Five caution periods including one triggered by Alex Palou’s late crash are among the top IndyCar Detroit highlights as the drama and chaos ultimately culminated in Kyle Kirkwood win.
The race held on the bumpy downtown Detroit street circuit was marked by relentless action, strategic gambles, and five caution periods lasting a total of 19 laps.
Kirkwood’s triumph not only marked his second win of the season, following his earlier success at Long Beach, but also underscored his growing reputation as a formidable force on street circuits.
From the outset, the anticipation was palpable. Colton Herta, driving the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda for Andretti Global, secured the pole position for the second time in Detroit.
However, as the green flag waved the race quickly veered from the script with Herta losing the lead in the opening corners, as the field jostled for position and the tight confines of the Detroit circuit.
Christian Lundgaard starting from the second row made a bold attempt to seize the lead in the first lap, locking up his brakes and momentarily overshooting the corner.
This allowed Herta to regain the advantage while chaos erupted further back as drivers like Kyle Kirkwood and Alex Palou engaged in fierce wheel-to-wheel battles. Kirkwood starting from third was immediately muscled by David Malukas and then by Palou who had started fifth.
Palou’s aggressive moves saw him climb into third early but Kirkwood responded with a decisive overtake, reclaiming his position and signaling his intent to fight for the win.
The early laps were a delicate balancing act for all drivers as they navigated the razor-thin margin between aggression and caution. The risk of damaging fragile front wings or clipping the unforgiving walls loomed large and several drivers flirted with disaster as they jockeyed for position.
Kirkwood undeterred by a slight brush with the wall in qualifying that cost him a potential pole, methodically worked his way past rivals, eventually overtaking Lundgaard and setting his sights on the lead.
MORE INDYCAR:
IndyCar driver salaries 2025: Who are the highest paid drivers?
Indy 500 Prize Money 2025: Alex Palou takes home hefty payday
As the race settled into its rhythm pit strategy became a critical factor. The first round of stops saw the field reshuffle with teams gambling on tire compounds and fuel windows to gain an edge.
Kirkwood’s Andretti crew executed flawlessly enabling him to leapfrog competitors and emerge as a frontrunner. Meanwhile, Herta remained a constant threat, cycling in and out of the top three as the strategies unfolded.
Cautions take centerstage in Detroit
The race’s first caution period, triggered by Felix Rosenqvist’s spin and crash on lap 15 which bunched up the pack and set the stage for a series of restarts that would prove decisive.
Lap 19 restart triggered the second caution after Nolan Siegel was hit and spun by Scott McLaughlin while Devlin DeFrancesco lost his right-rear wheel.
Later, rookie Louis Foster later triggered the third caution after he slammed into Rosenqvist who was slowing to make the hard left-hander at Turn 3. Foster’s car had suffered right front suspension failure under heavy braking on the bumpy street circuit.
The fourth caution came on Lap 68 after Prema’s Callum Ilott crashed in Turn 1 coming out of the pits, hit the wall with the right-front wheel which caused the left-front to pop off.
As the laps ticked down, the intensity ratcheted up. Kirkwood having taken the lead by lap 39 appeared in control but a pit stop under yellow on lap 71 temporarily dropped him down the order.
Undaunted, he launched a daring pass on the right side of the No. 8 car for second place on lap 78 making slight contact and sustaining minor front wing damage. Fortunately, the damage did not dent his pace and he quickly reclaimed the lead by lap 79, holding off a determined Ferrucci and a resurgent Herta.
The race’s defining moment came with less than 30 laps to go when Alex Palou’s fortunes took a dramatic turn. After a pit stop dropped him to seventh, Palou was involved in a collision with David Malukas at Turn 1 causing terminal damage, forcing the championship leader to retire from the race.
The closing laps saw Kyle Kirkwood expertly manage his damaged front wing, maintaining a blistering pace and recording the fastest leader lap of the race at 1:02.431. He proceeded to cross the line 3.5 seconds ahead of Santino Ferrucci, securing his fourth career IndyCar win.
Meanwhile, Colton Herta’s recovery drive was among the IndyCar Detroit highlights as he proceeded to break into the top three with under 10 laps to go, engaging in a spirited battle for second ultimately settling for third.
