Kyle Kirkwood says folks ought to recognize Alex Palou’s greatness

In virtually some other IndyCar season, Kyle Kirkwood could be a robust contender for the title heading into the ultimate stretch, having scored three wins, 5 top-five finishes, and eight top-10s in 12 rounds. Nonetheless, the motive force of Andretti International’s No. 27 automobile didn’t account for what’s shaping as much as be a historic run by Palou.

However, quite than being annoyed by what the Chip Ganassi Racing driver is reaching, Kirkwood has taken a step again to understand his colleague’s exceptional efficiency, which incorporates seven wins — amongst them the Indianapolis 500 — 4 pole positions, 9 podiums, ten top-five finishes, and eleven top-10s.

“As racing drivers, we wish to see one another succeed. In fact, we do not need to see failure inside ourselves. However when somebody does what Palou is doing, it’s unbelievable. I believe possibly viewers don’t absolutely understand what somebody like that’s reaching on this sequence,” Kirkwood mentioned in a digital media session forward of this weekend’s Ontario Honda Sellers Indy Toronto.

“In most seasons, what we’ve carried out as much as Iowa could be an incredible championship run. We’d most likely be main the standings. However this yr, he’s simply carried out one thing unbelievable, proper?”

Following the Iowa Speedway doubleheader, Palou leads the championship by 129 factors over Pato O’Ward, who’s adopted carefully by Scott Dixon and Kyle Kirkwood — with simply 51 factors separating the three drivers. In different phrases, with out Palou within the combine, the 2025 IndyCar title combat could be considerably nearer. Even so, Kirkwood insists that followers ought to admire Palou’s achievements and never flip their backs on the sequence simply due to the CGR driver’s dominance.

“I believe folks should not see it as a destructive, prefer it’s making the season boring. That’s not the case. What you are witnessing is greatness in motion. We’re doing every little thing we are able to to attempt to catch him — and we’ve carried out a good job — nevertheless it nonetheless hasn’t been sufficient.

“It’s unbelievable. Certain, it could be good if he took a few weekends off so we might catch up,” he joked. “However you realize what? I like racing. I believe he’s an awesome individual. I hope we have now many good battles sooner or later.”

“Second this yr is like successful the championship”

Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti International

Picture by: Penske Leisure

Kirkwood was second within the standings forward of the Iowa weekend, however the Florida native endured a tough doubleheader. On Saturday, he suffered a right-front flat and hit the Flip 2 wall, ending his day early in twenty sixth place. On Sunday, he acquired caught out by an alternate technique after teammate Colton Herta crashed, finally ending 18th.

Kirkwood known as the Iowa races “an anomaly for us,” however admitted that the weekend basically ended his hopes of difficult Palou for the title. To any extent further, he’s targeted on including extra victories to his résumé.

“Final weekend was a killer for our championship. It put us, what, 180 factors behind Palou? That appears fairly unattainable at this level. So long as it’s mathematically attainable to beat him, we’re going to maintain pushing for wins. However we’ve undoubtedly dug ourselves right into a gap.”

“We’re simply going to exit and attempt to get wins, present that we’re a championship-caliber staff — and I consider we’re. Displaying progress and proving that we are able to win is what issues.”

When requested whether or not it could make any distinction to him the place he finishes within the standings — so long as it’s not first — Kirkwood admitted that ending second this yr would really feel like successful the title, given Palou’s dominance.

“It’s all about wins, proper? Successful races wins championships — and Palou is proving that this season. That’s our primary focus”, he insisted.

“For positive, it could be good to claw our means again and combat for second place, as a result of in quite a lot of methods, getting second this yr is like successful the championship. Palou’s doing one thing actually particular. That’s the purpose.”

“In fact, if the seas half, the celebrities align, and Palou has a disastrous final 5 races — which I don’t suppose goes to occur — but when it does, we need to be there. And to be in that place, we have to preserve successful.”

Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti International Honda within the 2024 Toronto Indy weekend

Picture by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Photographs

With two wins from the three avenue circuit races to this point this season, the upcoming occasion on the Streets of Toronto couldn’t come at a greater time for Kirkwood, who’s seeking to proper the ship after a disappointing Iowa weekend. He additionally completed second to Herta ultimately yr’s Toronto race, so confidence is excessive heading into the weekend.

“We all know we’re going to be robust. There’s no cause we wouldn’t be based mostly on our avenue course performances and the progress we’ve made,” he mentioned.

“It’s really good while you come off a troublesome weekend and don’t have time to dwell on it. You concentrate on what went unsuitable, the way to repair it for subsequent time — and then you definately transfer on. You suppose: ‘Okay, Toronto is arising, that is our greatest observe of the yr, that is the place we shift the momentum.’”