The streets of Detroit were a battleground on Sunday afternoon as the NTT IndyCar Series completed the main event race to cap off a busy weekend.
The nine drivers that started at the front did so on the softer alternate tire. They chose to get rid of them after just a few laps of running, which proved consequential.
A couple caution periods took place with only half the field having completed their first stop, which mixed up the order for a good portion of the race.
READ MORE: IndyCar Detroit – Full Race Results
There was a considerable amount of fuel saving as well, as drivers attempted to minimize their time on the soft tires.
When it all sorted out, it was Kyle Kirkwood who worked his way back to the front after the shuffle.
He put on a few powerful moves to get into the lead following the final restart, including one that damaged both his and Kyffin Simpson’s wings.
That didn’t seem to matter, however, as he motored away at the head of the field with his front wing dancing around in the wind.
The win is Kirkwood’s second of the season and continues his streak of notching wins only on street courses.
Santino Ferrucci crossed the line second, his best result of his career, and was embroiled in a three-way battle with Colton Herta and Will Power in the closing laps.
Ferrucci won out among the feuding drivers, with Herta rounding out the podium and Power finishing fourth.
Simpson was fifth across the line in the #8 Chip Ganassi Racing entry despite the minor damage to his car.
The streets fight back
The largest incident of the day came at lap 85, when Louis Foster’s right front suspension gave way while at the end of the long back straight.
His car shot into the concrete barriers and collected Felix Rosenqvist on his way to the tire barriers at 180 MPH.
Both drivers climbed from the car, but Rosenqvist needed to be helped onto a stretcher and needed medical attention to his legs after the collision.
There were a bevy of small incidents scattered throughout the afternoon as well, leading to many drivers wishing they had a second chance at the race.
Scott McLaughlin ran into the back of Nolan Siegel early on in the race, which spun the young Arrow McLaren driver completely around.
He was able to continue, but McLaughlin was given a penalty for the unnecessary hit.
Graham Rahal’s woes continued as he suffered wheel nut issues on his first pit stop.
Despite starting high up the order and looking competitive, Rahal slid all the way down the order and ended the day in 20th.
Devlin Francesco also had apparent wheel nut issues as his right rear came off on track. He was able to limp back to the pits to get a new wheel fitted.
The wheel nut issues were not done yet, however, as Callum Ilott’s day was also cut short due to his left front not being attached properly during his final stop.
He ended up in the tire barriers at the first turn, and was not able to complete the final 34 laps.
Rinus VeeKay finished in the 27th and final position after his Dale Coyne Racing Honda lost power after just a few laps. An attempt to rest the system from the cockpit was not successful, and he was forced to climb from the car.
Championship implications
Another twist was the misfortune of Alex Palou, who has all but dominated the season up to this point.
Palou was punted into the barriers by David Malukas as they were part of a train of drivers during a restart.
The Spanish driver still easily maintained his points advantage, but it was slimmed down to 90 as Pato O’Ward closed in with a seventh place finish.
After five consecutive weekends on track, the paddock finally has a one-week break before returning on June 15 for the first short oval of the season.
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