With first IndyCar pole, Kyle Kirkwood proves he’s the real deal on streets of Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. – It was obvious to NTT IndyCar Series team owner Michael Andretti that Kyle Kirkwood was a potential star of the future early in his racing career.

Saturday on the streets of Long Beach, Kirkwood proved he is “The Real Deal.”

The 24-year-old driver from Jupiter, Florida, won the pole for Sunday’s 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach – the biggest street race in North America and the second-biggest race on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule behind the Indianapolis 500.

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Kirkwood won the pole in just his third race for Andretti Autosport after spending his rookie season on loan to AJ Foyt Racing.

But the fact Kirkwood is this good, this fast is not a surprise.

His pedigree in racing is impressive. He was successful on every rung of the lower formulas, even before he joined the “Road to Indy” Ladder system.

He won the Formula 4 United States Championship in 2017. In 2018, he won dueling championships in both USF2000 and the F3 Americas Championship. In 2019, he was the Indy Pro 2000 champion and moved into the top step of the ladder, which is now known as INDY NXT as he won the 2021 Indy Lights Championship.

Team owner Michael Andretti knew that Kirkwood was ready for IndyCar but did not have an immediate opening on his team. When Ryan Hunter-Reay announced he was leaving Andretti Autosport, the 28 DHL Honda went to former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean.

RETWEET to congratulate @KKirkwoodRacing on his first career pole!

He’ll lead the field to green in the @GPLongBeach Sunday at 3P ET. #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/NiErBJBfaE

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 15, 2023

It was James Hinchcliffe’s departure from Andretti Autosport to the