Andretti driver Kyle Kirkwood was confident that if he hadn’t experienced an oversteer snap during qualifying at Indy Toronto on Saturday, he would have celebrated Colton Herta’s pole position instead. On his out lap in the final run, Kirkwood encountered a sudden oversteer that disrupted his preparation. He quickly headed to the pits for more fuel, but missed the cutoff to set a final flying lap time.
During the Fast Six session, Kirkwood couldn’t record a single flying lap, with his best time being 1:04.5—over five seconds slower than Herta’s 0:59.4. Speaking to FS1 near the paddock, Kirkwood calmly explained, “I got a big snap under the steering wheel at a critical moment during the pole run. It felt like I was wasting opportunities, throwing poles away on this street course. It wasn’t a good feeling, so we’ll review what happened and figure it out.”
Kirkwood’s hopes for a championship battle remain, despite this setback. He is currently second in the standings entering Iowa, though issues with tire failures and a poor finish at Farm put him fourth behind Pato O’Ward, the Mid-Ohio winner, and Scott Dixon. With Andretti showing strong pace in Toronto, Kirkwood was aiming for another pole after his first success at Long Beach.
Despite the disappointment, Kirkwood took solace in the fact that his teammate secured the pole and that he didn’t lose the expected starting spot revealed during Practice 2, where Andretti displayed dominance. “I’m very happy with the team and car 26, but I’m quite disappointed with my Fast Six performance,” Kirkwood said. “I considered pitting again for fuel, but it didn’t seem like an option. In hindsight, it might have been the best choice for pole, but probably cost me several positions because I didn’t get another lap.”
Meanwhile, teammate Marcus Ericsson struggled again, dealing with brake issues before the session. He managed to advance through Group 2 but was eliminated in Round 2, finishing eighth, about two seconds behind Herta’s pace—not ideal, but not terrible either.
Fan Take: This qualifying drama highlights just how unpredictable and intense street course racing can be, where even the smallest mistake can cost a driver dearly. For racing fans, Kirkwood’s struggle and resilience add an exciting layer to the championship narrative, showing that every lap and decision counts in this fiercely competitive sport.
