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Kirkwood’s dream season also included a victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“Racing at Indy was a very historical moment for me. It’s really cool going across the yard of bricks,” Kirkwood said. “Even though it has so much history and there’s so much hype around it, I would not list the IMS road course as one of my favorite tracks to drive on. But it’s one of my favorite tracks to be at.”
Kirkwood lists Mid-Ohio and Virginia Int’l Raceway as his two favorite circuits on which to race and he ranks COTA high as well.
“I obviously like COTA as it’s a really cool track, but I haven’t been on it yet in anything fast enough to experience how it should really feel.”
Kirkwood’s first oval race came at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in May.
“Prior to racing at LORP, we only did one test at Memphis on an oval,” Kirkwood said. “So it was a big learning curve for me. It’s a bit nerve-wracking the first time you do it and drive right up along the wall. I gained a lot more respect for oval racers after competing in that event. Physically, yes, it’s draining. But mentally, I’ve never endured something so tense.”
He attributed finding a really good set-up with his Cape Motorsports team for winning his first oval race.
Kirkwood’s last new experience of the year came in his last race of the year.
With two championships in his 2018 folder, Kirkwood was ready to start preparing for next season, but a phone call from Patrick Madsen, co-owner of Ansa Motorsports, extended his 2018 campaign.
Two weeks later, Kirkwood was paired with Roman De Angelis for the mid-November Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring Int’l Raceway. It was Kirkwood’s first time racing a full-bodied car.
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect in the first couple of laps and there was a big weight factor and being enclosed in the cockpit, more downforce and not being able to see your tires, those were all weird sensations,” Kirkwood said. “But it was actually a very stable car and I didn’t have any real issues with it. Right away, I was quick.”
Kirkwood and De Angelis won the four-hour endurance race for Ansa Motorsports. It was Kirkwood’s 28th and final win of the season.
Kirkwood was asked what he learned winning races in three different types of race cars.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned this year is how a race car should work — how a car reacts to different changes,” he explained. “It’s great to have an engineer but now I have confidence that I can go into a race and set up a car myself if I have to.”
As he drove various types of race cars in 2018, a pre-race routine became important to the young driver.
“The three things that I always do are I have to get in the car from the left side. I enter every car from the left side. I always click my HANS (device) against the back of the car and I also always check the steering wheel multiple times to make sure it comes on and off.”
Kirkwood is also learning that motorsports is a business. By winning the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, he earned a $325,000 scholarship to be used toward securing a ride in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship, which is the next step in the Road To Indy program.
“Up until now, there wasn’t much to deal with in my career,” Kirkwood said. “But now that I’ve won the Mazda scholarship and I’ve been working with more teams, my dad has become very involved because he is a successful businessman.”
The Kirkwoods know the sport is bigger than them and they have not hesitated approaching others for advice. Full-time Indy car driver Spencer Pigot, himself a product of the Road To Indy program, has become a mentor to Kirkwood.
“I’ve known Kyle for a few years now and continue to be impressed with him, both on and off the track,” Pigot said. “His record in USF2000 speaks for itself and if he continues those kinds of performances and is able to adapt quickly to other race cars, there’s no reason why he can’t keep climbing the Road To Indy and get a shot in IndyCar.”
This year, Kirkwood will likely be racing in the Indy Pro 2000 series. He tested an Indy Pro 2000 car with Abel Motorsports in December.
While finalizing his racing plans, Kirkwood was asked if what he accomplished in 2018 has truly sunk in.
“I’ve gotten the question asked a lot, and in some since, yes, it has sunken in. But at the same time, my focus is what’s in store for the future because it’s not like I’ve made it in racing yet,” Kirkwood said. “I’m still in the ladder system. So, yes, I’ve accepted that we did really well this past year, but I have to keep moving forward in 2019 and make sure I’m in a good place to lead into 2020 and ’21.”
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