170 - Street Supremacy - Kyle Kirkwood Picks Up His Second Long Beach Grand Prix

Conor Daly had a rough showing at the Long Beach Grand Prix, and he is back on Speed Street to join co-host Chase Holden and break down what happened. After struggling in qualifying, Conor and the 76-Juncos Hollinger Team had an error in their fuel calculations during the early stages of the race, which Conor explains took him out of competition due to having to reduce speed to save fuel. He also outlines some of the mechanical changes the team was making to help get him more comfortable behind the wheel, but ultimately it was a difficult race day. Despite a record turnout for the historic race, IndyCar is once again in the headlines for the wrong reason: poor television ratings. Conor and Chase dig into the problem that has plagued the series in recent years and ponder solutions that can help put the series’ fantastic racing product in front of more viewers.

Race winner Kyle Kirkwood joins the show to chat about Andretti Global’s success on street courses and how he was able to stay ahead of series point leader Alex Palou after the last pit cycle. The moment of the race was when Kyle managed to run competitive lap times on cold tires to keep ahead of the charging Palou, who made things interesting in the closing laps. The guys talk about the confidence Kyle will carry forward to Barber and the Indy GP with a win under his belt and how he hopes to close the points gap between him and Palou. Kyle explains how he hopes to improve on ovals this year and how he’s learned to love that form of racing in recent times. The conversation also touches on the electric environment in Long Beach and looks ahead to the open Indianapolis 500 test.

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