Image: Curt Smith
Alex Palou loses his early dominance as Kyle Kirkwood wins the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Grand Prix of Long Beach
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA – Kyle Kirkwood proves that Alex Palou can be challenged this IndyCar season, as he claims his second career victory at the iconic Long Beach Street Circuit.
The third race of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES went by smoothly, with no cautions and all cars reaching the chequered flag. With overtaking being a challenge on the tight California street circuit, tire strategy and timing of pit stops were vital to beat the competition. The majority of the field started on the softer alternate tire, hoping to pit quickly after passing the mandatory two laps for a stint on each compound.
Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood earned his second Long Beach win from pole in the last three years, holding off the challenge of reigning IndyCar champion, Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou, in a tense, strategy-driven contest. Palou, who started P3, fell short of winning the first three races of the season, ultimately finishing second.
One of the drivers on the alternative strategy was Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard, who rallied from P12 after crashing in qualifying to grab the final spot on the podium. Lundgaard also passed Felix Rosenqvist in Turn 1 with five laps remaining, resulting in the Meyer Shank Racing driver finishing fourth. Two-time Long Beach winner Will Power rounded out the top five finishers.
The top four finishers in the Grand Prix of Long Beach also hold the same spots in the current driver standings. Reigning series champion Palou continues to lead the championship after winning the first two races of the season, a healthy 34-point gap over Kirkwood in second. Lundgaard follows with a 46-point gap to Kirkwood, and Rosenqvist off from Lundgaard by 54 points.
The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES will continue with the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix in Birmingham, Alabama on May 4th.
