Kirkwood Loses Pole Position in Toronto Qualifying After Aborted Lap
Kyle Kirkwood will start from sixth position in the upcoming Toronto race after an issue on his final qualifying lap forced him to abort. Kirkwood expressed frustration, stating he believed he had a strong chance for pole position before a sudden snap in his car’s handling.
This marks another instance where Kirkwood feels he’s missed out on a pole on a street circuit, having also qualified third in detroit before going on to win that event. The victory in Detroit was his second street circuit win this season, adding to his earlier triumph at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Kirkwood currently has three wins this year.
Championship leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing secured the second starting spot. palou, driving the No.10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, holds a important 129-point lead wiht five races remaining as he aims for his third consecutive season championship and fourth in five years. Toronto is one of the few circuits on the calendar where Palou has not yet secured a victory, having finished fourth hear last year.
The top six qualifiers for the Toronto race include Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-agajanian), Will Power (No.12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), Graham Rahal (No. 15 United rentals Honda), and Kirkwood himself.
Several drivers in the 27-car field have a history of success at Exhibition Place. Scott Dixon, Palou’s teammate at Chip ganassi Racing, leads active drivers with four victories at the venue. will Power has three wins, and Josef Newgarden has two.
Previous Toronto race winners Christian Lundgaard (2023) and Colton Herta (2024) are also competing. Notably, the winner at Exhibition Place has started from pole in two of the last three years and three of the past four.
The Toronto event represents the fourth and final street race of the current season. The remaining races will be contested on road courses at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Portland International Raceway, followed by oval races at The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway.
