Kyle Kirkwood Tops First Detroit Practice After Bizarre Bump from Will Power
Kyle Kirkwood set the fastest time in the opening practice for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, despite an early-session collision with Will Power that stunned fans and commentators alike.
Kirkwood, driving the No. 27 Siemens AWS Honda for Andretti Global, posted a best lap of 1:01.7509 around the 1.645-mile, nine-turn street circuit. That performance came after repairs to the rear of his car, following a controversial incident where Team Penske’s Will Power nudged Kirkwood forward through a traffic jam.
“Everyone goes slow around here… the track’s not big enough,” Kirkwood said, brushing off the bump. “He got frustrated. Whatever, I guess. I’m not upset. We’re P1.”
Power offered his own unapologetic take:
“He slowed up in the middle, and I made contact. So I just moved him past the car in front and got a nice gap.”
The incident has already gone viral on social media, with fans dubbing it a “push-to-pass” moment — literally.
Behind Kirkwood, Scott McLaughlin bounced back from his Indy 500 heartbreak by clocking the second-fastest time at 1:02.0301, ahead of Power himself in third at 1:02.3862. Josef Newgarden ensured all three Team Penske cars landed in the top four.
Christian Lundgaard completed the top five for Arrow McLaren.
Championship leader and Indy 500 winner Alex Palou had an unusually quiet session, finishing 15th after locking up under braking and taking a detour through the run-off. Defending Detroit winner Scott Dixon was further back in 18th.
written by Philipp Kraus / Media Credit: Penske Entertainment