To be the best, you have to beat the best.
That was certainly the case on Sunday as Kyle Kirkwood used an overtake of three-time reigning INDYCAR champion Alex Palou with 15 laps remaining to propel the No. 27 Andretti Global driver to victory at the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington.
While a late caution (the first of the entire race) set up a final lap shootout between Kirkwood and Palou, a subsequent caution brought an end to any possible drama as Kirkwood coasted to the finish for his first win of the 2026 season.
The Winner Is…
Kyle Kirkwood, who started the race in seventh position before working his way through the field while also overcoming some troubles in the pits. Kirkwood led 16 laps on the way to his sixth career victory.
How The Race Was Won
Kirkwood passed Palou for the lead with 15 laps remaining, overtaking his competitor with a move on the inside of Turn 13 and not looking back en route to the victory.
One Big Moment
The race was caution-free until the very end before the yellow flag came out for the first time when Christian Rasmussen lost power with four laps remaining. Kirkwood had pushed his lead to nearly nine seconds over Palou at that point, with the caution potentially re-opening the door for Palou on the final lap shootout.
But alas, it would not come to matter as the race finished under yellow due to an ensuing caution, with Kirkwood coasting to the line.
Top-10 Results
- Kyle Kirkwood
- Alex Palou
- Will Power
- Marcus Ericsson
- Pato O’Ward
- David Malukas
- Christian Lundgaard
- Scott Dixon
- Alexander Rossi
- Marcus Armstrong
What’s Next?
INDYCAR has its first off week of the season, with the next race coming March 29 at Barber Motorsports Park (1 p.m. ET on FOX). Last year’s race at Barber was won by eventual series champion Alex Palou.
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