Kirkwood Goes To The Top In Chaotic Detroit Practice

DETROIT — With the 109th Indianapolis 500 complete and Alex Palou continuing his historic streak of success, it’s time for IndyCar to turn the page and get on with the rest of the 2025 season.

That began Friday on the streets of Detroit in the opening practice session for Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

Palou has a whopping 112-point lead over Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren in the battle for the 2025 IndyCar Series Championship with 11 races remaining in the season.

It was also a rather fatigued group of drivers and team members that slogged through preparation before practice began Friday afternoon. Palou was working on regaining his voice that he lost from his scream after winning his first Indy 500 last Sunday.

Teammate Scott Dixon has also lost his voice, but as Friday’s practice session got underway, a driver’s voice doesn’t drive the race car.

It didn’t take long for the red flag to come out, however, as 7 minutes into the session Sting Ray Robb stuffed his No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet into the tire barrier in Turn 1.

Robb was uninjured and the track quickly went back to green flag conditions.

The car made it back into the pit area and changed the nose assembly before sending him back on track.

Nineteen minutes into the session, Will Power’s No. 12 Chevrolet rain into the back of Kyle Kirkwood’s No. 27 Honda pushed up the track before disposing Kirkwood, who was incredulous at the move and raised his hand in disbelief.

There was no damage to the nose on Power’s Chevrolet, but Kirkwood’s Andretti Global team tended to the rear attenuator and gearbox of Kirkwood’s Honda. The team discovered the floor of Kirkwood’s Honda was broken.

Power contended that his car was stuck to the bottom of Kirkwood’s Honda.

“I slid around and made contact and thought I because I was already pushing him, I would open a gap and kept pushing him to open a gap, got that gap and finished the run nicely,” Power said. “It’s a crazy race. Nuts at the start. Go as fast as you can and avoid that first turn mayhem.”

When Power saw the video of the incident, he started to laugh.

While this battle was going on, Palou quietly went to the top of the timing monitor with a lap at 1:03.0381. Seconds later, David Malukas’ No. 4 Chevrolet bumped him off the top at 1:02.8129 for AJ Foyt Racing.

Felix Rosenqvist and Scott Dixon had minor spins on course but continued without any contact.

At the checkered flag, Malukas locked up the rear and went into the runoff area.

That’s how it stood at the end of the session with Malukas on top at 1:02.8129 in the No. 4 Chevrolet followed by Ericsson’s No. 28 Honda at 1:02.8288. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was third at 1:02.9482 in the No. 3 Chevrolet followed by teammate Josef Newgarden’s No. 2 Chevy at 1:03.037 and Palou at 1:03.0381.

Christian Lundgaard of Arrow McLaren was sixth at 1:03.2631 and Rosenqvist seventh at 1:03.2819.

After a break, the field split into two groups for 12 minutes of practice.

“We have a really good package, had a career best at Indy and we are here to try to be competitive once again,” Lundgaard said. “That’s our goal. It’s the first time we have rolled off the trucks fast.”

Five minutes in the first group, Colton Herta of Andretti Global was the fastest at 1:02.6047 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda, but a few moments later, Christian Lundgaard of Arrow Mclaren was faster at 1:02.6047 in the No. 7 Chevrolet.

Power kept his nose clean in this session and went to the top of the scoring list at 1:02.3862. Teammate Josef Newgarden was second at 1:02.4819 in the No. 2 Chevrolet with Lundgaard third at 1:02.6047 in the No. 7.

Herta was fourth at 1:02.6140 in the No. 26 Honda with rookie Louie Foster rounding out the top five at 1:02.6481 in the No. 45 Honda.

That is how the session ended for Group 1.

Group 2 practice followed and nearly six minutes into the session, Palou locked up his brakes, smoking all four tires and pulled into the runoff, avoiding any contact with the wall.

Kirkwood’s Honda was repaired and his incident with Power didn’t appear to slow him down as he moved to the top position in the second group with a lap at 1:01.7509 followed by Pato O’Ward’s 1:02.6331 in the No. 5 Chevrolet.

When the second group ended, Kirkwood was on top as the overall fastest driver at 1:01.7509.

“I don’t know, everyone is going slow around here, track isn’t big enough to fit all the cars and he got frustrated,” Kirkwood said. “Does it give him the right to push me around the track and out of the way?

“I don’t think so.

“I’m not upset. I don’t care. I’m P1.

“I hope IndyCar does the right thing. I’ve never seen something like that around here.”

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was second at 1:02.0301 in the No. 3 Chevrolet followed by Power’s 1:02.3862 in the No. 12 and teammate Newgarden’s 1:02.4819 in the No. 2 Chevy.

Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top five at 1:02.6047 in the No. 7 Chevrolet.