Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood were involved in a tense and contentious battle during the 2025 IndyCar XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, marking the second consecutive race weekend with on-track incidents between the two drivers. Early in the race, on lap 4 of 55, Power, defending fifth place from Alex Palou, made an aggressive move on Kirkwood, who was running fourth. Power braked too late into Turn 12 (Canada Corner) and went off the track, forcing Kirkwood to slow down to avoid a collision. This allowed Palou to pass both drivers and take fourth place. Kirkwood expressed his frustration over the radio, demanding that Power give the position back.

During a caution period shortly after, Kirkwood confronted Power by driving alongside him and making a hand gesture questioning Power’s aggressive maneuver. Later, on lap 17, after their pit stops, Kirkwood retaliated with a similarly forceful overtake on Power. Power complained over the radio that Kirkwood should be penalized for pushing him off the track.

The race ended with Kirkwood finishing fourth and Power dropping to 14th, influenced by multiple caution periods that affected race strategies and outcomes. In a post-race interview, Power acknowledged Kirkwood’s retaliation with a laugh, explaining that he had locked up his brakes while racing Palou, which contributed to the incident. He described the day as “rough” overall.

Kirkwood’s strong finish elevated him above Pato O’Ward to second place in the IndyCar standings, although the gap to leader Alex Palou widened from 75 to 93 points due to Palou’s victory.

Regarding his overall performance at Road America, Power showed promising speed in practice sessions, posting the third-fastest times. However, he failed to reach the Fast 6 in qualifying and started eighth. Team Penske struggled with race strategy amid the numerous cautions, which contributed to Power’s disappointing result. He expressed his frustration on Instagram, calling it a “pretty frustrating day” and looking forward to rebounding at the upcoming Mid-Ohio race.

Team Penske as a whole had a difficult weekend, with Josef Newgarden crashing out on lap 30 and Scott McLaughlin finishing 12th after starting fourth. The team extended its winless streak for the season.

In summary, the Road America race featured a notable on-track rivalry between Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood, marked by aggressive driving and mutual retaliation, which affected their race outcomes and added tension to the championship battle. Despite the challenges, Kirkwood’s fourth place was a positive result, while Power and Team Penske faced a frustrating weekend and are aiming to improve in the next event.