Red-Hot Kyle Kirkwood Can Round Out Resume at Road America
INDYCAR
Kyle Kirkwood checked a major personal box last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway by earning his first victory on an oval in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. An opportunity to check another box comes Sunday at Road America.
To be considered an all-around standout in the series presenting the most diverse set of venue challenges, a driver should excel on street circuits, road courses and oval tracks. Kirkwood has won races at the first two; only a road course win has eluded him – so far.
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Kirkwood is one of 14 drivers scheduled to compete in this weekend's XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR that have won races in this series. Ten of those have won races on all three types of circuits, with series points leader Alex Palou the most recent to join the club with his oval victory in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Hitting for INDYCAR's cycle is important to Kirkwood, who prior to conquering WWTR had only won on street circuits (four times).
'(Last weekend's victory) puts a stamp down a little bit more like, 'Hey, this kid might actually be able to contend for a championship and do things,'' the Andretti Global driver said at WWTR. 'Everybody knows you've got to be diverse in this series. You've got to win at multiple circuits. You've got to win at multiple venues. Whether it's a short oval, long oval, street course, road course, whatever it might be, you've got to win at all of them.'
The other active drivers with series wins on all three types of circuits are Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Colton Herta, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Pato O'Ward, Palou, Will Power, Graham Rahal and Alexander Rossi. McLaughlin and Herta joined the group last year with oval victories.
Kirkwood's pursuit of the INDYCAR Triple Crown is just one of the many storylines to watch in this weekend's race (Sunday, 1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
Can Palou Get Back on Track?
Palou salvaged an eighth-place finish in last weekend's Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline to somewhat mitigate the points damage created by Kirkwood and O'Ward – his two closest challengers for the season title – finishing first and second, respectively.
While Palou's finishes of 25th and eighth in races held this month have allowed some slippage in his points lead, he is still in a commanding position. He leads O'Ward by 73 points and Kirkwood by 75 points, both amounts more than the equivalent of a single race. Nine races remain.
Palou should feel confident in his ability to bounce back. The next two races are on road courses where he has combined to win three times and earn a pole (last year at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course). His wins in 2023 at Road America and Mid-Ohio were part of a three-race winning streak.
Palou Among Six Road America Winners
Unlike last week when there were only three active drivers had won races at WWTR, twice as many drivers will roll into Road America as past winners.
Power (2014, 2024), Dixon (2017, 2020), Newgarden (2018, 2022) and Palou (2021, 2023) lead the way with two wins each at the 14-turn, 4.014-mile road course. Rossi (2019) and Felix Rosenqvist (2020) each have one win on the circuit.
INDY NXT by Firestone has been racing at the facility since 2016. Among the current INDYCAR SERIES drivers who won races in that series at Road America are Herta (2018), Rinus VeeKay (2019), Kirkwood (2021), David Malukas (2021), Christian Rasmussen (2022) and Nolan Siegel (2023).
So, yeah, a lot of drivers know where victory lane is located.
Team Penske Swept Last Year's Competitive Race
Last year, Roger Penske's three drivers became the first trio in four years to occupy all three steps on the same podium when Power, Newgarden and McLaughlin did so at Road America. Prior to that, Andretti Global went 1-2-3 at Mid-Ohio in 2020 with Herta, Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
While Team Penske walked away with top honors a year ago, the 55-lap race was statistically one of the track's most balanced. Seven drivers exchanged the lead 13 times, both records for the event.
Power's victory pushed him to the series lead, which now is noteworthy. No one other than Palou has led the standings after the races since then.
Teams Relatively Even With Hybrid Wins
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is soon to celebrate the one-year anniversary of using hybrid technology, and there has been team parity aplenty in that span.
Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Global each have won five times in the 17 races in the hybrid has been used. Arrow McLaren has won twice.
As with most categories over the past year, Palou leads all drivers in hybrid wins with five, Kirkwood has three such wins. Four drivers have won twice (McLaughlin, Power, O'Ward and Herta). Newgarden has won one.
Hybrid technology made its debut last July at Mid-Ohio. O'Ward won that race.
Road America's Schedule
After a two-day show at WWTR, INDYCAR's traditional three-day weekend is back in play at Road America.
Friday's practice at 4:30 p.m. ET will be live on FS2, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Saturday, the televised action shifts to FS1 with the second practice at 11 a.m. ET followed by qualifying for the NTT P1 Award at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Ahead of Sunday's race on FOX and FOX Deportes is the morning warmup at 10 a.m. on FS1.
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Indianapolis Star
2 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Racing social media sensation Hailie Deegan: '10 Insta posts offsets price for my sponsor'
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She started her daughter's social media platforms long before that was a thing in the world of racing. And Marrissa Deegan has her own 200,000 followers on Instagram and 34,600 on TikTok. Deegan has been staring into the lens, being recorded, for as long as she can remember. She has been sharing her life from the time she started in racing at 8 to now, as a driver in IndyCar's primary developmental series Indy NXT for HMD Motorsports. "I was so used to having cameras around 24/7 that it was almost just like I expected that of myself. Oh, I gotta show my life on social media. Show everyone what I'm doing. Show everyone who I am," Deegan told IndyStar. "And I think people gravitated toward that." They did. And that has come with a lot of good. But it also has come with the bad. Given that iconic name in the sphere of racing, Deegan has gotten plenty of comments that aren't so friendly. Spoon fed. Spoiled. Handed everything on a silver platter. "I think people think, 'Oh, you race cars. 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Yes, I have the family name, but my parents haven't contributed financially to my racing for a long, long time." They gave her the start, the unconditional love and the continued endless support. But now it's Deegan's time to carry forward her own dream. "That's why I've used my social media to bring another value to the table. I could sell a primary sponsorship for a race, but also backend 10 Instagram posts that kind of offsets the price and makes it more favorable for my sponsor," she said. "So they both work hand in hand for me." When it comes to securing sponsors, Deegan is picky. The money might sound good, but it has to fit. "I've turned down a lot of sponsor deals over the fact that it doesn't align with me as a person. And so if there's something that truly I would never use this product, I will not do the deal," she said. "It obviously isn't worth it for a company if I don't love the product." Which brings her to one of her main sponsors, Monster Energy. 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Indianapolis Star
3 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
5 thoughts on IndyCar's new car, what it could mean for the sport's future, paddock insight
The new specifics are few, but the news was no less exciting as it rang across the IndyCar paddock: After 16 years of use, IndyCar's combination of its DW12 chassis and 2.2-liter twin-turbo engine will be retired after nearly 270 races of use come the 2027 season finale. For reference, the careers of Bobby Rahal (264 starts) and Dario Franchitti (265) rank within the top-15 lengthiest in American open-wheel racing history dating back to 1946. The car was born out of the testing acumen of the late Dan Wheldon, saw the entry (and soon to follow exit) of a third engine manufacturer in Lotus, welcomed first a manufacturer aero-kit and then a universal one and was the proving ground for IndyCar's aeroscreen and bespoke hybrid system. Among its full-time driver contingent, only Scott Dixon, Will Power and Graham Rahal have raced anything else in their top-level American open-wheel racing careers. 'The DW12 served the series so well, as it provided a combination of phenomenal, wheel-to-wheel racing and critical enhancements to safety,' IndyCar president Doug Boles said. 'But recent significant updates to the car … have helped advance the need for a completely new car. 'We are pleased by what our engineers and Dallara have collaboratively designed and believe it will appear to the fans and paddock, while also upholding our standards of safety and enhancing IndyCar's on-track competition well into the future.' Penske Entertainment's rollout plan announced June 22 included a private audience of owners or executives from all its full-time teams minutes after the end of Practice No. 2 on Saturday, during which sources with direct knowledge of aspects of the meeting said meeting attendees were not shown a mock-up of the new car design, which is said to have undergone a notable redesign since owners were gathered for an offseason meeting in October when talk around the new car around the paddock picked up significantly. Multiple sources with knowledge of meeting said Penske Entertainment leaders didn't dive too deep into the cars' specifics beyond what was laid out in the Saturday afternoon release shortly after their meeting together completed. Here are five thoughts I have in the wake of IndyCar's most substantive statement around its future technical regulations since Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles sat down with IndyStar at St. Pete in March and elaborated on the process and did his best to dispel rumors and clarify the work that had taken place in the offseason. Miles said one could come 'as early as 2027,' but after a year, though an initial prototype had been developed and seen wind tunnel time, Miles was still not able to offer a hard-and-fast timeline. In fact, he promised that the series would see some level of change to the cars being raced in 2027, planting the idea that some updates could rollout that year with the rest coming by 2028. IndyCar and Penske Entertainment have given no indication why that phased rollout with new technology on track more quickly has been scrapped, but there was no mention of 2027 in Saturday's release. Another delay as it may, the firm road map — as long as it doesn't see delays the likes of the elongated hybrid system rollout — now begins to give teams the makings of a runway on which they can prepare not only for the cost impacts of a new car but the way in which they wind down use of their parts related to the DW12. 'I'm pretty happy with where the whole thing is right now,' Meyer Shank Racing co-owner Mike Shank told IndyStar. 'I think the move to 2028 was really crucial for all of our sakes, and now we can plan around it the best we can. 'And because they moved to 2028, we have a proper, doable plan that allows us to fully depreciated (our DW12s) and run all the parts out as much as we can and end up with worn-out racecars by the end of 2027.' It was already well-understood across the paddock that the car would be made by Dallara and would include low-voltage hybrid technology and a 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. Maybe the most impactful piece of information IndyCar unveiled was the early makings of a timeline for which the new car would begin on-track testing. That process, according to IndyCar's release, will begin in 'early 2026.' It will allow for a nearly two-year runway of testing and production ahead of the car's on-track debut. By comparison, the DW12 began on-track testing in August 2011, just seven months before it was first used in a race. A test and production window nearly three times the length of that of IndyCar's most recent new chassis should assuage any concerns that Penske Entertainment will be unable to meet its benchmarks along the way, despite the festering wounds of how the hybrid testing and development process went from 2022-24. 'This gives us a lot of time to really develop this, so it's not a cluster-you-know-what, and we'll actually be able to run the car,' Shank said. 'I think Doug Boles has done an awesome job. I was impressed with how he led (the team owners' meeting),' added Prema Racing IndyCar CEO Piers Phillips. 'This is a team sport, and once you get over the pit wall, you want to beat everybody, but I always say, you've got to get to the pit wall together as an organization, and I think the group discussion has been very productive.' It remains a paddock mystery as to who and how many engine manufacturers the sport will have once Honda and Chevy's deal with the sport that runs through 2026 expires. Of the two, Honda Racing Corp. USA is the party those around the paddock are uncertain whether it will re-sign or not in the wake of the company airing its concerns in late 2023 with the state of the sport and the return on investment it offers. 'It's great to see IndyCar moving forward and announcing plans around the new car. That's something fans have been waiting for and teams, drivers and OEMs have been waiting for, so I think that's a really good step forward,' Chuck Schifsky, the national manager of HRC USA's racing endeavors, told IndyStar at Road America, who noted that HRC USA continues to meet 'regularly' with Penske Entertainment executives regarding the future of the sport and the prospect of their involvement in it past 2026 and that those meetings 'have been doing well.' Schifsky offered no specifics as to HRC USA's decision-making timeline, though one has been given to Penske Entertainment. Though it wasn't explicitly stated in the release, one would imagine that new car testing in early 2026 for IndyCar's next technical regulations would involve manufacturer-specific testing — i.e. a 2028 safety cell with updated parts and body kit and manufacturer-specific engines inside. Such a theory would require HRC USA to decide whether or not they plan to stick around long enough ahead to have a 2.4-liter test engine and testing plan prepared, making it reasonable to expect the longtime IndyCar manufacturer's future in the sport (or lack of it) to be solidified in the coming months. Changes coming in IndyCar's new car: Weight reduction, engine formula, more Though specifications around the engine formula are minimal, beyond it being a 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 internal combustion engine with a low-voltage hybrid component, if that sounds familiar, you're not going crazy. It's the bones of what the series announced in 2019 would be coming in 2022 — after the internal combustion engine side was announced in 2018 for 2021. To me, that signals two things: One, for Chevy and (potentially) Honda, it's like slipping on an old forgotten pair of pants in the back of your closet. For both of them, the 2.4-liter engine formula is a piece of technology both were a good ways down the road with three years ago. In March 2022, just weeks after the 2.4-liter engine and hybrid combo were punted to 2024, the IMS road course hosted both Honda and Chevy for a multi-day test of both camps' 2.4-liter engine. Results of both sides' testing was kept largely private, but we know that Chevy turned 600 miles, and Honda went so far as to embark on an additional test day a couple months later with both the 2.4-liter and a version of the hybrid system. Though both sides ultimately decided to scrap continued development of their respective 2.4-liter engines to pour time, money and energy into helping IndyCar get the hybrid to the finish line, it's not as if those development plans just disappeared into thin air. There's reason to think both could get those engines back up and running with relative ease and that producing a dependable, competitive, track-tested engine with which to compete in IndyCar a couple years down the road isn't a project that requires starting from scratch. In fact, though it's slightly different, the bones of Honda's 2.4-liter engine is currently racing in its Acura GTP cars in IMSA, giving the manufacturer most known to be on the fence something concrete to work off of. The downside to this: Rebooting an engine formula that was in the works for four years previously and one that isn't all too different than what IndyCar is running now doesn't give me great hope that a new manufacturer outside the two competing is coming into the fold any time soon. Though the sport has made some notable gains in its popularity and what it can offer for those who play a major role in the sport, but there's neither been enough of a technological leap nor has the sport gained enough traction for me to think a major racing manufacturer that once turned the sport down is going to circle back around and have a change of heart. The manufacturer arms race in the major racing series around the world is becoming an increasingly crowded and competitive space, with sports like NASCAR offering a massive platform, ones like IMSA and WEC offering a lot of technological freedom and the ability to compete against a bunch of other high-level manufacturers from around the world and ones like Formula 1 that offer maybe the best of both worlds. It's a tough landscape for IndyCar to compete in at the moment, and racing an engine package that has been on the table for years in some form with no new takers doesn't have me thinking one is going to magically pop up any time soon. Setting the record straight: IndyCar CEO Mark Miles details new car development process The word 'horsepower' appeared just once in IndyCar's release about its new car, in noting that the hybrid would offer a gain in that department. In short, the amount of power Indy cars could sport come 2028 is yet to be confirmed, though it's notable that all the descriptions of the 2.4-liter engine and hybrid package that was pursued years ago was said to allow for as much as 900 horsepower when including the internal combustion engine, the hybrid and the push-to-pass boost system. Presently, the cars run around 800 hp at their maximum capacity, according to numbers provided around the time of the hybrid's debut a year ago, meaning a 100 hp gain from various components of the new engine package would mark a notable boost to the power drivers currently have at their fingertips. The downside of that additional power at the time of the addition of the hybrid last summer was that it took the addition of just over 100 pounds of new technology added to the back of the car to produce it, therefore negating that added horsepower boost. The next generation car will come with a drop in weight compared to the car in use between 85 and 100 pounds, making said new car's weight right around the pre-hybrid weight, but one that could be equipped with a significant boost in horsepower. The specifics of all of those will matter a great deal — the weight distribution, after all, matters as much if not more than the car's overall weight — but if a well-balanced car can be had, then a lighter, more powerful one certainly should be something drivers will enjoy competing with far more than the overweight, under-powered one they have now.
Forbes
13 hours ago
- Forbes
IndyCar's Nolan Siegel Looks To Improve With New Race Boss Kyle Moyer
Nolan Siegel at Road America. Young Arrow McLaren IndyCar driver Nolan Siegel admitted last weekend at Road America that he didn't really know much about his new race strategist Kyle Moyer. The 20-year-old from Palo Alto, California got to know his new boss during a busy test session at Iowa Speedway on June 25 that featured 21 cars and drivers in a test session that lasted until 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Siegel looks forward to working with a new voice on the radio calling his race strategy. As noted last week on Forbes Sports Money, former Team Penske INDYCAR General Manager Kyle Moyer has joined Arrow McLaren as the Director of Operations. He will also work with Siegel as his race strategist. 'I've never met Kyle (Moyer),' Siegel said after finishing eighth at Road America on June 22. 'I've heard of him, and I've known of him, and I'm very, very excited to get to work with him. 'I think that's a huge pleasure and a huge learning opportunity for me. I couldn't be more excited. So, we're going to have a really strong group of people on the stand with Scott Harner going to kind of an advisory role. We're going to have a lot more experience on the stand. And I think it's going to be great. 'And again, it's nice to kind of leave this weekend on a high with everyone in good spirits. Kyle's going to come and in and I think that this could be a turnaround for us for the rest of the year.' Arrow McLaren Team Principal Tony Kanaan. Reunited Again Digging deeper into Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan's decision to bring Moyer on board, it was an opportunity Kanaan had to take. It was also a chance for Moyer and Kanaan to be reunited. The two worked together at what was then known as Andretti Green Racing when Kanaan won the 2004 IndyCar Series title. Moyer was a key part of that team before he left for Team Penske in 2015. 'Talk about how our history together, it's unbelievable,' Kanaan told me at Road America. 'Everything that I won, that guy was in my car. So that wasn't something that I was expecting to have. 'And honestly, I'm pretty happy about it. It's pretty good to see. 'He was my strategist strategy and my team manager at the same time. I think that's something that what that race has given me for a lot of good friends. 'You know you've been around as long as I've been but also, He was part of the most successful part of my life, so it's hard not to go back and he's still involved. 'I'm still involved to say, 'Why not try to do it again?'' Kyle Moyer Moyer was one of three key Team Penske executives that was dismissed before the Indianapolis 500 because of a technical rules infraction during qualifications. Because it was the second penalty in as many years including the 'push to pass scandal' from 2024, team owner Roger Penske dismissed the team's IndyCar President Tim Cindric, Managing Director Ron Ruzewski and Moyer. 'I've never questioned anybody's integrity,' Kanaan said. 'We all know that at the end of the day it takes a team, and not once did it cross my mind because I know Kyle really well so that was never even a debate.' Kanaan has spent much of his time working with young Nolan Siegel at Arrow McLaren. He believes having a different voice to work with the young driver will help his overall development and that is why he thinks Moyer is the right guy for that role. 'One hundred percent and I think Kyle is a way more experienced than me in so many ways,' Kanaan said. 'I'm trying to give Nolan as big of a support as I can. 'Obviously, he came in the middle of the season, so it was kind of like a way to put him there to take a look where he didn't work with Scott Harner as well and give Nolan a little bit of a bump. But as young as this kid is any help he can get it would definitely make him better.' Arrow McLaren General Manager Brian Barnhart. Another key member of Arrow McLaren that strongly supports bringing Moyer to the team is General Manager Brian Barnhart. He has worked with Moyer in various capacities throughout his career and is impressed with Moyer's accomplishments and approach. 'Oh, that's a steal of the century mid-season, that's for sure, so we're really happy,' Barnhart told me. 'Clearly, we weren't planning on something like that in season, so you take advantage of that opportunity when it gets presented to you, but Kyle is an exceptional leader, he's a great delegator, a genuine good person, really good communicator, just got a lot of common sense, so he'll make this race team better for sure. 'I think if anything it gives TK the ability to focus more on the stuff that he's doing as team principal and out of the role on the timing stand a little bit, so I think that's why it'll probably be helpful.' The one area that Barnhart is uncertain about, however, is the chain of command at Arrow McLaren and how a newly created Director of Operations will line up with the current organizational structure. 'It's one of those things to be honest with you, we don't wholly know yet, because it's one of them that you weren't planning on,' Barnhart said. 'It's not like we had a position, so we're just going to kind of make it fit and go along as we see what the best fit's going to be once he gets here.' As for Siegel's week, he was reprimanded by the team for unleashing a tirade against Team Penske during a fit of rage at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at Worldwide Technology Raceway, that got him a stern lecture from Kanaan and other members at Arrow McLaren. Siegel accepted the punishment and apologized to all involved last week. It culminated with a strong eighth-place effort at Road America in IndyCar's most recent race. 'Nice to move on from everything from last week ended on a high,' Siegel said. 'And this has been a much-needed weekend. 'You know, nothing's gone wrong this weekend. We've had a good smooth Saturday. We had a smooth Sunday. Eighth isn't ultimately, like the end goal, right? But it's something that we can build off of. And we've had a lot of bad weeks where everyone leaves upset, and it's just not a good feeling, and it's nice to kind of turn that around. And I think until you have a weekend like this, to turn it around, it's very hard to get out of that slump.' Siegel and Arrow McLaren move on to the next race on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule, the July 6 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in Steam Corners, Ohio. The second-year IndyCar driver is 20th in points with eight races remaining in the season. Nolan Siegel and Kyle Moyer are determined to make an improvement in the final half of the 2025 season. Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
