Just because a driver wins a race won’t mean that driver jumps to the top of the rankings.
But Kyle Kirkwood, the winner Sunday in the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington, also leads the points. And he has the best average finish of 2.33 for the year.
So Kirkwood is atop these rankings three races into the season and with a weekend off before the teams race March 29 at Barber Motorsports Park outside of Birmingham.
Dropped out: Marcus Armstrong (Last Week: 9); Alexander Rossi (Last Week: 10)
On the verge: Marcus Armstrong, Christian Rasmussen, Alexander Rossi
10. Scott Dixon (Last Week: 6)
Dixon employed a four-stop strategy and ended up eighth at Arlington. The Ganassi driver just hasn’t had a clean weekend. He had a spin Saturday and hit a stray tire Sunday, so that didn’t help.
9. Marcus Ericsson (Last Week: Not Ranked)
Ericsson won the pole and finished fourth at Arlington. That was a solid weekend for the Andretti driver, and while he felt a little sting being third among the Andretti drivers, running right behind Kyle Kirkwood and Will Power means you are doing something right.
8. Will Power (Last Week: Not Ranked)
Power started fourth and finished third at Arlington, finally finishing a race in a spot that justified the speed of the car. It’s amazing how Power can go from frustrated to enthused in a matter of days.
7. Scott McLaughlin (Last Week: 5)
McLaughlin had a wreck in qualifying so he started last at Arlington and improved 14 positions by the checkered flag. That is as solid of an 11th-place finish as a driver can get.
6. Christian Lundgaard (Last Week: 7)
Lundgaard had a quiet seventh-place finish at Arlington as he started 18th. It wasn’t a great day, but it could have been worse for the McLaren driver. He was the third-best Chevrolet driver.
5. David Malukas (Last Week: 8)
Malukas was the second-best finisher among the Chevy drivers. The Penske driver had some contact with Josef Newgarden during the race but still ended up sixth. It was a workman-like weekend for Malukas.
4. Josef Newgarden (Last Week: 1)
Newgarden had a weird wreck in practice that resulted in him going to a backup tub. And then he had some contact with other drivers during the race. The course and atmosphere were fun for him but the race itself and a 15th-place finish was far from what he had wanted.
3. Pato O’Ward (Last Week: 4)
O’Ward was easily the best Chevrolet driver. Which is good, except that he was easily not at the level of the Andretti cars, nor Alex Palou. He left Arlington feeling he had done all he could do.
2. Alex Palou (Last Week: 2)
If Palou seems concerned he doesn’t have the points lead, he isn’t acting like it. He’s just going out and doing the best he can. And on Sunday, that was second for the Ganassi driver.
1. Kyle Kirkwood (Last Week: 3)
Kirkwood leads the points for the first time in his career. The Andretti driver has certainly earned it with a second, a fourth and a win in the opening three races.
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