Andretti Global announced on Tuesday that two-time IndyCar winner Kyle Kirkwood has agreed to a multi-year extension to remain with the team. Kirkwood will continue to drive the No. 27 AutoNation Honda.
The 24-year-old from Jupiter, Florida, finished 11th in the NTT IndyCar Series points standings with one pole at Long Beach, two wins at Long Beach and Nashville, two top-five, and seven top-ten finishes in his first season at Andretti Global in 2023.
“I am thrilled to be able to continue with Andretti Global for years to come. We have built something special within the team this year and I’m excited to see what we can do next season in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda,” said Kirkwood.
“It’s fantastic that I will now have the opportunity to work with the same group – it’s a luxury I haven’t had the privilege of having since my karting days. Now we can put our heads down and fully focus on winning races and becoming a strong Championship contender. I have such a huge respect for this team and it will be an honor to continue to call myself an IndyCar driver for Andretti Global.”
In 2022, Kirkwood competed for A.J. Foyt Enterprises in his rookie season with one top-ten finish at Long Beach and finished in 17th place in the 106th Indianapolis 500.
Kirkwood is the only driver to win championships in all three divisions of the Road to Indy. In 2018, he won the USF2000 championship after leading 254 laps, winning 12 races, six poles, 14 top-five, and 14 top-ten finishes in 14 races.
Then in 2019, Kirkwood won the Indy Pro 2000 championship, leading 217 laps, with nine wins, five poles, 12 top-five, and 13 top-ten finishes in 16 races. Finally, in 2021, Kirkwood won the Indy Lights championship for Andretti Autosport, leading 336 laps, with ten wins, seven poles, 18 top-five, and 19 top-ten finishes.
“Kyle’s dedication and talent have been instrumental in our team’s success this past season, and he has continued to show that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level in the NTT IndyCar Series,” said Chairman and CEO Michael Andretti.
“Our goal has always been to consistently compete for wins and Championships and we felt that solidifying Kyle’s future at Andretti was key to making that happen. Bringing Kyle into the multi-year plans along with Colton (Herta) and Marcus (Ericsson) will only strengthen the continuity we’ve been looking for in our IndyCar program.”
The NTT IndyCar Series returns on March 10th from the streets of St. Petersburg.
