Written from press releases
ARLINGTON, Texas — March 16, 2026
Kyle Kirkwood won the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on Sunday, outdueling reigning series champion Alex Palou and taking the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points lead after a Honda-dominated afternoon on the new Texas street circuit.
Driving the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda, Kirkwood earned his first victory of the 2026 season and the sixth win of his IndyCar career. He finished ahead of Palou’s No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda after making a decisive pass for the lead late in the race.
Kirkwood’s victory came despite a slow final pit stop that briefly left him more than two seconds behind Palou. After both drivers made their last stops on Lap 49, Kirkwood quickly reeled in Palou and made the winning move in Turn 13 on Lap 55.
“That was so incredible,” Kirkwood said in an IndyCar release. “Man, did we have some pace. This JM Bullion Honda, Andretti, all these guys right here, they gave me the tools today.”
The 70-lap race around the 2.73-mile course near AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field marked the first IndyCar event held on the Arlington street circuit. Honda-powered cars led all 70 laps, with Kirkwood, Palou, Will Power, Marcus Ericsson and Felix Rosenqvist all spending time at the front.
Palou finished second after starting on the front row and leading 16 laps. He praised Kirkwood’s pass for the lead, calling it “super clean” and “pretty impressive.”
Will Power finished third, giving Andretti Global two drivers on the podium and three in the top four. It was Power’s first podium since joining Andretti for the 2026 season after 16 full-time seasons with Team Penske.
Marcus Ericsson, who won the first pole position of his IndyCar career in qualifying Saturday, finished fourth for Andretti Global. Pato O’Ward was the top Chevrolet finisher in fifth for Arrow McLaren.
Andretti Global put together one of the strongest team performances of the season so far, placing Kirkwood first, Power third and Ericsson fourth. Kirkwood said the team’s strength on street circuits was evident throughout the weekend.
The race tightened in the closing laps when a caution on Lap 68 erased Kirkwood’s five-second lead over Palou. But Kirkwood maintained control on the restart before a second late caution froze the field and allowed him to cruise to victory under yellow.
With the win, Kirkwood moved into the championship lead by 26 points over Palou after three races. Josef Newgarden, who entered the weekend atop the standings, dropped to third after finishing 15th.
Honda also dominated qualifying for the inaugural event. Ericsson claimed pole Saturday as part of a Honda front-row lockout with Palou, while five Honda-powered cars advanced to the Firestone Fast Six.
The IndyCar season now takes a weekend off before resuming March 29 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.
Top 10 finishers
The post Kirkwood wins inaugural Arlington IndyCar race, takes series points lead first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.
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