Kyle Kirkwood drops "honest truth" about getting a reality check in IndyCar rookie year: "That's impossible to accept"

The Andretti Global IndyCar star, Kyle Kirkwood, recently talked from the heart regarding the harsh realities of his rookie campaign. Kirkwood made his debut in 2022 with the Speedway, Indiana-based AJ Foyt Racing team.

Most of the top drivers who make it into America's highest class of open-wheel racing come with a truckload of race victories or championships in the junior racing categories. The same was the case with Kirkwood as well.

He came into IndyCar on the back of amassing championships in Indy Lights (2021), Indy Pro 2000 (2019), F3 Americas Championship (2018), US F2000 National Championship (2018), and also the Formula 4 United States Championship.

However, coming into IndyCar with AJ Foyt Racing in 2022 and fighting in the midfield pack came as a huge shock to him. In line with the adjustment he had to make from the habit of cruising to victory to grinding it out among the other top stars, he laid bare his feelings via a recent interaction with FOX.

"I was used to being in the front a lot. I never got the opportunity to race people for fifth or sixth or seventh or eighth or anything like that because a lot of the races, I was just at the front. And that's not me trying to be cocky. That is just the honest truth. And for me, coming into the series, especially when I was at Foyt and all of a sudden you're racing for 18th and a top 20 would be a pretty good day. That's impossible to accept," said Kirkwood.

Kyle Kirkwood ended the 2022 IndyCar season in 24th place in the drivers' standings with AJ Foyt Racing (no Grand Prix wins). In the ongoing 2025 season, he is currently in second place in the standings as an Andretti Global racing driver with 293 points.

Kyle Kirkwood's take on 'good result' at Road America

In the ongoing 2025 IndyCar season, Kyle Kirkwood has proved himself as one of the in-form drivers. While he was not able to amass a fourth victory at the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, he was able to secure a strong fourth-place finish in the 55-lap race.

He started the Grand Prix from third place on the grid, and amid all the chaos that ensued in the race, he was able to hold on to a P4 finish. He reflected on his outing in a post-race interaction with Andretti Global.

"That was a good result. I will definitely take fourth with the kind of performance that we had there. I mean, man, that was a crazy race," said Kirkwood.

Next up on the race calendar is Round 10, the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Kyle Kirkwood has so far secured 293 points in the 2025 standings in comparison to the championship leader, Alex Palou (386 points with six Grand Prix wins).