2025 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

Kirkwood Claims Commanding Victory on Chaotic Day in Detroit

In a street race that saw 11 lead changes, five cautions, a red flag, and more than 260 on-track passes, it was Kyle Kirkwood who rose above the mayhem to secure his second win of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season. The Andretti Global driver led a race-high 48 laps and held firm through two critical late restarts to take the checkered flag at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.

Kirkwood's victory, his first in Detroit and fourth career win, comes as a much-needed rebound after a bitterly disappointing result in the Indianapolis 500 just a week earlier. "Massive," Kirkwood said post-race. "We've had a hell of a couple weeks, and this is an exclamation point on everything we've done."

The race began cleanly with pole-sitter Colton Herta leading early before a cascade of pit strategies and incidents reshaped the order. The event's attrition and strategic complexity proved to be defining factors across the 100-lap, 164.5-mile contest on the tight and unforgiving 1.645-mile street circuit.

Race Summary

Opening Stints and Early Shuffling

• Herta led from the green but pitted early on Lap 12, opening the door for Scott McLaughlin to briefly assume the lead before the first full-course yellow.
• Christian Rasmussen, starting 24th, emerged as an early contender, leading 21 laps through a combination of strong pace and well-timed pit strategy.

Incidents and Cautions

• Five cautions slowed the field for 19 laps. Major incidents included:
  • A multi-car stack-up in Turn 8 (Lap 14).
  • Devlin DeFrancesco's lost wheel (Lap 19).
  • Alex Palou's crash in Turn 1 (Lap 72), triggered by contact from David Malukas.
  • A Turn 3 collision between Felix Rosenqvist and Louis Foster (Lap 83), resulting in a red flag for cleanup and track repairs.

Key Lead Changes

• Lead changed hands 11 times among 10 drivers, including notable stints from Rasmussen, Marcus Armstrong, Louis Foster, Scott Dixon, and Pato O'Ward.
• Kirkwood reclaimed the lead for good on Lap 78, overtaking Santino Ferrucci in a decisive move on cold tires following a late restart.

Final Sprint and Finish

• After a 12-minute red flag stoppage with 13 laps to go, Kirkwood restarted cleanly from the lead and pulled away from Ferrucci to win by 3.5931 seconds.
• Herta finished third after leading the opening laps and maintaining top-five pace throughout, but his chance at a win slipped during the final round of pit stops and a compromised restart sequence.

Post-Race Highlights

• Santino Ferrucci delivered a career-best second-place finish after starting 21st, gaining 19 positions — more than any driver on the day. AJ Foyt Racing capitalized on pit strategy and clean execution to bring home its first podium of the season.
• Colton Herta, who started from pole and led 11 laps, settled for 3rd after a late-race loss of track position and a narrow escape from contact in the final stint.
• Felix Rosenqvist, Louis Foster and Palou were all evaluated and released following on-track incidents.
• Passing Statistics: The race featured 261 total passes (second-most since records began in 2018) and 181 position changes. Adjusted for distance and attrition, this year's race had a record-high Position Passing Index (PPI) of 4.46 per 100 miles completed.

Championship Picture

Alex Palou's crash and 25th-place finish marked a rare misstep in an otherwise dominant campaign. Despite the DNF, Palou retains a healthy lead in the standings with 311 points. Kirkwood's win elevates him to 209 points—now 102 behind Palou, moving up to third overall.

Only Palou (five wins) and Kirkwood (two wins) have reached victory lane in 2025. With upcoming road courses like Road America and Mid-Ohio — venues where Palou has historically excelled — Kirkwood emphasized the need for continued pressure: "We can't let him win any more races."

Morning Warm-Up Recap: Rosenqvist Leads Cool Detroit Session

Felix Rosenqvist paced a brisk Sunday morning warm-up session on the streets of downtown Detroit, clocking a best time of 1:02.1054 in his No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda. The 25-minute session offered drivers a final opportunity to dial in setups before this afternoon's 100-lap race.

With ambient temperature at just 51 degrees and track temperature at 64.9 degrees when the green flag waved at 9:32 a.m. EDT, teams navigated low-grip conditions that complicated tire warm-up and balance evaluation. Nonetheless, Rosenqvist found pace early and held the top spot through the checkered flag at 9:57 a.m.

Top Performers

Kyle Kirkwood continued his strong form in Detroit, finishing second in warm-up with a 1:02.3447. David Malukas, who qualified a career-best second on Saturday, was third fastest and completed 21 laps — the most of any driver alongside teammate Sting Ray Robb and several others.

Callum Ilott placed fourth, while Robb delivered a surprise fifth-place result, giving Juncos Hollinger Racing a morale boost heading into the race.

Graham Rahal, Alex Palou, and Pato O'Ward slotted into the top eight. Josef Newgarden, who starts 24th, was ninth, while Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top 10.

Notable Observations

• Colton Herta, who starts from pole position, was 12th in the session with a best lap of 1:03.3539. He completed 15 laps, the fewest of any top-12 qualifier.
• Scott Dixon, starting 10th and facing a six-place grid penalty, ran 20 laps and ended 14th on the charts.
• Robert Shwartzman and Nolan Siegel — two of the three rookies in the field — ran extensive programs, though both ended outside the top 20.

The session ran without incident and provided a valuable final systems check, with several teams focusing on race fuel loads and hybrid deployment simulations. With temperatures expected to rise for the race, tire performance and energy management remain central variables for the afternoon.

Qualifying Recap: Herta Scores Pole as Malukas, Kirkwood Shine in Detroit

Colton Herta captured his first pole of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season and the 15th of his career on Saturday afternoon, leading a dramatic qualifying session on the streets of Detroit. Driving the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda, Herta laid down a best lap of 1:00.4779 during the Firestone Fast Six to edge David Malukas by 0.1713 seconds and secure the NTT P1 Award.

Herta's pole is his first since Toronto in 2024 and came after topping the charts in Practice 2 earlier that morning, confirming his pace on the tight and technical 1.645-mile street circuit.

Segment 1 – Group Elimination

The first segment of qualifying split the field into two groups, with each receiving 10 minutes of green-flag time. The top six drivers from each group advanced to Round 2.

• Group 1saw Will Power top the session, followed by Alex Palou, Christian Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Armstrong, and Rinus VeeKay — all advancing. Marcus Ericsson, Felix Rosenqvist, and Callum Ilott were among those eliminated.
• Group 2was led by Herta, with Graham Rahal, David Malukas, Christian Rasmussen, Kyle Kirkwood, and Scott Dixon advancing. Louis Foster was eliminated after a pit lane speeding penalty (Rule 7.10.12) and placed 14th overall, the highest of those not advancing from Group 2.

Notably, Josef Newgarden and Pato O'Ward were both eliminated in Round 1 and will start 24th and 18th, respectively.

Segment 2 – Top 12

In Round 2, Herta again led the way with a lap of 1:00.4569. Kirkwood and Malukas followed closely, while Palou and Rahal rounded out the top six. Lundgaard secured the final transfer spot despite a drive-through penalty (Rule 8.3.7.3) for causing a local yellow that affected another competitor.

Eliminated in this round were VeeKay, McLaughlin, Power, Dixon, Armstrong, and Rasmussen. Positions 7 through 12 were assigned based on lap times, with VeeKay securing 7th on the grid and Rasmussen rounding out the second half of the top 12.

Segment 3 – Firestone Fast Six

The Firestone Fast Six featured a compelling mix of youth and experience. Herta sealed pole with a 1:00.4779 on his fourth and final timed lap. Malukas was second quickest for AJ Foyt Racing — his best qualifying effort of the season and a statement performance on a street course.

Kirkwood qualified third, narrowly ahead of Lundgaard and Rahal. Palou, who had shown speed throughout qualifying, couldn't improve late in the session and settled for sixth.

Final Thoughts

Saturday's qualifying session was a showcase of composure and execution, particularly from Herta, who navigated colder conditions in the morning and escalating track evolution throughout the afternoon. Malukas and Kirkwood also continued to show that the new hybrid era rewards technical driving and energy management — a theme likely to define Sunday's race.

The grid features an intriguing front three rows with five different teams represented in the top six. With overtaking at a premium and the hybrid system offering new tactical dimensions, the 100-lap Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix is shaping up to be a strategic and physical test for the entire field.

Practice 2 Recap: Herta Edges Kirkwood, Cold Temps Shake Up Detroit Running

Colton Herta led a chilly Saturday morning session in downtown Detroit, setting the fastest time in Practice 2 with a 1:01.7823 in his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda. As track and air temperatures plummeted compared to Friday, grip and tire warm-up became major factors in a 45-minute session that saw Herta narrowly beat out Friday pacesetter Kyle Kirkwood.

The session opened at 9:10 a.m. ET under brisk conditions — 52 degrees ambient and 63 degrees track temperature. The cold surface prompted cautious early laps, but as the session progressed, teams gradually unlocked performance.

Herta’s benchmark lap came after a steady build-up and placed him second overall on the combined timesheets across both practice sessions, just 0.0314 seconds behind Kirkwood’s Friday best of 1:01.7509.

Top Performers in Practice 2

Scott McLaughlin was again in the mix for Team Penske, finishing second in the session with a lap of 1:01.8995. Kirkwood followed closely in third, continuing his strong form on the nine-turn, 1.645-mile layout.

Callum Ilott turned heads with a fourth-place result, putting the No. 90 Honda squarely among the lead group after a quiet Practice 1. Rookie Louis Foster impressed once more in fifth, continuing to show maturity and pace for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Felix Rosenqvist, Christian Rasmussen, Christian Lundgaard, Graham Rahal, and Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top 10. Notably, Ericsson was the fastest of the Andretti Global trio in Friday’s all-cars session and remained competitive again on Saturday.

Combined Practice Leaders

With Practice 2 complete, the combined times from both sessions show just how tight the field is. Kirkwood’s 1:01.7509 from Friday’s Group 2 session remains the benchmark heading into qualifying. Herta and McLaughlin are second and third overall, followed by Ilott, Foster and Rosenqvist in the top six.

Series points leader Alex Palou was 12th in Practice 2 and sits 14th overall, while fellow Ganassi driver Scott Dixon ended up 13th on the combined chart. Both will be looking to extract more speed in Saturday’s qualifying, especially with Dixon carrying a six-place grid penalty into Sunday’s race.

Quiet Sessions for Key Contenders

Josef Newgarden and Will Power, both quick in Practice 1, did not improve their times in the second session and slipped to 12th and 10th on the combined timesheet, respectively. Pato O’Ward also didn’t move forward, finishing 23rd in Practice 2 with his Friday Group 2 time holding up for 16th overall.

Rookies Robert Shwartzman, Nolan Siegel, and Jacob Abel logged significant mileage, with Shwartzman completing a session-high 28 laps and slotting 19th overall. Abel, despite finishing at the bottom of the Practice 2 field, leads the group in total track time across both days.

What’s Next

With cooler temperatures and rapidly evolving track grip, teams are facing a compressed window to find the ideal balance for qualifying. Hybrid power deployment and tire warm-up will continue to be key factors—especially in knockout qualifying, where clean laps are at a premium.

Qualifying coverage begins at noon ET on FS1, with knockout rounds setting the grid for Sunday’s 100-lap Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, airing live on FOX at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Practice 1 Recap: Kirkwood Sets the Early Benchmark on the Streets of Detroit

Kyle Kirkwood led the opening session of the weekend for the 2025 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, clocking a session-best 1:01.7509 in the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda. The lap came during the final 12-minute run for Group 2 and rookies, capping a three-phase practice format on the 1.645-mile downtown Detroit street circuit.

Practice Structure and Conditions

Practice 1 was split into three segments: an initial 40-minute session for all cars, followed by two 12-minute sessions split by group, with rookies granted access to both group segments.

The session began under sunny skies, with an ambient temperature of 77 degrees and track temperature at 107 degrees. Early on, Race Control issued a drive-through penalty to Scott Dixon (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) for improper lane usage under Rule 7.11.1.1.1.

Shortly after, a red flag was triggered by Sting Ray Robb (No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet), who went off in Turn 1. While Robb rejoined the session, he was penalized five minutes of track time for causing the stoppage.

Top Performers

Kirkwood’s 1:01.7509 lap stood atop the combined charts, followed by Scott McLaughlin (1:02.0301) in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet and Will Power (1:02.3862), fastest in the Group 1 segment. Power’s lap placed him third overall, narrowly ahead of teammate Josef Newgarden and Christian Lundgaard.

Pato O’Ward, third-place finisher at the Indianapolis 500, slotted in seventh overall with a best of 1:02.6331. Colton Herta, Rinus VeeKay, and Graham Rahal rounded out the top ten.

Championship leader Alex Palou ended the session in 15th, as Chip Ganassi Racing appeared to focus on longer runs and system checks early in the weekend. Dixon, who is serving a six-position grid penalty this weekend for an unapproved engine change, was 18th.

Malukas Fastest in Opening Segment

David Malukas delivered a standout performance in the opening 40-minute segment, setting the fastest lap among all cars with a 1:02.8129 in the No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet. That time held as the overall benchmark until the two 12-minute group segments later in the session, where faster laps from Kyle Kirkwood, Scott McLaughlin, and Will Power ultimately dropped Malukas to 11th on the final combined timesheet. Nonetheless, his early-session pace reaffirmed the progress being made at AJ Foyt Racing, where Malukas continues to lead the team’s full-time effort in his first season with the outfit.

Rookie Roundup

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster led all rookies with an impressive eighth-place result (1:02.6481). Robert Shwartzman (Prema Racing) was 19th while Jacob Abel (Dale Coyne Racing) finished 25th. All three rookies completed a high number of laps across the session’s three phases, benefitting from the expanded track time.

What’s Next

Teams will shift their focus to refining qualifying setups ahead of Practice 2 and the knockout qualifying rounds on Saturday. With hybrid deployment parameters fully in play for the first time at Detroit, engineers continue to balance energy management, tire degradation and braking stability across the circuit’s nine-turn layout.

Coverage resumes Saturday at 9 a.m. ET on FS1, with qualifying at noon and Sunday’s 100-lap race airing live on FOX.