Kyle Kirkwood

Kyle MacLean Kirkwood (born October 19, 1998) is an American auto racing driver.[1][2] He currently drives in Indy Lights, competing for Andretti Autosport.

Kyle Kirkwood
Nationality American
Born (1998-10-19) October 19, 1998
Jupiter, Florida
Indy Lights career
Debut season2020
Current teamAndretti Autosport
Car number28
Best finishTBA in 2020
Previous series
2019
2019
2018
2018
2016-17
2015		Euroformula Open Championship
Indy Pro 2000 Championship
F3 Americas Championship
U.S. F2000 National Championship
Formula 4 United States Championship
F1600 Championship Series
Championship titles
2019
2018
2018
2017		Indy Pro 2000 Championship
F3 Americas Championship
U.S. F2000 National Championship
Formula 4 United States Championship
Awards
2016Team USA Scholarship

Career

Karting

Born in Jupiter, Kirkwood began karting at a young age, often competing alongside fellow Jupiter native Oliver Askew.[3] Throughout his karting career, he amassed multiple titles, including the AM Engines Formula Tag Junior championship in 2012, the SKUSA SuperNationals XVII - S5 Junior championship in 2013 and back-to-back wins at the Florida Winter Tour in 2015 and 2016.[4][5][6]

Lower formulae

In 2015, Kirkwood made his single-seater debut in the F1600 Championship with Chastain Motorsports.[7] There he took victory in the season opener at Road Atlanta and contested a further six rounds to finish sixteenth.[8]

Following his performance in Formula 4 United States, Kirkwood returned to the Formula Ford scene in 2016 to represent Team USA in the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy event, finishing seventh and fourth overall in both respective events.[9][10][11][12]

In 2016, Kirkwood joined the inaugural Formula 4 United States Championship with Primus Racing, which saw him claim a win at Mid-Ohio and finish third in the standings overall.[13] In September 2016, Kirkwood was awarded with the Team USA scholarship.[14]

After competing with them in pre-season testing at NOLA, Kirkwood returned to the championship the following year, switching to newcomers Cape Motorsports.[15][16] He achieved nine victories, including back-to-back hat-tricks at Indianapolis and Motorsport Park, wrapping up the title in the Formula One supporting season finale at the Circuit of the Americas.[17][18][19] During the season, Kirkwood was once again selected as a candidate for the Team USA scholarship.[20]

International Formula 3

In August 2018, Kirkwood joined Abel Motorsports to contest the inaugural season of F3 Americas.[21] The season saw Kirkwood claim fifteen of the seventeen race victories on offer and seal his third consecutive championship at NOLA with a round to spare.[22][23]

The following year, Kirkwood made a one-off appearance with RP Motorsport in the season finale of the Euroformula Open Championship at Monza, which saw him take a best-placed finish of sixth in race two.[24][25]

Formula E

In February 2020, Kirkwood was announced to be partaking in the rookie test at Marrakesh with BMW i Andretti Motorsport.[26]

Road to Indy

In December 2016, Kirkwood partook in the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout, but lost out on the scholarship to Askew.[27]

USF2000

In 2017, Kirkwood partook in the Chris Griffis Memorial Test with Swan-RJB Motorsports.[28] In February 2018, he reunited with Cape Motorsports to contest the 2018 championship.[29] In only his rookie season, Kirkwood dominated proceedings, taking twelve of the fourteen victories on offer and sealing his second title in a year at Mid-Ohio and equalling J.R. Hildebrand's record of wins across a season.[30][31]

Indy Pro 2000

Kirkwood graduated to the championship in 2019, selecting RP Motorsport Racing as his team.[32] After faltering in earlier rounds, Kirkwood took his maiden victories in both races at Road America.[33] From the second race at Toronto onwards, Kirkwood dominated the season and won his fourth consecutive title at the season finale in Laguna Seca despite being taken out by Danial Frost.[34][35][36]

Indy Lights

In December 2019, Kirkwood partook in the post-season test at Sebring with reigning champions Andretti Autosport.[37] The following month, Andretti confirmed Kirkwood would race with them for the 2020 season, only for that year's running of the championship to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[38]

Sports car racing

With the 2020 Indy Lights season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kirkwood drove four races in the IMSA Prototype Challenge and also joined AIM Vasser Sullivan Racing for a limited GTD schedule.[39]

Racing record

Career summary
Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2015 F1600 Championship Series Chastain Motorsports 7 1 0 1 2 181 16th
2016 F4 United States Championship Primus Racing 15 1 1 1 9 183 3rd
2017 F4 United States Championship Cape Motorsports 20 9 6 10 15 345 1st
2018 F3 Americas Championship Abel Motorsports 17 15 5 15 16 405 1st
U.S. F2000 National Championship Cape Motorsports 14 12 5 6 13 374 1st
2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship RP Motorsport Racing 16 9 5 7 11 419 1st
Euroformula Open Championship 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC†
2020 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - GTD AIM Vasser Sullivan 2 0 0 0 0 42 37th
2021 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - GTD Vasser Sullivan Racing 1 0 0 0 0 178 15th*

† As Kirkwood was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points. * Season still in progress.

U.S. F2000 Championship
Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
2018 Cape Motorsports STP
1		 STP
5		 IMS
2		 IMS
1		 LOR
1		 ROA
1		 ROA
1		 TOR
1		 TOR
1		 MDO
1		 MDO
1		 MDO
1		 POR
1		 POR
1		 1st 440

Indy Pro 2000 Championship
Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points
2019 RP Motorsport Racing STP
14		 STP
2		 IMS
2		 IMS
13		 LOR
4		 ROA
1		 ROA
1		 TOR
8		 TOR
1		 MDO
1		 MDO
1		 GTW
1		 POR
1		 POR
1		 LAG
1		 LAG
14		 1st 419

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points
2020 AIM Vasser Sullivan GTD Lexus RC F GT3 Lexus 5.0 L V8 DAY DAY SEB ELK VIR ATL MDO CLT PET
8		 LGA SEB
12		 37th 42
2021 Vasser Sullivan Racing GTD Lexus RC F GT3 Lexus 5.0 L V8 DAY
16		 SEB
 MDO
 DET
 WGL
 MOS
 LIM
 ELK
 VIR
 LGA
 LBH
 PET
 15th* 178*

* Season still in progress.

References
  1. "Kyle-Kirkwood". indycar.com. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  2. "Kyle Kirkwood on IndyCar fast track after USF2000 championship". autoweek.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  3. "CATCHING UP WITH OLIVER ASKEW AND KYLE KIRKWOOD, PART ONE". November 15, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  4. "SUPERKARTS! USA HONORS 2014 PRO TOUR CHAMPIONS". December 31, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  5. Cole, David (April 6, 2015). "eKartingNews.com Driver of the Month – March 2015 – Kyle Kirkwood". ekartingnews.com. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  6. "Winners Crowned at the 2016 Sofina Foods Florida Winter Tour Presented By Fikse Wheels". March 14, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  7. "Kirkwood Completes Chastain F1600 Line Up". February 6, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  8. "Kirkwood Over Bamford at Road Atlanta". April 11, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  9. "Kirkwood Heads to England to Represent F4 U.S. and Team USA Scholarship". October 19, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  10. "Kirkwood to Compete for Walter Hayes Trophy in Final Team USA Scholarship Event". November 4, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  11. Wood, Elliot (December 8, 2017). "How a classic junior formula still has great relevance today". FormulaScout. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  12. "TEAM USA: Askew, Kirkwood Shine in Wet Walter Hayes Trophy Final". November 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  13. Malsher-Lopez, David (August 14, 2016). "Kirkwood, Robinson, Das take U.S. F4 victories at Mid-Ohio". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  14. "Kirkwood Named as Team USA Scholarship Winner". September 30, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  15. "F4 U.S. Official NOLA Test Track Report". February 27, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  16. "F4 U.S. Debuts 33 Car Grid for Season Opener". April 6, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  17. "Get Out the Brooms, Kyle Kirkwood Makes Clean Sweep in Indy". June 12, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  18. "Kirkwood Dominates Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Wins All Three Races". July 13, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  19. "Kyle Kirkwood: Stretching the Lead". August 21, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  20. "Czaczyk, Kirkwood and Loomis Identified as 2017 Team USA Scholarship Candidates". July 26, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  21. "A New Era of Racing Debuts in America this Weekend at PITT Race". August 3, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  22. "Kyle Kirkwood Continues Winning Streak in Ligier JS P3 at IMSA Sportscar Encore". November 12, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  23. Wood, Elliot (October 14, 2018). "Kyle Kirkwood takes F3 Americas title in style at NOLA". FormulaScout. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  24. Wood, Elliot (October 8, 2019). "IP2000 champion Kyle Kirkwood joins Euroformula Open finale". FormulaScout. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  25. "Lawson wins final Euroformula race for the Dallara F317". October 13, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  26. "BMW DTM driver Lucas Auer and Andretti youngster Kyle Kirkwood to test the BMW iFE.20 in Marrakesh". AutoMobilSport.com. February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  27. Malsher-Lopez, David (December 8, 2016). "Askew wins Mazda Road to Indy Scholarship Shootout". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  28. "SWAN-RJB MOTORSPORTS COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL TEXAS TEST". December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  29. Allen, Peter (February 21, 2018). "US F4 champion Kyle Kirkwood to race in USF2000 with Cape Motorsports". FormulaScout. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  30. "Kyle Kirkwood seals USF2000 title with three victories at Mid-Ohio". July 30, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  31. Wood, Elliot (September 3, 2018). "Kyle Kirkwood equals USF2000 win record at Portland". FormulaScout. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  32. Wood, Elliot (March 3, 2019). "Kyle Kirkwood picks RP Motorsport for Indy Pro 2000 drive". FormulaScout. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  33. "Kirkwood completes Indy Pro 2000 sweep at Road America". Racer. June 23, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  34. "Kirkwood Returns To His Winning Ways In Toronto". Speed Sport. July 14, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  35. "Kyle Kirkwood Sweeps In Indy Pro 2000". Speed Sport. July 14, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  36. Allen, Peter (September 23, 2019). "Lindh wins IP2000 finale after Frost off, Kirkwood taken out after sealing title". FormulaScout. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  37. "Indy Lights concludes two-day test at Sebring". December 12, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  38. "INDY PRO 2000 CHAMP KIRKWOOD JOINS ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT". January 24, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  39. Myrehn, Ryan (October 19, 2020). "IMSA Opportunities "A Blessing" for Kirkwood". SportsCar365. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Cameron Das		 Formula 4 United States Championship
Champion
2017		 Succeeded by
Dakota Dickerson
Preceded by
Oliver Askew		 U.S. F2000 National Championship
Champion
2018		 Succeeded by
Braden Eves
Preceded by
Inaugural		 F3 Americas Championship
Champion
2018		 Succeeded by
Dakota Dickerson
Preceded by
Rinus VeeKay
(Pro Mazda Championship)		 Indy Pro 2000 Championship
Champion
2019		 Succeeded by
Sting Ray Robb

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