ST. PETERSBURG — Followers waited in a line so long as a soccer area, beneath a heat Florida solar alongside the St. Petersburg downtown waterfront to satisfy their favourite NTT IndyCar Sequence drivers Friday afternoon.
The autograph session featured the complete lineup of racers competing in Sunday’s season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – together with Jupiter’s Kyle Kirkwood, who greeted followers, autographed images and gratefully accepted phrases of encouragement from his supporters.
“I simply really feel he’s very likable and I like his Florida life-style and the way he’s all the time posting fishing photos and looks as if he could be a enjoyable man to hang around with,’’ New Jersey fan Roy Mutalik, 34, stated of Kirkwood.
“And I like watching him on observe, clearly. I believe he’s very proficient and all the time has a very good shot at profitable, He’s one of many youthful guys and I’d like to see him do effectively.’’
“I’d wait an hour simply for his autograph, ‘’ Mutalik stated smiling, “I’d wait some time longer if I might go fishing with him.’’
Kirkwood, sporting a beard now, signed all types of pictures and diecast automobiles and posed for selfies. He ought to get used to the ever-rising appreciation stage. The 26-year previous Floridian has been a champion in each stage of open-wheel racing from Components Fords to Indy Lights (Indy NXT) and now three years right into a seat at one of the vital embellished organizations within the sport – Andretti International – expectations are understandably excessive in IndyCar.
Final yr Kirkwood, who drives the No. 27 Andretti International Honda, turned in a profession yr statistically in laps led (121), most laps led in a single race (67 at Nashville), common beginning place (10.1), common ending place (8.7), and most significantly rating within the championship standings (seventh).
Though he didn’t reply his two-win 2023 season with a victory, he earned 5 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 17 races with a finest displaying of runner-up at Toronto.
“In racing it’s irritating until you’re profitable the whole lot, to be sincere,’’ Kirkwood allowed. “However there have been quite a lot of positives to remove.
“It was a very good season from the standpoint that we had quite a lot of consistency. We completed a lot increased up within the championship and type of gave ourselves a chance [to win] within the closing levels of the yr.
“For those who look again on the final couple years, you clearly see the 2 wins that got here in 2023, however what lots of people don’t notice is that out of these two wins, we gave ourselves solely two alternatives to win and occurred to capitalize on each of them.
“Final yr, we gave ourselves a minimum of 5 alternatives to win however didn’t capitalize on any of them. “
Whereas the staff’s principal, world-renowned driver Michael Andretti, has stepped again from the day-to-day administration duties of the staff that bears his identify, Andretti International stays a perpetual race favourite.
Kirkwood’s teammate, 2021 St. Petersburg race winner Colton Herta received a pair of races in 2024 and is coming off a profession finest runner-up displaying within the championship. Their teammate, Sweden’s Marcus Ericksson received at St. Pete in 2023 along with his former staff and can also be a former Indianapolis 500 winner (2022).
The expertise potential bodes effectively for Kirkwood, who in two IndyCar seasons with the staff has completely settled in and is able to produce the identical type of daring headlines.
“It’s not as hectic I’d say, you simply perceive the processes much more,’’ Kirkwood stated of his consolation stage now with one of the vital high-profile groups within the sport.
“You perceive the cadence and also you’re not all the time on a knife’s edge anymore with the whole lot that you simply do. You type of simply get the rhythm and you’re feeling much more snug once you get into the automotive.
“You begin to click on with everybody after a pair years. It simply makes issues simpler typically.”
Now to translate that general staff expectation into the 1.8-mile 14-turn course across the streets of downtown St. Pete. Kirkwood’s earlier finest displaying (tenth) in three IndyCar begins in his dwelling state, got here final yr. He received from pole place, and led each single lap, competing within the Indy Lights Sequence right here in 2021.
“I like St. Pete,’’ Kirkwood stated. “I’m all the time excited to race right here however have by no means truly had good races right here prior to now 3 times I’ve been right here in IndyCar. It’s one among my favourite tracks however for some motive I simply haven’t executed that effectively so it will be good to have one other alternative at it.
“We’ve certified effectively right here prior to now however haven’t actually had good races so hope to show that round as a result of it’s a race I actually take pleasure in. It’s not like different tracks.
“I all the time stay up for coming right here.’
Sunday’s raceFirestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg12:29 p.m., Downtown St. PetersburgTV: FOX
