The inaugural IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington delivered plenty of drama on the streets around AT&T Stadium, with Kiwi drivers Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Armstrong all fighting through eventful races in the third round of the NTT IndyCar Series season.
While the New Zealand trio battled through the field, it was Kyle Kirkwood who ultimately stole the headlines, producing a bold late-race pass to defeat championship favourite Alex Palou and claim victory in the first-ever IndyCar race staged on the new Texas street circuit.
Six-time series champion Dixon delivered another trademark recovery drive after a difficult qualifying session left him starting deep in the field.
The Chip Ganassi Racing veteran began the race from 20th position but steadily climbed the order through clever strategy and strong race pace, eventually finishing eighth.
“The race was really clean for us, but it was a clean race,” Dixon said. “For us to excel, we needed to have some caution, especially [in the first half]. You know, still bummed about how qualifying went.”
Dixon’s challenging weekend had begun on Saturday when he spun during practice and was struck lightly by Will Power, before a disrupted qualifying session left him unable to maximise the softer tyre.
“We didn’t really get to run on a red tyre, and, you know, the only lap we had was the out lap, so, yeah, that puts you in a hole once you go back to where we did,” Dixon explained.
Opting for a four-stop strategy, Dixon steadily worked his way forward throughout the 70-lap contest. The gamble paid off late in the race when he bolted on fresh alternate tyres and unleashed the outright speed of his Ganassi Honda.
The Kiwi even set the fastest lap of the race on lap 66 with a time of 1:33.9902 — the only driver to dip below the 1m34s barrier.
“We ended up with the fastest race lap. The car has the pace, so I just need to get it together, do a better job in qualifying and make sure that we don’t put ourselves at such high risk,” he said.
Despite the bumps and physical challenges of the new circuit, Dixon praised the event’s atmosphere.
“The activation, obviously, the event is the new standard of IndyCar, this is what everybody needs to live up to,” Dixon told Frontstretch.
“It’s fantastic. The partnership they have with the [Dallas] Cowboys and the [Texas] Rangers? Epic. Epic!”
Fellow Kiwi Armstrong also produced a solid performance to finish inside the top ten.
Driving for Meyer Shank Racing, Armstrong kept his nose clean throughout the race and brought the car home in 10th position, continuing his steady start to the season.
His result placed him just ahead of compatriot McLaughlin in the final classification.
For McLaughlin, the race featured an early moment of drama that could easily have ended his afternoon.
The Team Penske driver narrowly avoided contact when teammate Josef Newgarden spun after colliding with David Malukas in the opening stages of the race.
With Newgarden stranded on the circuit, McLaughlin had to react instantly, squeezing through a small gap between the stationary Penske car and the outside wall to avoid becoming an innocent victim.
After the close call, the Kiwi regrouped to finish 11th, just outside the top ten.
At the front of the field, the race evolved into a tense strategic battle between Kirkwood and reigning champion Palou.
Both drivers completed their final pit stops on lap 49, but a slightly slower stop for the Andretti driver initially dropped him more than two seconds behind the Ganassi car.
Kirkwood quickly erased that deficit and launched an audacious move into Turn 13 on lap 55 to seize the lead.
“That was so incredible,” Kirkwood said.
“Man, did we have some pace. This JM Bullion Honda, Andretti, all these guys right here, they gave me the tools today. It’s because of this racecar we won today, because of teamwork.”
Palou admitted the move was decisive.
“He did an awesome pass; hats off to him,” Palou said.
“It was super clean, and it was pretty impressive.”
A late caution briefly threatened to set up a dramatic final-lap battle, but another incident further back in the field left Kirkwood to take the chequered flag under yellow.
The win also vaulted the Andretti driver into the championship lead after three rounds.
“It’s only race number three, so I’m not looking at the championship,” Kirkwood said.
“But it is nice to say it’s the first time I’ve ever led the championship in the IndyCar Series.”
Behind Kirkwood and Palou, Power completed the podium in third, with Marcus Ericsson fourth and Pato O’Ward rounding out the top five.
For the Kiwi contingent, Dixon’s eighth-place recovery led the way, followed by Armstrong in 10th and McLaughlin in 11th.
The NTT IndyCar Series now takes a short break before returning later this month at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.
Header Image: Penske Entertainment – Paul Hurley
