INDYCAR RACE REPORT: Detroit Grand Prix
Race Results
| Detroit Grand Prix |
| Will Power | P22 |
| Kyle Kirkwood | P2 |
| Marcus Ericsson | P8 |
Race Notes
- Andretti INDYCAR returned to the podium this afternoon on the Streets of Detroit with Kyle Kirkwood leading the team with a second-place finish.
- Marcus Ericsson also worked his way through the field to secure an eighth-place result. Will Power spent much of the race inside the top five and in podium contention before late-race contact caused suspension damage, forcing him to retire early from the race.
- Kirkwood’s result marked Andretti INDYCAR’s fourth podium finish on the Streets of Detroit since the downtown circuit returned to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar in 2023.
- Today’s race saw five caution periods, lasting a total of 21 laps.
- Andretti will head back to World Wide Technology Raceway next weekend as defending race winners on the 1.25-mile oval just outside of St. Louis.
Will Power
No. 26 TWG AI Honda
P22
| Started | P2 |
| Standings | P18 (122 points) |
- Taking the green from the front row, Power cycled down to third on the opening lap, but quickly worked his way back toward the front. By Lap 17, the No. 26 TWG AI Honda was back up to second before taking over the lead one lap later.
- Power held position at the front of the field until Lap 35 when he was shuffled back to third. Two laps later, the Australian driver was called to pit lane for his first stop of the day.
- Despite losing a few positions following his first stop, Power worked his way back into the top five by Lap 39 and was up to fourth by Lap 65.
- Running inside the top three with less than 20 laps remaining, Power made contact with Scott McLaughlin and was sent into the wall. The incident caused suspension damage to the No. 26 TWG AI Honda, forcing the Australian to retire from the race.
“It was a disappointing race to say the least. We were in a good position there near the end and had a shot at a podium. Unfortunately, the contact caused suspension damage, and that was it. It’s frustrating, but I have no doubt that our time on the top step of the podium is coming soon.”
Kyle Kirkwood
No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda
P2
| Started | P6 |
| Standings | P2 (265 points) |
- Returning to the Streets of Detroit as the defending race winner, Kyle Kirkwood rolled off sixth and maintained his position through the opening stint of the race before making his first stop on Lap 36.
- A yellow on Lap 39 moved Kirkwood into the top five. By Lap 40, the American was running fifth and climbed to second just two laps later.
- Kirkwood took over the lead on Lap 65 before pitting under yellow on Lap 70. Back inside the top three by Lap 73, the American climbed to second by Lap 80 and continued to battle for the lead before ultimately taking the checkered flag in second.
- Today’s runner-up finish marked Kirkwood’s ninth career podium and seventh on a street circuit.
“I’m happy with that. The Sam’s Club Honda was really fast. We took a little bit of a gamble on tires, being the only guy on reds at the end, and it nearly paid off. It was so, so close, but it was the two untimely yellows that threw that off. We almost covered Palou when we were on primes, which would have been phenomenal. I had them lined up and was ready to make a dive on them, and, of course, the yellow came out after I burned 10 seconds of overtake. Then from there, we just didn’t really have another shot at it. I think I just used up my tires too much to try that one pass, and the yellow came out just as I was trying it. Still, I’m happy with P2. After starting from sixth, I’m very happy with that. Thanks to the team. Andretti Global’s pit stops were phenomenal today. Absolutely flawless, and I mean, you can’t really run much better of a race than that from sixth.”
Marcus Ericsson
No. 28 Siemens Honda
P8
| Started | P10 |
| Standings | P12 (153 points) |
- Starting 10th, Ericsson moved up to ninth on the opening lap and continued to work his way up the early stages of the race.
- By Lap 30, Ericsson had worked his way up to eighth before making his first stop of the day. The Swede lost a few positions following the stop before a yellow on Lap 40 moved him back inside the top 12.
- Despite dealing with some balance issues, Ericsson stayed focused on his strategy and continued to work his way through the field before taking the checkered flag in eighth.
- Today’s result marks the Swede’s 20th top 10 on a street course.
“It was a typical Detroit street race with a lot of bouncing around. I felt like I was battling hard out there all day and had some good starts and restarts. We struggled a little bit with the balance of the car throughout the race, so it could have been a bit better and it could have been worse. We kept battling and came away with a top-eight finish. We want more than that, of course, but it was still a solid day for the No. 28 Siemens Honda.”
Ron Ruzewski
INDYCAR Team Principal
“It was kind of an up-and-down day today. The cars had good speed. Congrats to Kyle and the No. 27 crew for a valiant run and getting a P2. Good job to Ericsson as well. We’re working through an unfortunate situation for the No. 26 today. We were a bit of a bystander. At one point, we were in a good spot there for a podium today, but it just wasn’t our day. We’ll bounce back and see what we can do next week.”
