Paddock Buzz: Kyle Kirkwood Happy With ‘Admirable’ Fourth

Kyle Kirkwood charged from 15th to finish fourth in the No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda for Andretti Global.

That finish is all about perspective.

On one hand, the top five was a strong points day entering the Good Ranchers 250 this Saturday at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio, Powered by OnlyBulls). Kirkwood sits fourth in the standings, 22 points behind Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner Alex Palou.

He also finished a career-best fourth in points last season on the heels of a three-win season. However, Palou beat him by 278 points last year.

He’s 256 points closer to Palou.

On the other hand, Kirkwood (photo, top) ran second to Palou today after his final pit stop on Lap 65.

“Once I destroyed my tires, I think we raced very admirably,” Kirkwood said. “Good day overall for the 27 car.”

Kirkwood had an intense battle with Scott McLaughlin to remain in second for the final stint of the race. Kirkwood even attempted an outside move entering Turn 4 late in the race, believing if he raced McLaughlin hard enough at that point, McLaughlin would tiptoe his No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet entering the corner.

“I went around the outside of him down into Turn 4,” Kirkwood said. “I figured he probably had some flashbacks of a few years ago. He was not more hesitant, but kudos to him. We barely touched, caused no damage between us. It was just good, hard racing.

“He plays clean, and races smart. You can trust him on a pass like that, on a street course around the outside.”

McLaughlin suffered a Turn 4 crash with Romain Grosjean while battling for the win in 2023 in a similar move in the same part of track.

Kirkwood kept McLaughlin behind until Lap 93 of the 100-lap race, but his tires faded, allowing both McLaughlin and Lundgaard to slip past.

The result is Kirkwood’s best St. Petersburg finish in five starts. He has improved each year going from 18th, 15th, 10th, fifth and now fourth. He said this finish is satisfying because it came on pure speed.

“Hats off to (strategist) Bryan Herta for recognizing the pace and the undercut availability, because that’s where we really made the big bucks today,” he said.

Palou Strategist Wanser Refreshed by New Role

Barry Wanser retired from his full-time role as senior manager of racing operations at Chip Ganassi Racing after last season but remains Palou’s strategist.

Wanser (photo, above, left) and his wife, Laurie, moved from Indiana to Florida during the offseason. This weekend’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg marked a return to normalcy atop the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing pit stand.

“It’s been my first offseason where I spent just maybe a few days in the (Indianapolis) shop,” Wanser said.

He said communication within the team and with Honda was lighter than in a typical offseason, something he welcomed as it allowed more quality time with his wife.

“Nothing’s changed when we get to the racetrack,” Wanser said.

“It’s nice to step back, ease off the throttle just a little bit. I’ve been with the team 29 years in May. So, for my wife and I, it’s been nice to spend a little time in the warm weather. We think some of our friends in Indy are starting to block us. They don’t like the pictures from the beach and the palm trees. But no, it’s been good. It’s been great just to get back.

“With the early-season testing, that helps you get back in the groove, anyway. It really doesn’t feel any different.”

Wanser said the decision to scale back was made five years ago. He developed a four- or five-year plan and shared it with team owner Chip Ganassi and managing director Mike Hull.

With the transition, Blair Julian assumed a larger role overseeing projects in the Indianapolis-based shop, and Mike LeGallic took on additional trackside responsibilities.

“That’s pretty big advanced notice,” Wanser said. “We spent some time mentoring some guys and promoting people from within. It’s been fun doing that. We came out the other side even stronger. We have some great people on the team, and a lot more people are doing a lot of different things now, which is great.”

Newgarden Pleased With Effort

Josef Newgarden climbed from 23rd to finish seventh in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet for Team Penske, earning him the Jostens Hard Charger of the Race Award.

“Simple, boring day, to be honest,” Newgarden said. “Our car was certainly better than where we started. We had a tough weekend all the way through. Race day was the best part.

“It’s a pretty standard day, not a lot of cautions, so you’re having to climb on natural pace. But our car was fast. Our pit stops were tremendous, and the No. 2 team was excellent.”

Newgarden, a two-time series champion (2017, 2019) and 32-time race winner, said days like Sunday can pay dividends in a title fight. He finished 12th in points last season, his worst result since joining Team Penske in 2017.

“We’ve got to earn our place,” he said. “We’ve got to get wins. We’ve got to climb each and every weekend. That’s going to be our goal.”

The series races three times in the first four weeks of March, continuing at Phoenix Raceway next weekend, followed by the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on March 15 and the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park on March 29.

“I think this team could use some jelling time,” Newgarden said. “Once we find our cadence, we’re going to be in a good spot.”

Double Top 10 for Dale Coyne Racing

Dale Coyne Racing placed both cars in the Firestone Fast Six for the first time since 2022, with Dennis Hauger qualifying third and Grosjean sixth.

Today, Grosjean (photo, above) finished eighth in the No. 18 Bmax Honda and Hauger 10th in the No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda. It was the first time DCR had two cars finish in the top 10 since 2022 at World Wide Technology Raceway, where David Malukas placed second and Takuma Sato fifth. The last time the team had a double top-10 finish on a road course was in 2021 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where Grosjean finished third and Ed Jones 10th.

“Both cars in the top 10, I think that’s outstanding,” Grosjean said. “There’s more to come.”

Grosjean credited engineer Bill Pappas, a veteran engineer who returned to the team this offseason after working in the INDYCAR SERIES competition department.

Pappas was instrumental in delivering Dale Coyne Racing’s first INDYCAR SERIES victory and first oval win with driver Justin Wilson, milestones that helped establish the team as a consistent competitor in the series.

“He’s awesome,” Grosjean said. “He’s straight to the point. He’s a racer. I think we’re going to have a great time.”

VeeKay Opens With Ninth

Rinus VeeKay finished ninth in the No. 76 Chevrolet for Juncos Hollinger Racing after starting 19th, matching his season-opening result from last year.

“It shows the pit crew is quick and that we can contend with the big teams,” VeeKay said.

VeeKay was the highest finisher on a three-stop strategy. Felix Rosenqvist was next best in 12th in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda for Meyer Shank Racing.

Dutchman VeeKay believes the team made a miscalculation by qualifying Saturday on the Firestone Firehawk alternate tires, which contributed to the 19th-place starting spot. But he added the team learned from the miscue and will be better at the next street course, the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on Sunday, March 15.

“I think a top 10 to start the season is very important,” he said. “I think if we get our qualifying a little bit better, we can contend for top fives and podiums.”

Winston, Gruden Add Star Power

New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston served as an honorary starter and delivered a pre-race pep talk to Hauger before his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES start. Winston (photo, above) played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2015-19.

Jon Gruden, who won Super Bowl XXXVII as the Buccaneers’ head coach, served as grand marshal and gave the command to start engines. Actor Rudy Pankow rode in the Fastest Seat in Sports to lead the field to the green flag.

Odds and Ends

• Caio Collet (No. 4 Combitrans Amazona Chevrolet for J. Foyt Enterprises) said his 17th-place finish was a learning experience. The rookie made his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES pit stops and said both he and the crew struggled, costing him an estimated four positions. Collet flew to Charlotte, North Carolina, after the race to work on the Chevrolet simulator Monday.

• VeeKay said he was flying home immediately after the race to pick up his dog by 10 p.m. Indianapolis time, adding that having his dog home helps him unwind after race weekends.

• A large contingent of Swedish and Norwegian fans attended the race, many dressed in their national colors and waving flags. Swedish drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felix Rosenqvist, along with Norwegian driver Dennis Hauger, said they appreciated the support.

• Norwegian fans also erupted following the INDYCAR SERIES race morning warmup when video boards replayed last year’s INDY NXT by Firestone race, which Hauger led flag-to-flag from the pole, all 44 laps.