Kirkwood fastest in Detroit Grand Prix practice after nudge from Power

Detroit — Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global Racing took the No. 1 spot in Friday’s practice to start the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix weekend.

The opening practice featured some controversy with Will Power of Team Penske using his No. 12 Chevrolet to give Kirkwood a tush-push, then getting around his No. 27 Honda.

It’s a huge weekend with Chevrolet being the race sponsor and needing a win in the Motor City, especially since they are 0-for-6 in races this season. Alex Palou has won five times in Honda power for Ganassi Racing and Kirkwood winning at Long Beach.

It’s also important for Team Penske drivers since the organization was involved in a cheating scandal during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, costing team president Tim Cindric and two others their jobs. Power and his teammates Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden all struggled in the Indy 500 with McLaughlin crashing in the warm-up lap and Power finishing 19th and Newgarden 22nd.

Power talked about his push of Kirkwood, saying: “I felt since I touched him, I should just keep pushing him so I could get a gap.”

Kirkwood, who was involved in an incident with A.J. Foyt driver Santino Ferrucci in last year’s practice, simply said: “I don’t care. I’m not upset. I’m P1 anyway. The track is not big enough (for 20-car field). He got frustrated and pushed me.”

Kirkwood topped the field, going around the nine-turn, 1.7-mile temporary street course in 1.01.750 with McLaughlin second (1.02.03), followed by Power (1.02.386) and Newgarden (1.02.481).

David Malukas of A.J. Foyt Racing had a first-hand look at Power and Kirkwood going at it, saying: “It was cool to see him (Power) push him (Kirkwood), and then see him (Kirkwood) throw his arm out, like to say, ‘What the hell is going on.’”

Lundgaard of Aaron McLaren was fifth fastest (1.02.604), followed by Kirkwood’s teammate Colton Herta (1.02.614).

Alex Palou, who has won five of the first six races for Chip Ganassi Racing, wasn’t among the top 10 in practice, finishing 15th in the 20-car field, and having to go in a runoff after locking up his brakes and missing a corner on one lap.

Malukas said he jumped into a simulator to run 100 laps to get ready for this weekend, especially since the series is going from an oval to a bumpy, tight street course.

“Thankfully I went on a simulator and went 100 laps because it’s so technical and the margin for error is very small,” Malukas said. “Turn 1 looks inviting, wide in the entrance and very tight on exit, and then the bumps are mid to out and that takes you to a wall.”

Sounds like a recipe for an accident or two or at least a tush-push in the days ahead.

Qualifying is set for Saturday at 12:20 p.m., with the race Sunday at 12:30.

Young gun Palou exhausted

Chip Ganassi driver Alex Palou is the young gun of the Indy Car series, already winning three series championships and well on the way to his fourth.

Palou, 28, is coming off an Indianapolis 500 win and flew into Detroit exhausted.

“I’m tired, exhausted, but it was the best moments of my life,” said Palou when he arrived in Detroit Thursday afternoon. “I went to the Pacers game on Sunday night (following 500 win), then flew to New York (for Monday and Tuesday) where I had a lot of events, doing media, then getting the chance to see the Empire State Building and Times Square.

“Now, it’s on to Detroit where I won the first time on the new track. It’s a very demanding track, narrow and bumpy where you have to stay out of trouble to have a chance at winning.”

Palou got his DHL No. 10 Honda on the nine-turn, 1.7-mile temporary street course down the streets of downtown on Friday afternoon for practice to prepare for Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

Palou wasn’t at his best either, finishing 15th fastest, locking up his brakes on one lap, forcing him to the runoff lane.

The event moved from Belle Isle to the downtown track two years ago and Palou quickly mastered the bumpy, narrow and short course to reach Victory Lane.

Palou has won series championships in 2021, ’23 and ’24 and is the first driver since A.J. Foyt (1979) to win five of the first six races to start a season this year.

While Palou is the king of the young guns, he has a lot of competition, led by 26-year-old Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren, 25-year-old Colton Herta of Andretti Global, 26-year-old Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global, 23-year-old Christian Lundgaard of Arrow McLaren, 23-year-old David Malukas of A.J. Foyt Racing and 26-year-old Santino Ferrucci, Malukas’ teammate.

O’Ward has seven career wins during his six seasons with Arrow McLaren, winning three races and finishing fifth in points last year.

O’Ward has earned 194 points this season, a distant second to Palou with Kirkwood, who won at Long Beach, third (180) and Lundgaard, fourth at 177.

O’Ward has consistently run up front in the past few races, finishing sixth at Alabama, third in the Indy Grand Prix and third in the Indy 500.

Herta started in the series as a teenager, then joined Michael Andretti’s organization where he quickly made a name for himself in 2020 when he had seven top 5s, including a win at Mid-Ohio to place third in points.

Herta was runnerup to Palou in the battle for the championship last season with wins at Toronto and Nashville. He has struggled this season where he heads into this weekend ninth in points.

Lundgaard is having a brilliant season in his first year at Arrow McLaren after spending his first four years in the series with Rahal Lettermen, owning three podiums (top three finishes).

Ferrucci finished last season on a high note, placing fourth in both races in a doubleheader in Milwaukee and sixth in Nashville to finish ninth in points.

Ferrucci showed his grit and competitiveness in last year’s Detroit Grand Prix, getting into numerous battles with Kirkwood and Herta in practice and qualifying, ultimately finishing ninth in the race.

Malukas, in his first year of driving for Foyt, has struggled in the five road and street course races with his best finish of 13th in St. Petersburg IndyNXT.

Now, it’s time to watch rookies Louis Foster and Jacob Abel with the 21-year-old Foster winning the Indy NXT title last season and the 24-year-old Abel finishing second.

Foster is now competing in the big show for Rahal Letterman, running in the No. 45 Honda with Abel in the No. 51 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing.

Detroit’s Allaer grew up as hockey fan

Detroit native Nolan Allaer had no intention of being an IndyCar driver when he was in grade school or middle school, but everything changed when he was in high school and hopped in a simulator and fell in love with auto racing.

Allaer, 23, was born in Detroit, but his family moved to Tampa Bay, where his father got a job with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, when he was 2.

Allaer grew up a hockey fan and when his family moved back to Michigan in 2016, he attended Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, and one day got into a simulator where he put in impressive times.

His father, Robert, was a driver — a two-time SCCA National Champion — and told Nolan that if he got within two-tenths of his time he would let him drive his race car for a graduation gift.

Allaer reached his goal, and made the most of his opportunity which led him to winning the Formula F championship. He is now driving the No. 11 for HMD Motorsports in the Indy NXT series — the AAA of the IndyCar series — where he will be competing in Sunday’s 10:30 a.m. race in his Martini-banded livery sponsored car with National Coney Island and Faygo as additional sponsors.

“I loved it, but never dreamed of being a race car driver,” said Allaer on his start in simulators. “Then, I got my start, always thinking this will be the last time I will be in a race car.”

Allaer did get into racing in the Florida Karting series in his younger years, but said at the time he despised the sport because of the pressure he felt.

Now, Allaer enjoys the pressure of sitting in his NXT series car where he will try to move up the ladder after sitting 20th in points after five races with a top showing of 16th in the Indy Grand Prix.

Allaer finished 12th out of 20 cars in Saturday’s practice.

dgoricki@detroitnews.com

Detroit Grand Prix

Where: Temporary street course, downtown Detroit

Main event: IndyCar Series Detroit Grand Prix, Sunday, 12:30 p.m. (Fox)

Support races: Saturday – IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, 3:40 p.m. Sunday – Indy NXT, 10:30 a.m.

Tickets/information: detroitgp.com