RACE REPORT: Java House Grand Prix of Arlington
Race Notes
- Andretti Global capped off a strong debut at the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington with an INDYCAR victory after the morning’s INDY NXT win, completing a sweep of the first-ever race weekend on the Streets of Arlington and putting an early stamp on the series’ newest event.
- Following Andretti Global’s Max Taylor capturing the INDY NXT by Firestone victory earlier in the day, Marcus Ericsson led the field to green from the pole for the first time in his INDYCAR career. Teammate Kyle Kirkwood went on to capture the win at the Grand Prix of Arlington, while Will Power finished third and Ericsson just narrowly missed out on the podium in fourth.
- Today’s result marks Andretti INDYCAR’s 78th win and 21st win on a street course. Both Andretti Global INDYCAR and INDY NXT teams now lead their respective driver Championships.
- The Java House Grand Prix of Arlington race saw two caution periods, totaling two laps.
- After three consecutive race weekends, INDYCAR now takes a short break before shifting to road course racing at the Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park.
Race Results
Will Power
No. 26 TWG AI Honda
P3
| Started | P4 |
| Standings | 11th (59 points) |
- Starting behind teammate Marcus Ericsson, Will Power lined up for today’s race in fourth.
- Power worked his way through the field early and was in the race lead by Lap 17. The Australian made his first pit stop of the day on Lap 22 for tires and fuel. Upon exiting the pits, the No. 26 had to wait for the No. 45 to pass before exit his pit.
- Power continued to move forward and found himself back in the race lead at the halfway point of the race. With 23 laps to go, Power was called to pit lane for his final pit stop of the day.
- He ultimately took the checkered in third marking his 109th INDYCAR career podium.
“Last week, we had a shot at the win or at least a podium, so it’s very nice to get one today. I’m very happy with the new team. We’re still improving a lot too, so I think this will be the team to beat this year, actually. I was saying three years to get everything together, but now I want to say this year. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do at Barber and the season ahead.”
Kyle Kirkwood
No. 27 JM Bullion / Gold.com Honda
P1
| Started | P7 |
| Standings | 1st (53 points) |
- With four street course wins on his resume, Kyle Kirkwood started seventh and moved his way through the field in the opening laps to navigate the No. 27 into fifth.
- Despite a slower first pit stop, Kirkwood stayed focused on the three-stop strategy and worked his way back through the field, running inside the top two by Lap 47.
- By Lap 55, Kirkwood made the pass for the race lead. After a late-race yellow and a one-lap restart, the Florida native captured his sixth INDYCAR victory and moved into the Championship points lead.
“We had some pace today. The JM Bullion / Gold.com Honda was incredible. The 27 crew gave me the tools to get it done. It’s because of this race car that we won today, and it was a complete team effort. We’re definitely going to celebrate well tonight. It’s only race number three, so I’m not looking at the championship any different, but it’s nice to be in this position.”
Marcus Ericsson
No. 28 InPwr Honda
P4
| Started | P1 |
| Standings | 8th (77 points) |
- Leading the field to green for the first time in his INDYCAR career, Marcus Ericsson led the opening 15 laps of the race.
- On Lap 16, Ericsson was called for his first stop of the day. A slower stop saw the No. 10 beat him off pit road. Running as high as second, Ericsson worked his way back through the field as the race continued.
- The Swede ultimately took the checkered in fourth which marked his 23rd top-five finish of his career.
“It’s been a fantastic weekend for us at Andretti. Obviously a huge achievement to get all three cars in the top four, with Kyle winning the race and me taking pole yesterday. Huge congratulations to the whole Andretti Global organization for all the hard work to get us here. Personally, it’s a little bit disappointing to miss out on the podium after starting from pole, but I think we had a strong race. We struggled a little bit in some of the pit sequences and just lost out there a little bit, so we have some homework to do for the next one. Overall, we should be proud as a team and keep pushing for more of the same for the rest of the season.”
Ron Ruzewski
INDYCAR Team Principal
“Today was a great day for Andretti. It started with a win with Max Taylor in INDY NXT, then it got even better with a 1-3-4 in INDYCAR. Kyle’s win was impressive. The only thing better was the speed of all three cars showing the depth of the team. It’s a great start to the year, especially with Kyle leading the points and all the cars showing pace. We want all three of our drivers to be in the game and contend for wins every week, so we’re heading in the right direction. We’re just getting started and we have a lot more work to do, but we’re gainining momentum as a team.”
