As where’s I Want my MTV Rock Icons television show
now?
Author’s Note
Yeah, once again, I've neglected unveiling the
winner in a timely fashion, which was definitely compounded by the Nightmarish
winDOUGHS 10 Operating Ha-Ha, Not! Confuzer' system I was attempting to Upgrade
to since Gory February, 2020. Lasting thru October that year before my new
Confuzer was functional. When this story got high-centered in the driftwood and
totally forgotten.
Thus, turning 20 years old this September, I
thought I’d celebrate with a few stories languishing in Thy cavernous No
Fenders story vault…
WINNER
Kyle Kirkwood (Age: 28)
Born: October 19, 1998
Birthplace: Jupiter, Florida
2018 Results
Truly Kirkwood’s
breakout year! Won 15 of 17 F3 Americas races and 12 of 14 U.S. F2000 National
Championship races!
Post 2018 Results
2019 Indy Pro 2000
Championship, won 9 of 16 races. 2021 Indy Lights championship, won 10 of 20
races. Winner of 2022 Petit Le Mans and 2024 Sebring 12 Hours GTD Pro category.
2022-2026 IndyCar Series, winner of 7 races, 12 podiums and 4 pole positions.
Championships
2017 Formula 4 United States Championship, 2018 F3
(Formula Regional) Americas Championship, 2018 U.S. F2000 National
Championship, 2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship, 2021 Indy Lights championship
The driver that Marshall Pruett likes calling
Kirk Kirkwood, (Kyle) first came onto my radar Wayback’ in Gory 2018, when
tying J.R. Hildebrand's U.S. F2000 National Championship record of 12 Wins in a
Season.
Then still a teenager at age 19, Kirkwood would
also win that year’s lesser known F3 Americas Championship along with His U.S.
f2000 National championship title. Firmly advancing to Indy Pro 2000 for 2019.
Like most current Open Wheel Racing drivers,
Kirkwood began racing in Karts and won multiple championships before graduating
to single seaters in 2015.
One could say His rise through the ranks was
meteoric. After His debut in F1600. Kirkwood went onto win five straight
championships in-a-row! Beginning with
winnig 9 of 21 races during His 2017 U.S. Formula 4 Championship triumph…
Kirkwood had
emotional push to Indy Pro 2000 title
The 2021 Indy Lights Championship was dominated
by two current IndyCar drivers. With Kirkwood coming out on top vs. David
Malukas. With Kirkwood winning ten times vs. Malukas seven.
Kyle
Kirkwood wins 2021 Indy Lights title – Andretti Global
Kirkwood’s ten wins tied Greg Moore’s record
for most Indy Lights wins in a season in 1995. When Moore won an impressive 10
of 12 races enroute to that year’s title.
Kyle made history by becoming the first driver
to win all three rungs of the Road to Indy ladder. Doing so as a rookie no less
and winning all consecutively!
The 2020 Indy Lights Championship was cancelled
due to COVID-19, seeing Vasser Sullivan Racing throw the talented youngster a “lifeline”.
With Kyle saying loyal to the team ever since. Most notably having won the 2022
Petit Le Mans and 2024 12 Hours of Sebring GTD Pro class with Jack Hawksworth
and Ben Barnicoat in the No. 14 entry.
Also winning a round of IMSA GTD competition at
Detroit in 2022. All behind the keyboard of the venerable Lexus RC F GT3.
Kirkwood made His IndyCar debut for A.J. Foyt
enterprises at the 2022 St Petersburg season opener, and the rest has been
history…
Back when winning the Indy Lights title
guaranteed you three races including the Indianapolis 500, on a one-year loan
to Foyt. Kyle had a best finish of tenth at Long Beach before returning to then
Andretti Autosport in 2023 as Alexander Rossi’s replacement.
Kyle claimed His maiden IndyCar victory at Long
Beach, and won again at the Nashville street circuit, finishing 11th overall
for 2023.
2024 saw zero wins, before His breakout season
the following year when claiming three wins, including His first Oval (Gateway)
and fourth in the championship.
This year, Kirkwood won twice, both at
inaugural events, both street circuits. First winning at Arlington, and then
later dominating the Freedom 250 in Washington D.C. Where the Floridian had
joked about Arm Deg’ due to the race’s unusually long distance of 250 miles.
(147 laps)
Kyle finished second overall; entering the
Laguna Seca finale in third, one point behind Christian Lundgaard. Yet His
runner-up finish behind Scott McLaughlin saw Kirkwood claim His career best
overall finish to date. Although once again, The Surgeon’, aka Alex Palou was
untouchable enroute to a fifth IndyCar title, 86 points ahead. (631 v 545)
One has to chuckle now over Kirkwood losing out
upon the Mazda Road to Indy Scholarship Shootout to fellow Floridian Oliver
Askewy in 2016. As Kirkwood’s win tally between 2018 to 2021 is insane! Winning
46 of 67 races! A winning percentage of 68.657% if I’ve done my
ryth-muh-tickin’ correctly?
Factoring His further nine U.S. F4 wins for a
tally of 55 of88 races, which I believe is the original tally I came up with
years ago? Equates to a diminished strike rate of only standing atop the podium
62.5% of the time, Aye Karumba!
Thus, this is one of the driver choices you
could say I got right, Hya! As winning the coveted No Fenders nifSTAR trophy,
if only we had one! Is probably as prestigious as winning Oilpressures Drive of
the Day award, Eh!
NIFSTAR
WINNERS
2018: Kyle Kirkwood
2017: Nico Jammin
2016: Zach Veach
2015: Shawn Rayhall
2014: Jack Harvey
2013: Conor Daly
2012: Tristan Nunez
2007: Marcus Wilkinson
For the 2017 nifSTAR
Trophy Winner, please visit the following No fenders link below.
