- Championship leader Kyle Kirkwood enters Long Beach as defending winner.
- Aiming for his third Long Beach win, Kirkwood looks to uphold Andretti legacy.
- Two-time winner Will Power and veteran Marcus Ericsson are primary threats.
The Streets of Long Beach have a way of turning good drivers into legends. The margins are razor-thin, the walls unforgiving, and the competition too fierce for any one driver to dominate for long. Yet, Andretti Global’s flying ace Kyle Kirkwood has made the Southern California street course feel like his own playground.
Now, as the IndyCar series returns to the 1.968-mile circuit for Round 5, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Kirkwood faces a rare opportunity. A third victory on these streets would place him in elite company, alongside icons like “Super Mario” Mario Andretti.
Kirkwood’s Long Beach run could redefine his IndyCar standing
Set for April 19, Long Beach once again takes center stage as one of the defining stops on the IndyCar calendar in what would be a 90-lap contest around the famed 11 turn circuit. In short, it’s a venue where rhythm matters as much as raw pace and right now, Andretti’s No. 27 driver Kirkwood appears to have found both.
The 27-year-old comes in as the defending winner and current championship leader, with 156 points coming from one win, four top-10s and top-5s. Last year’s race was a case in point. Starting from pole, the Floridian led 46 laps and rarely looked under pressure, controlling the pace in a way that has become familiar on street circuits.
In fact, that comfort level reflects in the numbers as well. In four starts at Long Beach, he has produced two wins (2023 and 2025), two poles, and has led 100 laps.
“Long Beach has notoriously been one of the biggest races outside of the Indy 500,” Kirkwood said in a team statement ahead of the race. “Having done it twice there now with two poles is quite incredible… It would be a pretty big deal if we were to win there again and put my name up there with many of the greats that have three victories.”
That’s exactly what sets Long Beach apart. For racing afficianados it’s more than just another date on the calendar. In hindsight, the race has been around long enough to carry real weight, from its Formula One roots to its place today in IndyCar.
Few drivers are as closely tied to that history as Mario Andretti. Having won in different eras in both F1 (1977) and IndyCar machines (1984, 1985, and 1987), Long Beach has always been close to heart. He has often pointed to those wins as some of his most memorable, and not just for the results, but for what the track represents.
That connection went further when his son Michael Andretti added his own chapter in 2002 in CART open-wheel series, and over time, the Andretti name became part of the track’s identity.
Since 2009, the team has collected seven wins, along with multiple poles and podiums with street courses, Long Beach in particular, have consistently played to its strengths.
“Andretti has always been a huge name around that place,” Kirkwood said. “To get my first win there just like Michael did was very special.”
IndyCar contenders: Can Kirkwood hold off Power & Ericsson?
That first win in 2023 came as a career breakthrough for the American. Since then, Kirkwood has looked increasingly at ease on temporary circuits, Long Beach, for that matter, more than anywhere else, has become a reflection of that.
Meanwhile a win at here on Sunday won’t be a walk in the park. With two wins and two decades of starts at Long Beach, Kirkwood’s teammate Will Power is more than accustomed to the traps of the circuit.
“It’s also a very technical circuit. We get up to around 190 mph at the end of the straight, so you’re really threading the needle with concrete walls, and there’s no room for mistakes,” the No. 26 driver explained. “With the success I’ve had here and what Andretti has done at this track, I’d love to add a third victory and give the TWG AI Honda crew their first win of the season in Long Beach.”
Furthermore, others, like Marcus Ericsson, add to the depth of the field, especially when strategy comes into play. In fact, Long Beach has a way of opening the door for different approaches, and races here rarely unfold in a straight line.
Even so, recent form boosts Kirkwood’s chances. Few drivers have been as consistent on street circuits, and even fewer have matched his results at this track in such a short span of time.
A third win at Long Beach would hit differently. Not because of the number, but because of what it says about a driver at this track. And as history suggests, it’s one thing to win here once but doing it again and then again equates to greatness.
Kirkwood doesn’t shy away from what the place means. He’s called it the biggest race outside of the Indianapolis 500, and his first win here in 2023 still stands out as the moment everything clicked. And the Long Beach weekend inches closer, he comes back this time with more results and above all more expectation.
