Kirkwood Wins Inaugural Java House Grand Prix in Arlington

Andretti Global driver takes NTT IndyCar Series championship lead with victory over Palou

Mar. 16, 2026 at 1:55am

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Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global won the inaugural Java House Grand Prix at Arlington, Texas, overcoming a slow final pit stop to pass four-time series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing in the closing laps. Andretti Global placed three drivers in the top four, with Will Power finishing third and Marcus Ericsson fourth. Pato O'Ward of Arrow McLaren was the top Chevrolet finisher in fifth.

Why it matters

The victory gives Kirkwood the NTT IndyCar Series championship lead after three races, as he looks to challenge Palou's recent dominance in the series. Andretti Global's strong performance on the street circuit highlights the team's competitiveness, while Chevrolet continues to search for more pace to match Honda's front-runners.

The details

Kirkwood took the lead from Palou after a daring pass on Lap 55, using his car's superior pace to pull away before a late caution bunched the field. Despite a slow final pit stop, Kirkwood was able to hold off Palou for the win, the first of the season for the young American driver.

  • The race took place on Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Arlington, Texas.
  • Kirkwood made his race-winning pass on Lap 55 of the 70-lap event.

The players

Kyle Kirkwood

The 27-year-old driver for Andretti Global won his first race of the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season, taking the championship lead.

Alex Palou

The four-time series champion finished second for Chip Ganassi Racing, unable to hold off Kirkwood's late charge.

Andretti Global

The Andretti team placed three drivers in the top four, showcasing their strength on street circuits.

Pato O'Ward

The Arrow McLaren driver was the top Chevrolet finisher in fifth place.

Josef Newgarden

The Phoenix race winner fell to third in the championship after finishing 15th.

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What they’re saying

“That was so incredible. Man, did we have some pace. This JM Bullion Honda, Andretti, all these guys right here, they gave me the tools today. It's because of this race car we won today, because of teamwork.”

— Kyle Kirkwood, Race Winner

“He did an awesome pass; hats off to him. It was super clean, and it was pretty impressive. We'll get them in a couple weeks.”

— Alex Palou, Second Place Finisher

“This Andretti Honda camp is fricking strong on street courses. We've got a lot of work to do if we want to start winning races on outright pace against them.”

— Pato O'Ward, Fifth Place Finisher

What’s next

The NTT IndyCar Series will take a short break before resuming with the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst on March 27-29 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

The takeaway

Kirkwood's victory and Andretti Global's dominant performance on the street circuit in Arlington highlight the team's competitiveness and Kirkwood's emergence as a title contender, challenging Palou's recent dominance in the series.