INDIANAPOLIS – Kyle Kirkwood wasn’t a free agent. He was going to be back in the No. 27 Dallara-Honda for the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season anyways. But, Andretti Global still announced on Tuesday morning that they have signed Kirkwood to a longer-term extension to remain with the team for the foreseeable future.

“I am thrilled to be able to continue with Andretti Global for years to come,” said Kirkwood. “We have built something special within the team this year and I’m excited to see what we can do next season in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda. It’s fantastic that I will now have the opportunity to work with the same group – it’s a luxury I haven’t had the privilege of having since my karting days. Now we can put our heads down and fully focus on winning races and becoming a strong Championship contender. I have such a huge respect for this team and it will be an honor to continue to call myself an INDYCAR driver for Andretti Global.”

Some may wonder why make this announcement now then? Well, it’s simple. Andretti is after unity and wanted to lock in Kirkwood the same way he has his other two drivers locked up for a while too.

Colton Herta signed a five-year contract extension through 2027 and Marcus Ericsson will be operating on Year 1 of a multi-year deal in 2024 as well. Kirkwood now knows he has a future with them too.

“Kyle’s dedication and talent have been instrumental in our team’s success this past season, and he has continued to show that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” said owner, Michael Andretti. “Our goal has always been to consistently compete for wins and Championships and we felt that solidifying Kyle’s future at Andretti was key to making that happen. Bringing Kyle into the multi-year plans along with Colton [Herta] and Marcus [Ericsson] will only strengthen the continuity we’ve been looking for in our INDYCAR program.”

This move also keeps away the Penske’s and Ganassi’s from courting him too. It’s no secret, Kirkwood is an emerging star. While this has no effect on this year’s Silly Season, it surely does on next.

Since joining Andretti Global’s driver roster for the 2023 season, Kirkwood swept the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend, scoring his first career INDYCAR win and pole. He went onto secure his second career win on the streets of Nashville, becoming the first American driver to win the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. In addition to his two wins and maiden pole, the sophomore driver finished the 2023 season with seven top-10 finishes, led a total of 88 laps and finished 11th in the Championship standings.

He holds the record for most Road to Indy wins at 31. He won a championship through every step of the ladder.

With that said, Will Power’s contract ends after next season and he didn’t hide the fact that he was questioning on how much longer he wants to do this. Retirement crept into his mind while his wife was dealing with health concerns.

Kirkwood would have been a great Penske fit. Another Josef Newgarden one could say. Then, what about Ganassi. He has two rookies and a sophomore joining Scott Dixon and Alex Palou next season. Kirkwood could have been an attractive driver too.

With him being a free agent at this time next year, Andretti felt like he was best served to lock him in now.