Kyle Kirkwood delivered a commanding performance to secure the 2025 IndyCar Long Beach pole position, leading an impressive Andretti Global effort that saw the team dominate qualifying.
The 27-year-old Floridian clocked a blistering lap time of 1:06.1921 in the Firestone Fast Six, securing his first pole of the season and the third of his IndyCar career.
This achievement marked Kirkwood’s second IndyCar Long Beach pole at the same circuit where he previously excelled by clinching both pole and victory in 2023.
Qualifying for the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach unfolded under cooler-than-expected conditions, which seemed to favor the Andretti Global team as Kirkwood’s teammate Colton Herta joined him on the front row, completing a Andretti 1-2 lockout.
Herta who was widely tipped as a favorite for pole faced setbacks during his final run in the Fast Six. A drive-through penalty disrupted his preparation lap leaving his tires insufficiently warmed for optimal performance.
Despite this, Herta managed to secure second place with a lap time just 0.231 seconds slower than Kirkwood’s.
Championship leader Alex Palou qualified third for Chip Ganassi Racing, over four-tenths of a second behind Kirkwood. Palou had been a strong contender throughout the session but couldn’t match the pace of the leading Andrettis in the final moments.
Meyer Shank’s Felix Rosenqvist claimed fourth place showcasing solid form in his Honda-powered entry. Marcus Ericsson marked the third Andretti in fifth while Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was the sole Chevrolet representative in the Firestone Fast Six.
The knockout qualifying format began with all 27 drivers tackling the challenging 11-turn, 1.968-mile street circuit in two groups during Round 1.
Group 1 saw standout performances from Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard and Colton Herta who set competitive times to advance to the next round. Lundgaard topped his group with a strong lap despite brushing the wall at Turn 9 during his run.
In Group 2, Kyle Kirkwood immediately established himself as a frontrunner with a series of quick laps. He was joined by Alex Palou and Felix Rosenqvist in advancing to Round 2.
Notably, Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon recovered from an earlier incident in practice to make it through to Round 2 but fell short of progressing further.
MORE INDYCAR:
Nolan Siegel fastest in IndyCar Long Beach Practice 2 for Arrow McLaren
IndyCar Long Beach 2025: Will Power fastest in Friday’s practice
The second round narrowed the field to the top twelve drivers, with all three Andretti cars—Kirkwood, Herta, and Ericsson—making it through to the Firestone Fast Six. Palou and Rosenqvist also advanced comfortably, while McLaughlin secured the final spot in the IndyCar Long Beach pole shootout.
The Firestone Fast Six was an intense battle for supremacy as Marcus Ericsson set an early benchmark before being eclipsed by Rosenqvist and McLaughlin. However, it was Alex Palou who initially appeared poised to take pole with a strong lap on fresh soft tires.
In the closing moments, Kirkwood delivered his stunning lap to seize the 2025 IndyCar Long Beach pole position by a significant margin. Herta’s late effort secured second place despite his earlier challenges.
Further down the grid, notable performances included Marcus Armstrong qualifying seventh for Meyer Shank Racing and Alexander Rossi taking eighth for Arrow McLaren.
Pato O’Ward and David Malukas rounded out the top ten, while Christian Lundgaard and Will Power took positions eleven and twelve.
Defending race winner Scott Dixon will start from fourteenth after struggling to find pace in Round 2. Josef Newgarden also had a challenging session and will line up 15th on Sunday. Rookie drivers Nolan Siegel and Louis Foster showed promise but were unable to progress beyond Round 1.
The qualifying for 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach highlighted Andretti Global’s dominance on street circuits like Long Beach, where their cars have historically excelled.
With Kirkwood on pole and Herta alongside him on the front row, Andretti is well-positioned for Sunday’s race as they aim to convert their qualifying success into victory.
