Kyle Kirkwood wins Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, showcasing strategic prowess and speed for Andretti Autosport

Posted : 07 August 2023

Kyle Kirkwood showcased a combination of strategic prowess and impressive speed to secure victory in the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix held on the streets of Nashville on Sunday.

Hailing from Jupiter, Florida, Kirkwood clinched his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES win this season – both on street circuits – while driving the No. 27 AutoNation Honda for Andretti Autosport. Starting from the eighth position, Kirkwood managed to hold off Scott McLaughlin's charging No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet to secure the win by a margin of .7633 seconds after a late restart.

Kirkwood attributed his win to the collective efforts of his team and strategy: "I've got to give up to the 27 crew, AutoNation, Andretti, Honda. They played everything in my favor, to be honest. They gave me all the tools I needed. They cycled me to the front on strategy, and we just made really smart decisions and hit all of our marks. Just a solid day."

Despite challenges, championship leader Alex Palou managed to secure third place driving the No. 10 The American Legion Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing. This finish extended his lead to 84 points over his closest competitor, Josef Newgarden, who finished fourth in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet.

Six-time series champion and last year's Nashville winner, Scott Dixon, rounded out the top five driving the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

The race witnessed Kirkwood's adept handling of McLaughlin during a late-race restart following a red flag interruption. Despite McLaughlin's strong pursuit, Kirkwood managed to stay ahead at the white flag, ensuring his victory.

Kirkwood's victory, encompassing a race-high 34 laps led, was significantly aided by early race strategy orchestrated by team strategist Bryan Herta. The pivotal strategy call propelled Kirkwood to the front of the pack for a significant portion of the race.

The race also saw Palou's team employ early pit strategy, hoping for potential yellow flags to optimize tire changes. This strategy almost backfired, but well-timed caution flags ultimately helped him maintain a strong position.

Kirkwood's win led to a charitable contribution of $10,000 shared between Andretti Autosport and his chosen charity, AutoNation DRVPNK, as part of the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge.

Kyle Kirkwood wins Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, showcasing strategic prowess and speed for Andretti Autosport

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics