Kyle Kirkwood silenced the doubters under the lights at World Wide Technology Raceway, delivering a landmark win in Sunday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 that firmly redefined his place in the INDYCAR hierarchy.
No longer just a street-course specialist, Kirkwood converted strong race pace, strategic calls, and late-race execution into his first-ever oval victory. The win marked his third of the season, his fifth career triumph, and perhaps his most important yet.
“My first oval win; I’m over the moon right now,” said Kirkwood. “This is a big one. Massive. It’s something I’ve chased for a long time.”
The No. 27 Siemens Honda looked alive in the final stint, especially as nightfall cooled track temperatures and shifted balance in his favour. Kirkwood overcame challenges from fuel-saving master Scott Dixon and a relentless Pato O’Ward to take the lead in the final laps and hold it to the flag.
O’Ward finished just over half a second behind, while rookie Christian Rasmussen surged from 25th to finish third, making an astonishing 62 on-track passes in a career-best drive. Dixon settled for fourth, and Santino Ferrucci backed up his rising form with another top-five result.
The race saw 14 different leaders across 260 laps and tied the series record for passes at WWTR (254). Strategy defined the outcome, with two divergent fuel windows playing out over the final 50 laps. Dixon briefly led on an alternate strategy, but when the cautions didn’t fall in his favour, he was forced to pit with just over 20 laps to go, surrendering track position.
Terrifying Crash Halts Newgarden’s Charge
One of the most alarming moments of the season came on Lap 130, when five-time WWTR winner Josef Newgarden was launched into a terrifying accident. While leading the race, Newgarden had no chance to avoid rookie Louis Foster, who had brushed the wall exiting Turn 4 and suffered steering damage. As Foster’s car veered into the path of the leaders, Newgarden made direct contact—his car climbing over the No. 45 machine before landing upside-down on its roll hoop and aeroscreen, skidding in a shower of sparks.
The crash was violent, but thanks to the strength of the car’s safety structures and swift response from the AMR Safety Team, both drivers climbed out unhurt. Newgarden’s car sustained heavy damage, and his exit marked another bitter blow in a frustrating title campaign for Team Penske.
Pole-sitter Will Power was already out by Lap 4, suffering a tire puncture and crashing in Turn 4. Scott McLaughlin, after leading 51 laps, retired with a mechanical failure on Lap 216—rounding out a disastrous night for Penske, which has nine wins at this venue.
With just eight races run in 2025, Kirkwood and championship leader Alex Palou remain the only two race winners. Palou’s P8 finish on Sunday narrows his points lead over O’Ward to 73, with Kirkwood now just two points further back in third.
Next up: the Road America classic on June 22, where Palou will aim to protect his lead—but the momentum, for now, lies with Kirkwood.