were really slow in practice 1. We didn’t get it done in (qualifying). We started 25th in the race,” Rasmussen said.
“But way to turn it around for ECR here today. I mean, this is awesome. Definitely the best race of my life so far.”
Having proved he can handle himself on ovals in the Indy NXT Series, where he won the championship in 2023 before moving up to IndyCar, Rasmussen was not surprised that a track like Gateway would be the place where his first podium finish in IndyCar would come.
“It’s definitely important, but I think it’s been coming,” Rasmussen said. “I’ve been good around ovals most of my career, or really all my career since I’ve started doing ovals. It just comes very natural to me.
“For a first podium, I’m not surprised it’s on an oval.”
Scott Dixon would finish fourth on the night, with Santino Ferrucci capturing another strong finish on an oval after starting the race in 19th place.
The remainder of the top-10 went to Conor Daly, who led 36 laps, along with Rinus VeeKay, Alex Palou, Marcus Armstrong, and Robert Schwartzman.
David Malukas, who was the pace setter for much of the first half of the race, leading a race-high 72 laps, finished in 12th place after contact with the outside wall.
Other contenders that fell by the wayside would include the trio of Team Penske drivers (Will Power, Josef Newgarden, and Scott McLaughlin), all of whom had issues that took them out of the race.
Power suffered a tire failure that ended his night early, Newgarden endured a high-flying crash just past halfway, and McLaughlin had a mechanical failure sideline him.
Next up for the NTT IndyCar Series will be a quick turnaround to Road America next Sunday at 1:30 pm ET on FOX.
