Kyle Kirkwood didn’t just capture his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in last weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, he went to school in the process. Newgarden has won 26 races in this series, tied for 15th most in the sport’s history. When he grabbed the lead from Kirkwood in last weekend’s third race of the year, it was familiar. Pato O’Ward is a couple of years further down the path Kirkwood is on. It is challenging, O’Ward said Thursday, and there is much to learn from the elite. “You learn things from them because they keep beating you, so you find out why,” O’Ward said. Newgarden was ahead of O’Ward – and Kirkwood – again Thursday at IMS, pacing the field at 227.686 mph in the No. After all, Newgarden surely learned things about Kirkwood last weekend, too.

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