Kyle Kirkwood

Kyle MacLean Kirkwood (born October 19, 1998) is an American auto racing driver.[1][2] He currently drives the No. 27 for Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series.

Kyle Kirkwood
Kirkwood at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2022
NationalityUnited States American
BornKyle MacLean Kirkwood
(1998-10-19) October 19, 1998
Jupiter, Florida, United States
IndyCar Series career
34 races run over 2 years
Team(s)No. 27 (Andretti Autosport)
2022 position24th
Best finish11th (2023)
First race2022 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
Last race2023 Grand Prix of Monterey (Laguna Seca)
First win2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach)
Last win2023 Music City Grand Prix (Streets of Nashville)
Wins Podiums Poles
2 2 1
Indy Lights career
Debut season2020
Current teamAndretti Autosport
Car number27
Best finish1st in 2021
Previous series
2019
2019
2018
2018
2016-17
2015		Euroformula Open Championship
Indy Pro 2000 Championship
F3 Americas Championship
U.S. F2000 National Championship
Formula 4 United States Championship
F1600 Championship Series
Championship titles
2021
2019
2018
2018
2017		Indy Lights Championship
Indy Pro 2000 Championship
F3 Americas Championship
U.S. F2000 National Championship
Formula 4 United States Championship
Awards
2016Team USA Scholarship

Career

Karting

Born in Jupiter, Kirkwood began karting at a young age, often competing alongside fellow Jupiter native Oliver Askew.[3] Throughout his karting career, he amassed multiple titles, including the AM Engines Formula Tag Junior championship in 2012, the SKUSA SuperNationals XVII - S5 Junior championship in 2013 and back-to-back wins at the Florida Winter Tour in 2015 and 2016.[4][5][6]

Lower formula

In 2015, Kirkwood made his single-seater debut in the F1600 Championship with Chastain Motorsports.[7] There he took victory in the season opener at Road Atlanta and contested a further six rounds to finish sixteenth.[8]

Following his performance in Formula 4 United States, Kirkwood returned to the Formula Ford scene in 2016 to represent Team USA in the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy event, finishing seventh and fourth overall in both respective events.[9][10][11][12]

In 2016, Kirkwood joined the inaugural Formula 4 United States Championship with Primus Racing, which saw him claim a win at Mid-Ohio and finish third in the standings overall.[13] In September 2016, Kirkwood was awarded with the Team USA scholarship.[14]

After competing with them in pre-season testing at NOLA, Kirkwood returned to the championship the following year, switching to newcomers Cape Motorsports.[15][16] He achieved nine victories, including back-to-back hat-tricks at Indianapolis and Motorsport Park, wrapping up the title in the Formula One supporting season finale at the Circuit of the Americas.[17][18][19] During the season, Kirkwood was once again selected as a candidate for the Team USA scholarship.[20]

International Formula 3

In August 2018, Kirkwood joined Abel Motorsports to contest the inaugural season of F3 Americas.[21] The season saw Kirkwood claim fifteen of the seventeen race victories on offer and seal his third consecutive championship at NOLA with a round to spare.[22][23]

The following year, Kirkwood made a one-off appearance with RP Motorsport in the season finale of the Euroformula Open Championship at Monza, which saw him take a best-placed finish of sixth in race two.[24][25]

Formula E

In February 2020, Kirkwood was announced to be partaking in the rookie test at Marrakesh with BMW i Andretti Motorsport.[26]

Road to Indy

In December 2016, Kirkwood partook in the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout, but lost out on the scholarship to Askew.[27]

USF2000

In 2017, Kirkwood partook in the Chris Griffis Memorial Test with Swan-RJB Motorsports.[28] In February 2018, he reunited with Cape Motorsports to contest the 2018 championship.[29] In only his rookie season, Kirkwood dominated proceedings, taking twelve of the fourteen victories on offer and sealing his second title in a year at Mid-Ohio and equalling J. R. Hildebrand's record of wins across a season.[30][31]

Indy Pro 2000

Kirkwood graduated to the championship in 2019, selecting RP Motorsport Racing as his team.[32] After faltering in earlier rounds, Kirkwood took his maiden victories in both races at Road America.[33] From the second race at Toronto onwards, Kirkwood dominated the season and won his fourth consecutive title at the season finale in Laguna Seca despite being taken out by Danial Frost.[34][35][36]

Indy Lights

In December 2019, Kirkwood partook in the post-season test at Sebring with reigning champions Andretti Autosport.[37] The following month, Andretti confirmed Kirkwood would race with them for the 2020 season, only for that year's running of the championship to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[38]

Kirkwood won the 2021 Indy Lights Championship for Andretti Autosport. In doing so, he became the first driver to win a championship in every Road to Indy series.[39]

IndyCar
Kirkwood after crashing during the 2022 XPEL 375

Throughout 2021, Kirkwood was viewed with significant interest by different teams in the IndyCar Series paddock. Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti stated he intended to keep Kirkwood in the Andretti Autosport stable and reiterated this after Kirkwood won the Indy Lights championship.[40] Andretti stated that he was considering moving Kirkwood to Formula E if a seat did not open up in IndyCar.

As part of winning the Indy Lights championship, Kirkwood was guaranteed to compete in three IndyCar races in 2022, including the 2022 Indianapolis 500.

On November 10, 2021, it was announced that Kirkwood would drive the No. 14 entry full-time for A. J. Foyt Enterprises during the 2022 IndyCar Series season.[41][42] He had a best finish of 10th at Long Beach, and ranked 24th in points.

Kirkwood during the 2023 Indianapolis 500

On June 1, 2022, Kirkwood and Andretti Autosport announced he would return to the Andretti stable for the 2023 season to replace the departing Alexander Rossi.[43] Kirkwood took his first IndyCar win at the 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Kirkwood took a second win at the 2023 Music City Grand Prix.

Sports car racing

With the 2020 Indy Lights season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kirkwood drove four races in the IMSA Prototype Challenge and also joined AIM Vasser Sullivan Racing for a limited GTD schedule.[44]

Racing record

Career summary
Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2015 F1600 Championship Series Chastain Motorsports 7 1 0 1 2 181 16th
2016 Formula 4 United States Championship Primus Racing 15 1 1 1 9 183 3rd
2017 Formula 4 United States Championship Cape Motorsports 20 9 6 10 15 345 1st
2018 F3 Americas Championship Abel Motorsports 17 15 5 15 16 405 1st
U.S. F2000 National Championship Cape Motorsports 14 12 5 6 13 374 1st
2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship RP Motorsport Racing 16 9 5 7 11 419 1st
Euroformula Open Championship 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC†
2020 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD AIM Vasser Sullivan 2 0 0 0 0 42 37th
IMSA Prototype Challenge Forty7 Motorsports 4 1 0 4 2 109 16th
2021 Indy Lights Andretti Autosport 20 10 7 9 14 537 1st
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Vasser Sullivan Racing 5 0 1 0 0 898 29th
2022 IndyCar Series A. J. Foyt Enterprises 17 0 0 0 0 183 24th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro Vasser Sullivan Racing 3 1 1 0 1 999 9th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD 1 1 1 0 1 385 45th
2023 IndyCar Series Andretti Autosport 17 2 1 1 2 352 11th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro Vasser Sullivan Racing 2 0 1 0 1 617 13th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD 1 0 0 0 0 284 50th

† As Kirkwood was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points. * Season still in progress.

U.S. F2000 Championship
Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
2018 Cape Motorsports STP
1		 STP
5		 IMS
2		 IMS
1		 LOR
1		 ROA
1		 ROA
1		 TOR
1		 TOR
1		 MDO
1		 MDO
1		 MDO
1		 POR
1		 POR
1		 1st 440

Indy Pro 2000 Championship
Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points
2019 RP Motorsport Racing STP
14		 STP
2		 IMS
2		 IMS
13		 LOR
4		 ROA
1		 ROA
1		 TOR
8		 TOR
1		 MDO
1		 MDO
1		 GTW
1		 POR
1		 POR
1		 LAG
1		 LAG
14		 1st 419

Indy Lights
Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Rank Points
2021 Andretti Autosport ALA
9		 ALA
5		 STP
1		 STP
2		 IMS
4		 IMS
4		 DET
1		 DET
1		 RDA
1		 RDA
12		 MDO
1		 MDO
1		 GTW
2		 GTW
2		 POR
2		 POR
1		 LAG
1		 LAG
1		 MDO
1		 MDO
5		 1st 537

IndyCar Series

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Chassis No. Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Rank Points Ref
2022 A. J. Foyt Enterprises Dallara DW12 14 Chevrolet STP
18		 TXS
25		 LBH
10		 ALA
22		 IMS
26		 INDY
17		 DET
24		 ROA
20		 MDO
26		 TOR
22		 IOW
15		 IOW
25		 IMS
23		 NSH
19		 GTW
17		 POR
13		 LAG
21		 24th 183 [45]
2023 Andretti Autosport 27 Honda STP
15		 TXS
27		 LBH
1*		 ALA
12		 IMS
14		 INDY
28		 DET
6		 ROA
9		 MDO
17		 TOR
15		 IOW
7		 IOW
11		 NSH
1*		 IMS
9		 GTW
15		 POR
10		 LAG
25		 11th 352 [46]
2024 Andretti Global STP
 TRM
 LBH
 ALA
 IMS
 INDY
 DET
 ROA
 LAG
 MDO
 IOW
 IOW
 TOR
 GTW
 POR
 MIL
 MIL
 NSH
 - 0

Indianapolis 500
Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
2022 Dallara Chevrolet 28 17 A. J. Foyt Enterprises
2023 Dallara Honda 15 28 Andretti Autosport

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points
2020 AIM Vasser Sullivan GTD Lexus RC F GT3 Lexus 5.0 L V8 DAY DAY SEB ELK VIR ATL MDO CLT PET
8		 LGA SEB
12		 37th 42
2021 Vasser Sullivan Racing GTD Lexus RC F GT3 Lexus 5.0 L V8 DAY
16		 SEB
7		 MDO DET WGL
6		 WGL LIM ELK LGA LBH VIR PET
15		 29th 898
2022 Vasser Sullivan Racing GTD Pro Lexus RC F GT3 Toyota 2UR 5.0 L V8 DAY
4		 SEB LBH LGA WGL
4		 MOS LIM ELK VIR PET
1		 9th 999
GTD MDO DET
1		 45th 385
2023 Vasser Sullivan Racing GTD Lexus RC F GT3 Toyota 2UR 5.0 L V8 DAY
5		 50th 284
GTD Pro SEB
2		 LBH
 LGA
 WGL
 MOS
 LIM
 ELK
 VIR
 IMS PET
8		 13th 617

* Season still in progress.

References
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  2. "Kyle Kirkwood on IndyCar fast track after USF2000 championship". autoweek.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  3. "CATCHING UP WITH OLIVER ASKEW AND KYLE KIRKWOOD, PART ONE". November 15, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  4. "SUPERKARTS! USA HONORS 2014 PRO TOUR CHAMPIONS". December 31, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  5. Cole, David (April 6, 2015). "eKartingNews.com Driver of the Month – March 2015 – Kyle Kirkwood". ekartingnews.com. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  6. "Winners Crowned at the 2016 Sofina Foods Florida Winter Tour Presented By Fikse Wheels". March 14, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  7. "Kirkwood Completes Chastain F1600 Line Up". February 6, 2015. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  8. "Kirkwood Over Bamford at Road Atlanta". April 11, 2015. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
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  11. Wood, Elliot (December 8, 2017). "How a classic junior formula still has great relevance today". FormulaScout. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
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  25. "Lawson wins final Euroformula race for the Dallara F317". October 13, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
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  28. "SWAN-RJB MOTORSPORTS COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL TEXAS TEST". December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
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