Kyle Kirkwood claimed the top position during the opening practice for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 1, 2025. The local favorite, hailing from Jupiter, Florida, drove the No. 27 Andretti INDYCAR Honda, completing the session with the fastest lap at 1 minute, 0.4409 seconds.
This year’s race marks the season opener for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, promising excitement as drivers battle for points on the challenging 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit. Kirkwood expressed his enthusiasm for the event, stating, “This is one of the races I enjoy coming to the most because it is my home state. But it’s interesting because I haven’t had good races here. It’s not lack of pace. It’s a multitude of things...” He emphasized the importance of securing points and achieving good finishes throughout the weekend.
Following Kirkwood was defending series champion Alex Palou, who ended the session in second with a time of 1:00.6004 driving the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, just .1595 seconds behind the leader. Meanwhile, the 2022 St. Petersburg winner, Scott McLaughlin, from Team Penske, recorded the third-fastest lap, clocking 1:01.0002 seconds before experiencing misfortune when he crashed late in the practice.
Colton Herta, who won the race back in 2021, secured fourth place with 1:01.0603 driving his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global. Defending race champion Pato O’Ward rounded out the top five, crossing the line at 1:01.1161 with his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
The opening practice session was tightly contested, showcasing the deep talent pool within the INDYCAR SERIES. Notably, nine out of the top ten drivers are race winners, and four have taken home championship titles. The competition appears fierce, as just .8516 seconds separated the fastest ten drivers.
During the session, two red flags interrupted the practice. The first was triggered by Marcus Armstrong who spun his No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. Fortunately, he didn't sustain any contact with the walls. McLaughlin, assessing his crash, remarked, "It was a little bit of a mistake on my part, unfortunately. I was a little wide through Turn 3, and there’s no grip out there. It’s a bit of a bummer, but you’d rather have it happen now and just get on with the weekend.” Despite the incident, he emerged uninjured.
The action isn't over yet for the drivers, with another practice scheduled for 10:00 AM Saturday, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 2:30 PM. These sessions will be pivotal as teams prepare for Sunday's highly anticipated 100-lap race.
Fans and those tuning in can catch the live coverage of the race on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports app, and the INDYCAR Radio Network at noon ET on March 2. With significant changes coming this year, including the competition structure, the excitement surrounding the IndyCar Series promises to deliver a thrilling start with unpredictable outcomes.
With 27 drivers competing, these qualifying sessions will cement the starting grid for the race, setting the stage for what has already become one of the highlight events on the IndyCar calendar.