Andretti Global Returns to WWTR Looking to Defend Weekend Sweep
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone are heading to the St. Louis area this weekend to tackle the uniquely shaped, 1.25-mile oval at World Wide Technology Raceway. Andretti Global returns to the track as reigning champions after a weekend sweep last season in both series, courtesy of victories by Kyle Kirkwood and Lochie Hughes. As Andretti INDYCAR aims to carry the momentum of Kirkwood’s recent podium finish in Detroit, the Andretti INDY NXT squad is primed and ready for its highly anticipated first oval race of the season.
Race Details
| Bommarito Automotive Group 500 – World Wide Technology Raceway |
| Round | 9/18 |
| Track Type | Oval |
| Turns | 4 |
| Laps | 260 |
| Track Length | 1.25 Miles |
| INDY NXT by Firestone at World Wide Techology Raceway |
| Round | 8/17 |
| Track Type | Oval |
| Turns | 4 |
| Laps | 75 |
| Track Length | 1.25 Miles |
Fast Facts
INDYCAR
- As the NTT INDYCAR SERIES takes on its first night race of the season, Andretti Global’s INDYCAR team returns to World Wide Technology Raceway for its 11th appearance. The team made its debut on the St. Louis oval in 2003 before INDYCAR returned from a 14-year hiatus in 2017. In that time, Andretti Global has recorded one win (Kirkwood – 2025), three podium finishes, seven top-five results and 167 laps led.
Will Power
- Since making his World Wide Technology Raceway debut in 2017, Will Power has found success on the 1.25-mile oval with one win, five poles, three podiums and 450 laps led in his ten starts.
- Power led the field to green last year and settled into second place early. Unfortunately, a right-front tire failure prior to his first pit stop sent him into the Turn 4 wall, ending his race early.
Kyle Kirkwood
- Last year’s race winner Kyle Kirkwood returns to World Wide Technology Raceway for his fifth career start after collecting his first oval victory and leading eight laps during the 2025 event.
- Rolling off 10th last year, Kirkwood quickly moved into the top five and was running fifth when the first yellow came out on Lap 4. As the race progressed and numerous strategies played out among the cautions, the Florida native consistently ran inside the top 10 throughout the 260-lap race, moving the No. 27 into the lead three different times.
- With quick work in the pits and a perfectly executed strategy, Kirkwood took the lead for the final time with four laps remaining on the way to his first career INDYCAR oval win.
Marcus Ericsson
- Returning to World Wide Technology Raceway for the ninth time and back in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda, Marcus Ericsson will look to capture his first win of the season at a circuit where he has recorded one front-row start, four top-10 finishes and five laps led.
- Starting near the middle of the grid last season, Ericsson gained one position at the green flag and ran there through the opening stint. He began moving his way forward, but balance issues prevented the Swede from progressing.
- Despite clean pit stops throughout the race and conserving fuel late to lead two laps, Ericsson was forced to pit with 12 laps remaining before taking the checkered flag in 13th.
| Andretti INDYCAR Championship Standings |
| Will Power | 121 points | 18th |
| Kyle Kirkwood | 265 points | 2nd |
| Marcus Ericsson | 153 points | 12th |
INDY NXT
- Andretti INDY NXT will take on the first oval race of the 2026 season at World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend. Since Andretti INDY NXT’s first appearance in 2017, the team has accumulated five wins (Norman – 2018, Askew – 2019, Brabham – 2022, Foster – 2024, Hughes – 2025), five poles (C. Herta – 2018, Askew – 2019, Kirkwood – 2021 R1, Foster – 2024, Hauger – 2025), 12 podiums, 20 top-five finishes and 237 laps led.
Lochie Hughes
- Defending race winner Lochie Hughes returns to World Wide Technology Raceway for the second time in his career. Last year saw the No. 26 driver make an impressive vault up to the lead with 14 laps to go, marking his first INDY NXT oval victory.
- During testing at the St. Louis track earlier this spring, Hughes put up the second-quickest lap time in the second session of the day.
Seb Murray
- Seb Murray makes his second INDY NXT start at World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend, looking to build on his 12th-place finish here last year.
- The event marks the Scottish driver’s fourth career INDY NXT oval start.
Max Taylor
- The No. 28 driver, Max Taylor, will make his World Wide Technology Raceway debut this weekend with Andretti Global.
- The event marks Taylor’s second career INDY NXT oval start. He secured a 10th-place finish in his oval debut at the Milwaukee Mile last season.
Josh Pierson
- As the Andretti driver with the most INDY NXT experience at World Wide Technology Raceway, Josh Pierson will make his fourth career start at the track this weekend.
- Last year’s contest saw Pierson score his career-best result on the track, taking home a sixth-place finish.
| Andretti INDY NXT Driver Championship Standings |
| Lochie Hughes | 176 points | 5th |
| Seb Murray | 148 points | 9th |
| Max Taylor | 228 points | 4th |
| Josh Pierson | 123 points | 13th |
INDYCAR Team Quotes
Will Power
No. 26 TWG AI Honda
“I’m looking forward to getting back to St. Louis this weekend. I’ve always liked racing there, and it’s a track that’s suited me pretty well over the years. We showed some good speed at Phoenix earlier this season, so hopefully we can bring that to St. Louis and be up front fighting for the win on Sunday night.”
Kyle Kirkwood
No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda
“St. Louis has been a good track for us, and we’re coming in as the defending race winners. With our podium in Phoenix earlier this season, I think we might have even more performance up our sleeves, so fingers crossed for this weekend. It’s a different downforce level and tire than we’ve ever run there before, so it’ll be a bit of a curveball for everyone. But it seems like something we’re very prepared for and I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
Marcus Ericsson
No. 28 Delaware Life Honda
“St. Louis is always a fun race, and there’s a great crowd that comes out for it. It’s a cool oval with two very different ends of the track. Turns 1 and 2 are very banked, and you have to make a pretty big speed correction on entry because it’s such a sharp corner. Then Turns 3 and 4 are much flatter, faster and flow more. It’s always a challenge to get the car balanced for those two very different ends of the track, but it’s a fun challenge. The track has also produced some really good racing over the last few years, so I’m excited to get there and hopefully have a strong weekend with the Delaware Life crew.”
Ron Ruzewski
Team Principal
“We’re really looking forward to getting back to World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend. Last weekend, we showed we had fast race cars again, and we want to keep that trend going as we get back on a short oval. Will Power was last year’s pole sitter, and Kyle Kirkwood was the 2025 race winner, and as a team, we showed good performance at Phoenix earlier this year, so we hope to carry that short-oval speed into this weekend. As long as the Midwest summer weather cooperates, we’re looking forward to an exciting race on Sunday night.”
INDY NXT Team Quotes
Lochie Hughes
No. 26 Andretti Global Dallara
“I’m excited to go oval racing this weekend in St. Louis. This track is a lot of fun to drive when the high line opens up, which is how we won last year. So, hopefully we can have the same success this time around.”
Seb Murray
No. 27 Megatron Dallara
“I’m really looking forward to the first oval race of the season. We had a strong weekend in Detroit last week, so we’re looking to carry that momentum through to St. Louis. The team and I have done a lot of prep for the oval specifically, so hopefully the hard work pays off, and we can get some good solid points this weekend.”
Max Taylor
No. 28 Susan G. Komen Dallara
“I’m ready to bounce back in St. Louis after an up-and-down weekend in Detroit. The focus is going to be on putting it all together when it really matters. I’m really confident in my team and myself that we’ll be quick again. So, I’m excited to take on the first oval of the year.”
Josh Pierson
No. 29 Starchive Dallara
“After a rocky Detroit, I’m looking forward to getting back in the car for our first oval race of the season. Testing in St. Louis went very well, and I know we will have a great car for the race. I’m hoping to bounce back and finally give my No. 29 crew the results they deserve.”
Don Lambert
Team Principal
“After a disappointing Detroit race, we are ready to bounce back at the St. Louis oval. We had a great test there in April, so we’re looking forward to getting back on this track to secure some strong results and points this weekend.”
