Kyle Kirkwood showed signs of good progression throughout his second IndyCar season with Andretti, but he still faltered in one area.
Finishing seventh in the championship, every single driver in the top eight took at least two wins – while he took none.
It was odd for a driver who claimed two victories a year prior but seems to have found the consistency to match his raw pace now.
His teammate Colton Herta finished as runner-up to Alex Palou, and Kirkwood will be hoping to be in that same battle by the end of next season.
Kyle Kirkwood ‘clearly’ beaten by Colton Herta on IndyCar ovals
Kirkwood will remain with Andretti for a third term in 2025 and will be hoping to find his way back to the top step of the podium.
The closest he came in 2024 was at Toronto, finishing second behind Herta, who ended a long win draught himself.
Speaking on The Race’s IndyCar podcast, JR Hildebrand shared where he thinks that Herta had the measure over Kirkwood.
READ MORE: Kyle Kirkwood names the area where critics are right to ‘question his abilities’
“He was clearly bested by Colton on the ovals. I think there is no question about that,” he said.
“He showed some glimmer and real improvement when the cars were good at those places, over the duration of a race, which we kind of haven’t seen as much of out of him yet at Andretti.”
Where did Kirkwood’s signs of improvement come from?
The biggest indication that Kirkwood may finally be starting to get over his oval blues came at the final race of the season.
At the Music City Grand Prix, he managed to qualify on pole position and had race-winning pace despite coming home in fourth place.
Short ovals like the Nashville Superspeedway have been his particular nemesis in the past, and have been what is blocking him from pushing for the top five in the championship.
READ MORE: Dan Towriss offers ‘super interesting’ verdict about new Andretti structure
Overall, he still had a very good year though, delivering consistent results throughout and rarely coming to blows with anyone else.
He could be the future of the Andretti team alongside Herta, and one more good year could consolidate his place at the organisation for years to come.