On Wednesday, A.J. Foyt Racing announced that 2021 Indy Lights champion Kyle Kirkwood would drive full-time in the No. 14 Chevrolet next season. He has been racing since he was four years old.
The 23-year-old from Jupiter, Florida, won six poles, ten wins, and fourteen podium finishes on his way to winning the Indy Lights championship this year for Andretti Autosport. His ten wins tied the late Greg Moore set in 1995.
On the addition of Kirkwood, Team President Larry Foyt said, “We are thrilled to welcome Kyle to the team. Obviously, he has been very successful on his climb through the Road to Indy Championships, and his record speaks for itself. This deal came together rather quickly, but I’ve already been impressed with how Kyle thinks about racing and the maturity he seems to have for such a young driver.”
Foyt added, “The NTT INDYCAR Series is as competitive as ever, and the challenges are great, but we feel Kyle will be a great asset as we take on those challenges and work to grow as a team.”
Since Kyle Kirkwood entered the Road to Indy, he was won in every series. In 2018 in the Cooper Tires USF2000, he won twelve of fourteen races to win the championship. In 2019, he raced in the Indy Pro 2000, winning five poles, nine wins, and 16 podium finishes on his way to winning the championship.
In December 2019, he was set to move up to the Indy Lights with Andretti Autosport. However, due to the pandemic, the season was canceled in 2020. During the canceled season, Kirkwood raced sports cars in IMSA for Vasser Sullivan Lexus. He won one pole at Watkins Glen in 2021.
Kirkwood, on joining A.J. Foyt Racing said. “I actually met Larry [Foyt] for the first time in 2018 at Road America when I was driving in USF2000 with Cape Motorsports. He was the first person in the INDYCAR paddock to show me around the car and explain the dynamics of what it takes to be an Indy car team and driver.”
Kirkwood added, “From that moment, I felt very comfortable with the atmosphere of the team, and now it has come to fruition that I will be driving the No. 14. It’s hard to explain in words the excitement I have to drive for such an experienced and legendary team. I know I will be filling some very big shoes, but I think it’s the perfect timing and group to be able to do so. “Considering I have 19 years of experience driving, and it’s all led to this moment to becoming a full-time Indy car driver — It’s truly a dream come true.”
Kirkwood will make his debut in the NTT IndyCar Series on Sunday, February 27th, from the Streets of St. Peterburg.
