Kirkwood Crushes Long Beach: Ends Palou’s Streak with Masterclass in Strategy and Speed
In a race where perfection was the only path to victory, Kyle Kirkwood delivered just that on the sun-soaked streets of Long Beach. With clinical precision and nerves of steel, the 26-year-old Florida native snapped Alex Palou’s early-season win streak, proving that even the most consistent champion can be beaten — if only barely.
Kirkwood’s win at the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach wasn’t just a triumph of speed, but a masterclass in tire strategy, pit timing, and pure execution. Piloting the No. 27 PreFab Honda for Andretti Global, he led 46 of the 90 laps in what was the first caution-free Long Beach race since 2016 — a rarity on the notoriously unforgiving street circuit.
“This was about control, from practice to the final lap,” Kirkwood said after the race. “If Palou had gotten ahead, he would’ve taken it. But we executed at every level today.”
That execution started early, with Kirkwood claiming pole position — his second at Long Beach in the last three years. It ended with him crossing the line 2.6859 seconds ahead of Palou, sealing his second career victory at this Southern California classic after his breakthrough win here in 2023.
Behind the two front-runners, Christian Lundgaard put on a gritty performance to claim third, recovering from a crash in qualifying and clawing his way forward from 12th on the grid. His late-race pass on Felix Rosenqvist in Turn 1 was one of the few decisive on-track moves in an otherwise tactical battle.
No Room for Error on a Clean Track
With zero cautions and concrete walls lurking inches away, the race quickly evolved into a chess match between engineers and drivers. The key battle? Managing Firestone’s two tire compounds. Most teams opted to ditch the softer, red-sidewall alternates early, switching to the more durable primaries in the opening laps.
Kirkwood and Palou mirrored each other’s strategy almost to the second — Palou diving in after Lap 6, Kirkwood one lap later. The final pit sequence, however, was where the race hung in the balance.
On Lap 66, as Kirkwood exited pit lane on fresh but cold tires, Palou pounced. The Spaniard, now on hotter rubber, drew close — but not close enough. Kirkwood held firm under intense pressure, keeping the lead through his out lap and never looking back.
Palou remained pragmatic despite seeing a potential three-peat slip away.
“You never love second, but they were flawless today,” he said. “We just couldn’t make the move when it mattered.”
Changing of the Guard?
The top 4 finishers — Kirkwood, Palou, Lundgaard and Rosenqvist — are now the current championship standings, a sign that the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES title fight is taking shape early.
Palou still leads the standings, but Kirkwood has emerged as a serious threat, now just 34 points adrift.
As the paddock shifts to Barber Motorsports Park for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on May 4, one thing is clear: the chase is officially on.
Philipp Kraus
