Kyle Kirkwood received the 2025 Acura Lengthy Seaside Grand Prix after dominating the race and being the efficient race chief all through the race distance. Nonetheless, the Andretti World driver was put beneath strain by Chip Ganassi Racing star Alex Palou on a number of events. Kirkwood revealed how and what he realized from Palou that helped him on the Lengthy Seaside GP.
Kirkwood began P9 on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with Palou beginning forward of him in P8. The Andretti World driver adopted the CGR driver for a lot of the race and realized a factor or two from him.
The Lengthy Seaside winner spoke with Will Buxton after the race, because the FOX play-by-play announcer requested Kirkwood how he managed a Palou-esque efficiency and whether or not the Andretti World driver had realized something from St. Pete. He replied:
“It is really been good, it has been very good following him at St. Pete, I realized lots of what his tendencies are and the way his thought course of is round a race. And to not get into an excessive amount of element, however he pushes on the proper instances and he is aware of easy methods to execute when issues must occur.”
“And I perceive that whereas I watched him do it in entrance of me, I understood it at this time when he was in my mirrors, which is a giant a part of at this time’s race, and the way I managed it with gas save, ensuring that we stored going lots longer than him, and the way I managed the automobile to solely push within the instances I knew that he could be pushing too,” added Kyle Kirkwood.
After the primary spherical of pit stops the place Kyle Kirkwood overcut Alex Palou, the Spaniard got here out simply behind the Andretti World driver. It made the race a two-way struggle between Palou and Kirkwood.
Palou adopted the Andretti driver for the rest of the race however didn’t move. Regardless of undercutting within the pit stops, the CGR driver simply did not have sufficient within the tank to make a transfer for the race lead.
Kyle Kirkwood revealed how Alex Palou might’ve crushed him at Lengthy Seaside
The Acura Grand Prix of Lengthy Seaside noticed zero warning flags, making it a pure tempo battle. Alex Palou, who began P3, was caught behind Kyle Kirkwood. The overcut was a strong software round Lengthy Seaside as the brand new laborious main tires took time to get into the working window, and the preliminary lap on the brand new set was usually slower.
The race winner prompt that if Palou had gotten forward of him, or began on the pole place, then the Spaniard would’ve taken the win. Talking with FOX after the race, Kirkwood mentioned:
“Actually good qualifying, wonderful race, wonderful technique. However it was simply execution all throughout the board is what received us that race group right here at this time. As a result of if Palou was in entrance, he would have beat us for certain. This was a observe place race right here at this time with none yellows. And I imply, hats off to the Prefab Honda Andretti guys.”
Alex Palou continues to steer the championship however the win at Lengthy Seaside promoted Kyle Kirkwood as much as second within the standings.
