Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Annual auto race held in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
27°45′59″N 82°37′45″W / 27.76639°N 82.62917°W / 27.76639; -82.62917Corporate sponsorFirestoneFirst race1985First ICS race2005Distance1.800 mi (2.897 km)Laps100Duration180.00 mi (289.68 km)Previous namesSt. Petersburg Grand Prix (1985–1990)
Kash n' Karry Florida Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (1996–1997)
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (2005–2013)
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (2014–present)Most wins (driver)Hélio Castroneves (3)
Josef Newgarden (3)Most wins (team)Team Penske (11)Most wins (manufacturer)Chassis: Dallara (15)
Engine: Honda (9)Circuit informationSurfaceAsphalt/ConcreteLength2.910 km (1.808 mi)Turns14Lap record1:00.6795 (United States Josef Newgarden, Dallara DW12, 2024, IndyCar)

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is an IndyCar Series race held in St. Petersburg, Florida. In most years since 2009, the race has served as the season opener (or at minimum, the first race held on U.S. soil).[1] The race is held annually in the spring, with the exception of 2020, when it was postponed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The race takes place on a temporary course, utilizing downtown streets, and one runway of Albert Whitted Airport. The event dates back to 1985, with IndyCars first competing in 2003.

History

The inaugural 1985 event was organized by William T. McVey, president of the McBri Corporation in Tampa and a member of IMSA and the SCCA.[2] The SCCA Trans-Am Series held a race on a St. Petersburg downtown waterfront circuit from 1985 to 1990. Can-Am also competed in 1985. Local residents and businesses complained about noise, and the event was eventually put on hiatus.[3] Driver Jim Fitzgerald was killed in a crash during the 1987 race.[4][5]

From 1996 to 1997, the St. Petersburg race was revived on a different course around Tropicana Field (about one mile west of the original waterfront course). Along with the Trans-Am Series, support races included U.S. FF2000, World Challenge, Pro SRF and Barber Dodge. The event subsequently went again on hiatus for several years.[3]

In 2003, the event was revived again for the CART Championship Series. A new, modified version of the original 1985 waterfront circuit was created. For 2004, the event was cancelled due to a dispute between the promoters, furthermore, the bankruptcy and liquidation of the CART series into the new Champ Car World Series saw a shakeup of the calendar. When the race returned in 2005, it switched to the IndyCar Series, marking the first non-oval event for the Indy Racing League. In 2007, the race weekend was expanded to include an American Le Mans Series event.

Andretti Green Promotions would later take over promotion of the event.[6] Starting in 2014, Firestone took over as title sponsor.[7]

Past winners

Season Date Driver Team Chassis Engine/Aero Kit Tires Race Distance Race Time Average Speed
(mph)
Report
Laps Miles (km)
CART Championship Series history
2003 February 23 Canada Paul Tracy Forsythe Racing Lola B02/00 FordCosworth XFE Bridgestone 105 189.630 (305.130) 2:04:28 91.401 Report
2004 Not held
IndyCar Series history
2005 April 3 United Kingdom Dan Wheldon Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 2:09:54 83.14 Report
2006 April 2 Brazil Hélio Castroneves Team Penske Dallara Honda Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 1:56:58 92.34 Report
2007 April 1 Brazil Hélio Castroneves (2) Team Penske (2) Dallara Honda Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 2:01:07 89.166 Report
2008 April 6 United States Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing Dallara Honda Firestone 83* 149.4 (240.435) 2:00:44 74.251 Report
2009 April 5 Australia Ryan Briscoe Team Penske (3) Dallara Honda Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 2:12:27 81.542 Report
2010 March 29* Australia Will Power Team Penske (4) Dallara Honda Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 2:07:06 84.975 Report
2011 March 27 United Kingdom Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara Honda Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 2:01:00 89.26 Report
2012 March 25 Brazil Hélio Castroneves (3) Team Penske (5) Dallara DW12 Chevrolet/UAK-12 Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 1:59:51 90.113 Report
2013 March 24 Canada James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport (2) Dallara DW12 Chevrolet/UAK-12 Firestone 110 198 (318.65) 2:22:13 83.539 Report
2014 March 30 Australia Will Power (2) Team Penske (6) Dallara DW12 Chevrolet/UAK-12 Firestone 110 198 (318.65) 2:06:58 93.572 Report
2015 March 29 Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske (7) Dallara DW12 Chevrolet/CAK-15 Firestone 110 198 (318.65) 2:16:58 86.735 Report
2016 March 13 Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya (2) Team Penske (8) Dallara DW12 Chevrolet/CAK-16 (5) Firestone 110 198 (318.65) 2:13:28 89.006 Report
2017 March 12 France Sébastien Bourdais Dale Coyne Racing Dallara DW12 Honda/HAK-16 Firestone 110 198 (318.65) 2:04:32 95.391 Report
2018 March 11 France Sébastien Bourdais (2) Dale Coyne Racing (2) Dallara DW12 Honda/UAK-18 (9) Firestone 110 198 (318.65) 2:17:48 86.207 Report
2019 March 10 United States Josef Newgarden Team Penske (9) Dallara DW12 Chevrolet/UAK-18 (6) Firestone 110 198 (318.65) 2:04:18 95.572 Report
2020 October 25 United States Josef Newgarden (2) Team Penske (10) Dallara DW12 Chevrolet/UAK-18 (7) Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 2:06:12 85.872 Report
2021 April 25 United States Colton Herta Andretti Autosport (3) Dallara DW12 Honda/UAK-18 (10) Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 1:51:51 96.552 Report
2022 February 27 New Zealand Scott McLaughlin Team Penske (11) Dallara DW12 Chevrolet/UAK-18 (8) Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 1:51:27 96.899 Report
2023 March 5 Sweden Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing (2) Dallara DW12 Honda/UAK-18 (11) Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 2:05:30 86.047 Report
2024 March 10 United States Josef Newgarden (3) Team Penske (12) Dallara DW12 Chevrolet/UAK-18 (9) Firestone 100 180 (289.681) 1:51:29 96.867 Report
  • 2008: Race shortened as a result of inclement weather at the start forcing the race to start on Lap 10 after nine Safety Car laps. Shortened by ESPN under time limit.
  • 2010: Race postponed from March 28 due to inclement weather.[8]
  • 2020: Race postponed from March 15 to October 25 and shortened to 100 laps due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • 2021: Race postponed from March 7 to April 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • UAK = Universal Aero Kit
  • CAK = Chevrolet Aero Kit
  • HAK = Honda Aero Kit

Support series past winners

Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tire

Indy Lights
Season Date Winning Driver Chassis Engine
2005 April 3 United States Marco Andretti Dallara Infiniti
2006 April 1 Brazil Raphael Matos Dallara Infiniti
April 2 Brazil Raphael Matos Dallara Infiniti
2007 March 31 United Kingdom Alex Lloyd Dallara Infiniti
April 1 United Kingdom Alex Lloyd Dallara Infiniti
2008 April 5 Brazil Raphael Matos Dallara Infiniti
April 6 United States Richard Antinucci Dallara Infiniti
2009 April 4 Netherlands Junior Strous Dallara Infiniti
April 5 Netherlands Junior Strous Dallara Infiniti
2010 March 28 France Jean Karl Vernay Dallara Infiniti
2011 March 27 United States Josef Newgarden Dallara Honda
2012 March 24 France Tristan Vautier Dallara Honda
2013 March 23 United Kingdom Jack Hawksworth Dallara Honda
2014 March 30 United States Zach Veach Dallara Honda
2015 March 28 United Arab Emirates Ed Jones Dallara Mazda
March 29 United Arab Emirates Ed Jones Dallara Mazda
2016 March 12 Puerto Rico Felix Serralles Dallara Mazda
March 13 Sweden Felix Rosenqvist Dallara Mazda
2017 March 11 United States Aaron Telitz Dallara Mazda
March 12 United States Colton Herta Dallara Mazda
2018 March 10 Mexico Patricio O'Ward Dallara Mazda
March 11 Uruguay Santiago Urrutia Dallara Mazda
2019 March 9 Canada Zachary Claman Dallara AER
March 10 Netherlands Rinus Veekay Dallara AER
2020 Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 April 24 United States Kyle Kirkwood Dallara AER
April 25 United States David Malukas Dallara AER
2022 February 27 Australia Matthew Brabham Dallara AER
Indy NXT
2023 March 5 Singapore Danial Frost Dallara AER
2024 March 10 United States Nolan Siegel Dallara AER
Star Mazda Championship
Season Date Winning Driver
2010 March 28 United States Conor Daly
2011 March 26 United States Connor De Phillippi
2012 March 24 United States Connor De Phillippi
March 25 United Kingdom Jack Hawksworth
Pro Mazda Championship
2013 March 23 Venezuela Diego Ferreira
March 24 Australia Matthew Brabham
2014 March 29 United States Spencer Pigot
March 30 United States Spencer Pigot
2015 March 28 United States Neil Alberico
March 29 United States Neil Alberico
2016 March 12 Mexico Patricio O'Ward
March 13 United States Aaron Telitz
2017 March 11 Australia Anthony Martin
March 12 Australia Anthony Martin
2018 March 10 Netherlands Rinus VeeKay
March 11 Netherlands Rinus VeeKay
Indy Pro 2000 Championship
2019 March 9 Canada Parker Thompson
March 10 Canada Parker Thompson
2020 October 24 United States Sting Ray Robb
October 25 New Zealand Hunter McElrea
2021 April 24 United States Braden Eves
April 25 Denmark Christian Rasmussen
2022 February 25 United States Josh Green
February 26 United States Nolan Siegel
USF Pro 2000 Championship
2023 March 4 United States Christian Brooks
March 5 United States Myles Rowe
2024 March 9 Australia Lochie Hughes
March 10 United States Nikita Johnson
U.S. F2000 National Championship
Season Date Winning Driver
2010 March 27 United States Sage Karam
March 28 United States Sage Karam
2011 March 26 United States Spencer Pigot
March 27 Finland Petri Suvanto
2012 March 24 United States Spencer Pigot
March 25 United States Spencer Pigot
2013 March 23 Canada Scott Hargrove
March 24 Canada Scott Hargrove
2014 March 29 Brazil Victor Franzoni
March 30 United States R. C. Enerson
2015 March 28 United States Jake Eidson
March 29 United States Jake Eidson
2016 March 12 Australia Jordan Lloyd
Australia Jordan Lloyd
2017 March 11 United States Robert Megennis
March 12 United States Oliver Askew
2018 March 10 United States Kyle Kirkwood
March 11 France Alexandre Baron
2019 March 9 United States Braden Eves
March 10 United States Braden Eves
2020 October 24 Brazil Kiko Porto
October 25 United States Christian Brooks
2021 April 24 United States Christian Brooks
United States Christian Brooks
2022 February 25 United States Jace Denmark
February 27 United States Myles Rowe
2023 March 4 Australia Lochie Hughes
March 5 United States Nikita Johnson
2024 March 8 United States Max Garcia
March 9 United States Max Garcia

Stefan Wilson driving along the Bay Shore Drive Southeast section during the qualifying race of the Indy Lights 2011.

Atlantic Championship Series

Season Date Winning Driver Atlantic Championship Series
1985 November 3 Riley Hopkins
1986 November 16 Scott Goodyear
1987 November 7 Johnny O'Connell
1988 October 23 Jocko Cunningham
1989 October 29 Jocko Cunningham
1990 November 4 Brian Till
Source: [9]

American Le Mans Series

Overall winner in bold.

Season LMP1 Winning Team LMP2 Winning Team GT1 Winning Team GT2 Winning Team Report
LMP1 Winning Drivers LMP2 Winning Drivers GT1 Winning Drivers GT2 Winning Drivers
2007 United States #1 Audi Sport North America United States #6 Penske Racing United States #4 Corvette Racing United States #62 Risi Competizione report
Italy Rinaldo Capello
United Kingdom Allan McNish
Germany Sascha Maassen
Australia Ryan Briscoe
United Kingdom Oliver Gavin
Monaco Olivier Beretta
Finland Mika Salo
Brazil Jaime Melo
2008 United States #2 Audi Sport North America United States #7 Penske Racing United States #4 Corvette Racing United States #71 Tafel Racing report
Germany Marco Werner
Germany Lucas Luhr
Germany Timo Bernhard
France Romain Dumas
Monaco Olivier Beretta
United Kingdom Oliver Gavin
Germany Dominik Farnbacher
Germany Dirk Müller
2009 United States #9 Patrón Highcroft Racing Mexico #15 Lowe's Fernández Racing No entry United States #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports report
Australia David Brabham
United States Scott Sharp
Mexico Adrian Fernández
Mexico Luis Díaz
No entry United States Patrick Long
Germany Jörg Bergmeister

Stadium Super Trucks

Year Date Driver Ref
2014 March 29 United States Robby Gordon [10]
March 30 United States P. J. Jones
2015 March 28 United States Sheldon Creed [11]
March 29 United States Burt Jenner
2016 March 12 United States Sheldon Creed [12]
March 13 United States Keegan Kincaid
2017 March 11 United States Robby Gordon [13]
March 12 Australia Matthew Brabham [14]
2021 April 24 United States Sheldon Creed [15]
April 25 United States Sheldon Creed [16]

SCCA Trans-Am

Dan Wheldon memorial plaque located adjacent to the course layout.
Season Date Driver Team Car Race Distance Race Time Average Speed Report
Laps Miles (km)
1985 November 3 United States Willy T. Ribbs Roush Racing Mercury Capri 50 100 (160.934) 01:15:05 79.910 mph (128.603 km/h) Report
1986 November 15 United States Pete Halsmer Roush Racing Mercury Merkur XR4Ti 50 100 (160.934) 01:15:09 79.838 mph (128.487 km/h) Report
1987 November 15 United States Pete Halsmer Roush Racing Mercury Merkur XR4Ti 50 100 (160.934) 02:06:24 47.462 mph (76.383 km/h) Report
1988 October 23 Germany Walter Röhrl Audi of America Audi 200 Quattro 63 125.999 (202.777) 01:38:09 77.0207 mph (123.9528 km/h) Report
1989 October 29 United States Irv Hoerr Oldsmobile Cutlass 63 125.999 (202.777) 01:42:55 73.459 mph (118.221 km/h) Report
1990 November 4 United States Chris Kneifel Chevrolet Beretta 63 125.999 (202.777) 01:47:11 70.535 mph (113.515 km/h) Report
1991–1995, Not held
1996 February 25 United States Ron Fellows Chevrolet Camaro 63 106.470 (171.346) 01:18:13 70.535 mph (113.515 km/h) Report[permanent dead link]
1997 February 25 United States Tommy Kendall Ford Mustang 60 101.400 (163.187) 01:14:44 81.405 mph (131.009 km/h) Report
1998–2002, Not held
2003 February 23 United States Scott Pruett Jaguar XKR 55 99.330 (159.856) 01:16:06 81.405 mph (131.009 km/h) Report

Can-Am

  • 1985 Lou Sell

SCCA Super Vee

Course

The section of the 2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg that curves through the Al Lang Stadium parking lot

The Streets of St. Petersburg course is a street circuit connecting existing roads with one of the two runways of Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg, Florida. It also dips into the parking lot at Al Lang Stadium. St. Petersburg is classified as an FIA Grade Two circuit.[17]

First bayfront course

The original 1985 Trans-Am course utilized a similar layout to the course used today. For the first year the track actually ran out to the pier, made a 180 degree turn and returned. At the end of Bayshore Drive, rather than diverting off to the airport runways, the course circled around 5th Avenue Southeast around Bayfront Arena, and the start/finish line was located just south of the paddock (the parking lot of Bayfront Arena). In addition, the old course traveled further up Beach Drive Northeast, all the way to 5th Avenue Northeast. 5th Ave. NE was a very narrow segment. The course came south down Bayshore Drive Northeast, and passed by The Pier.

Tropicana Field course

The second course at Tropicana Field was located about a mile west of the waterfront location. The circuit used the roads around the perimeter of the parking lot of the stadium.

Second Bayfront course

Helio Castroneves approaches Dan Wheldon Way (Turn 10) on the final lap of the 2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

When the course was reconfigured, the northbound segment turned at Central Avenue instead, and did not go as far as The Pier. The pits and main straight were moved to the airport, and a purpose-built paddock area was paved next to the runway. The Albert Whitted Park was reconfigured/relocated, and the entire course layout was repaved.

The pits and paddock areas, as well as link from Dan Wheldon Way to the airport runway (turns 11, 12, and 13) were constructed specifically for the circuit in 2003, and are considered permanent features of the otherwise temporary circuit.

After the crash at the 2011 Izod IndyCar World Championship that killed Snell Isle resident Dan Wheldon, who won the 2005 race and two Indianapolis 500 titles, the straight following Turn 10 (the turn from Bayshore Drive to Albert Whitted Park) was renamed "Dan Wheldon Way" in his memory. The sign and commemorative plaque was unveiled by St. Petersburg mayor Bill Foster on March 6, 2012. A permanent Dan Wheldon Memorial is located next to the Dali Museum on the opposite side of Turn 10, where race winners have their names placed on the memorial.[18]

  • The circuit layout from 1986 to 1991
    The circuit layout from 1986 to 1991
  • The circuit layout from 1996 to 2000
    The circuit layout from 1996 to 2000
  • The circuit layout from 2003 to present
    The circuit layout from 2003 to present

Lap records

As of March 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg are listed as:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Date
Current Grand Prix Circuit: 2.897 km (2003–present)[19]
IndyCar 1:00.6795 Josef Newgarden Dallara DW12 2024 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
CART 1:01.825 Sébastien Bourdais Lola B02/00 2003 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
LMP2 1:04.340[20] Ryan Briscoe Porsche RS Spyder Evo 2007 Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg
LMP1 1:04.725[20] Allan McNish Audi R10 TDI 2007 Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg
Indy Lights 1:04.9562[21] Kyle Kirkwood Dallara IL-15 2021 Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Indy Pro 2000 1:08.1141[22] Sting Ray Robb Tatuus PM-18 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
GT1 1:09.770[23] Oliver Gavin Chevrolet Corvette C6.R 2008 Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg
LMP3 1:10.872[24] Jagger Jones Duqueine D-08 2024 St. Petersburg IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge round
US F2000 1:12.2279[25] Kiko Porto Tatuus USF-17 2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
GT2 1:12.699[20] Tomáš Enge Ferrari F430 GTC 2007 Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg
GT3 1:13.642[26] Justin Wetherill Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 2022 St. Petersburg GT America round
Barber Pro 1:13.930[27] Dan Di Leo Reynard 98E 2003 St. Petersburg Barber Pro round
Trans-Am 1:14.634[28] Scott Pruett Jaguar XKR 2003 St. Petersburg Trans-Am round
GT4 1:17.008[24] Jesse Lazare McLaren Artura GT4 2024 St. Petersburg IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge round
SRO GT2 1:18.881[26] C.J. Moses Audi R8 LMS GT2 2022 St. Petersburg GT America round
GTS 1:21.777[29] Peter Cunningham Acura TSX 2012 St. Petersburg Pirelli World Challenge round
Mazda MX-5 Cup 1:24.344[30] Justin Piscitell Mazda MX-5 (ND) 2022 St. Petersburg Mazda MX-5 Cup round
TC 1:25.101[29] Tristan Hebert Volkswagen GLI 2012 St. Petersburg Pirelli World Challenge round
Third Grand Prix Circuit: 2.720 km (1996–2000)[19]
Trans-Am 1:14.8[31] Tommy Kendall Ford Mustang 1997 St. Petersburg Trans-Am round
Second Grand Prix Circuit: 3.219 km (1986–1991)[19]
Trans-Am 1:17.440[32] Scott Pruett Merkur XR4Ti 1987 St. Petersburg Trans-Am round
Original Grand Prix Circuit: 3.219 km (1985)[19]
Can-Am 1:23.020[33] Peter Greenfield Ralt RT4 1985 Can-Am Challenge at St. Petersburg
Trans-Am 1:27.836[34] Willy T. Ribbs Mercury Capri 1985 St. Petersburg Trans-Am round

Race summaries

  • 2005: The first ever road course race for the Indy Racing League saw Andretti Green Racing win the pole and sweep the top four position. Dan Wheldon finished first, with Tony Kanaan second.
  • 2006: Dario Franchitti won the pole, but was knocked out early due to mechanical failure. The race finished under the yellow flag after Tomas Scheckter and Buddy Rice hit the barrier with 4 laps to go. Roberto Moreno replaced Ed Carpenter for this race as Ed recovered from his injury's but finished 18th due to steering issues. Hélio Castroneves was the winner.
  • 2007: Pole winner Hélio Castroneves led 95 of the 100 laps, holding off Scott Dixon for the win by 0.6007 seconds, the closest finish on a road circuit in IRL history at the time. On the first lap, five cars were involved in a spin, including Tony Kanaan. In practice, Kanaan had crashed his qualified car, but the team made repairs so he could start in the 6th position rather than using a backup. The spin dropped him to the rear of the field. After a series of pit stops under yellow, Dan Wheldon took the lead. On a lap 35 restart, Castroneves bumped Wheldon from behind, and slipped by to take the lead for good. In the best run by a Foyt team in a few season, Darren Manning ran as high as third until a late spin dropped him to 13th. After the first lap spin, Tony Kanaan recovered to finish third.
  • 2008: Heavy rain in the morning soaked the track, and left considerable standing water. The race was started under 10 laps of caution as the track dried. At the start, Tony Kanaan assumed the lead, but soon was passed by Justin Wilson. The early part of the race saw several spins by several cars, including Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti and Mario Moraes. On the 37th lap after a restart, rookie Graham Rahal was hit from behind by Will Power while running 3rd. He was able to continue. Several cautions slowed the race, including a crash by Ryan Briscoe, and a multi-car incident involving Vítor Meira, Franck Perera, and Townsend Bell. On the restart that followed, Rahal-Letterman Racing driver Ryan Hunter-Reay led Graham Rahal. Rahal got the jump and took the lead into the first turn. With time running out before the two-hour time limit, the race was poised to end before the scheduled distance. On the final restart, just under 4 minutes of racing remained. Rahal held off a charging Hélio Castroneves and won his first race. At 19 years, 93 days old, Rahal became the youngest driver ever to win an Indy-style race, as well as the youngest winner in IndyCar Series history.[35] He broke Marco Andretti's record from 2006.[35] He also became the fourth driver to win an IndyCar Series race in his first start, joining Buzz Calkins, Juan Pablo Montoya and Scott Dixon.[35]
  • 2009: On the opening lap, polesitter Graham Rahal was involved in light contact with Tony Kanaan, which damaged his nosecone, and dropped him deep in the standings. With 20 laps to go, defending IndyCar champion Scott Dixon crashed out after contact with Hideki Mutoh. With 14 laps to go, Ryan Briscoe took the lead from Justin Wilson on a restart. Briscoe held off Ryan Hunter-Reay to secure the victory.
  • 2011: The first race featuring the new double-file restarts takes a toll on the field as drivers adjust. On the first lap, a big collision involving several cars saw Marco Andretti flip over in turn 1, a crash he blamed on Hélio Castroneves.[36] Several other drivers experienced contact on restarts, thinning the field. Dario Franchitti stayed in front for most of the race and won the season opener. Simona de Silvestro garnered the most attention of the later stages of the race, as she hotly challenged Tony Kanaan. Kanaan, who had landed his ride with KV Racing just days earlier, held her off over the final few laps for a surprising third-place finish.
  • 2012: Hélio Castroneves won the season-opening event,[37][38] snapping a winless streak that dates back to Motegi in 2010. It was the first race for the new Dallara DW-12 chassis, and the new turbocharged engine package. Castroneves' victory marked the first win by Chevrolet in the IndyCar Series since 2005. It also marked the first race since the fatal accident of Dan Wheldon. Will Power took the lead from the pole position at the start, but during the first yellow, he ducked into the pits in order to gamble on a fuel strategy. The strategy backfired, and Power was not a factor during the remainder of the race. During the final sequence of pit stops, Castroneves and Scott Dixon were running 1st–2nd. Dixon pitted first on lap 72, and Castroneves pitted on lap later. As the rest of the leaders shuffled through their final pits stops, Castroneves made a bold pass of Dixon on the outside of turn 1 for second place. After the sequence of pit stops was over, Castroneves led the final 26 laps to claim the victory. On his victory lap, Castroneves stopped in turn 10, climbed from his car, and performed his customary "Spider-Man" celebration, climbing the catch fence. He climbed the fence which displayed the street sign "Dan Wheldon Way," which had been designated days earlier by the city of St. Petersburg in the memory of Wheldon.[39]
  • 2013: James Hinchcliffe won the first IndyCar race of his career, taking the lead from Hélio Castroneves on a restart on lap 85 of 110. Hinchcliffe held off Castroneves by 1.09 seconds, with Marco Andretti finishing third, passing Simona de Silvestro for the position on the final lap.[40] Will Power dominated the early parts of the race, but dropped to 16th at the finish after contact with J. R. Hildebrand. Dario Franchitti finished last after an early crash, and defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay dropped out with mechanical problems.
  • 2014: Takuma Sato sat on the pole, but he lost the lead at lap 30 to Will Power. On a restart on lap 82, leader Will Power was bringing the field back to green when an "accordion effect" saw the field check-up on the main stretch. Marco Andretti and rookie Jack Hawksworth made contact and crashed into the inside barrier. Power led the most laps, and held off Ryan Hunter-Reay and Hélio Castroneves for the victory. Polesitter Takuma Sato finished 6th.
  • 2015: The season opener at St. Petersburg was also the debut of unique aero kits for Honda and Chevrolet. Apprehension amongst the teams going into the race revolved around the complex, elaborate, and seemingly fragile front wings, and the lack of adequate replacement parts. The concerns were not unfounded, as dozens of on-track contacts throughout the field damaged countless wing components. Will Power won the pole position, leading a Team Penske sweep of the first four positions on the grid. Power took the lead at the start, and led 75 laps. During the final round of pit stops, Juan Pablo Montoya grabbed the lead after he managed a quicker pit stop than Power. In the closing laps, Power chased down Montoya, and narrowed the gap to less than a second with 11 laps to go. Power tried to pass Montoya for the lead in turn 10, but the two cars touched, damaging Power's front wing. Montoya held the lead, and went on to win, his first road course victory in IndyCar racing since 1999.
  • 2016: Team Penske driver Will Power qualified for the pole, but was diagnosed with a concussion shortly after the conclusion of the session and was forced to miss the race. Oriol Servià filled in place of Power.[41] Second place qualifier Simon Pagenaud inherited the pole position. Pagenaud led the opening 48 laps before being passed by his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya would lead 44 laps en route to his second win in a row at St. Petersburg. Rookie driver Conor Daly also led 15 laps during the race due to pit strategy, but was shuffled outside the top 10 by the end of the race. The race was slowed by only two yellows. The first came on lap 46 when Luca Filippi and Marco Andretti made contact in the first turn. The second came on the restart from the prior caution when Carlos Muñoz made contact with Graham Rahal in turn four, creating a logjam that completely blocked the race course.[42] After the race, Will Power was reevaluated and deemed not to have a concussion, but instead to be suffering from a lingering ear infection.[43] Power would be cleared to race for the following round at Phoenix International Raceway.
  • 2017: Sébastien Bourdais crashed during qualifying on his out lap, and was relegated to starting 21st and last.[44] Bourdais charged from last to first, the first win for Dale Coyne Racing since 2014. On lap 20, the first round of green flag pit stops began, with several drivers further down the order, including Sébastien Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud, being some of the first in. However, the race's second full-course caution came out in the middle of this pit sequence on lap 26, when Tony Kanaan and Mikhail Aleshin made contact in turn 4, littering the track with debris.[45] The caution forced the top seven drivers in the race to pit during the caution and lose large amounts of track positions. Following the pit stops, Pagenaud, Bourdais and Marco Andretti were running 1st-2nd-3rd. Bourdais got by Pagenaud on lap 37, and began to pull away. After the second and third rounds of pit stops, Bourdais emerged with a 10-second lead, and comfortably cruised to victory over Pagenaud and Scott Dixon.
  • 2020: In a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the new Roger Penske led IndyCar was forced to move the St. Petersburg Grand Prix from the season opener to the season finale. The race proved to be a championship deciding showdown between Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden, the latter of which won the 2019 race and the former never having won at St. Petersburg. Dixon had to finish eighth or better to win the championship, while Newgarden had to both win the race and finish at least nine positions better than Dixon to clinch the championship. Although Penske's Will Power qualified for a record ninth pole at St. Petersburg it was Andretti Autosport's Alexander Rossi who led most of the race before he suffered an unforced error and crashed into the walls. In the final stint Newgarden managed to pass Pato O'Ward for the race lead, forcing the normally calm Dixon to drive aggressively into third position and finish there to win his sixth IndyCar championship. [46]
  • 2021: St. Petersburg returned in 2021 to its more traditional early season slot but was instead placed as the second race of the season rather than the season opener. Throughout the weekend Andretti Autosport's Colton Herta proved to be the fastest driver and ended up dominating the race, winning from pole position. Behind him Penske drivers Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud edged out Jack Harvey of Meyer Shank Racing to round out the podium.
  • 2022: For the first time in two years the St. Petersburg GP returned to its season opening slot. The Grand Prix was hosted on 27 February, the earliest date the Grand Prix has ever been hosted and the earliest season start date for the IndyCar Series. The starting grid was also the largest in the history of the event with twenty six entries, including twenty five full time cars and drivers. Team Penske's second year driver and former Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin out qualified Romain Grosjean, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Colton Herta, and Rinus VeeKay for the pole position, his first in IndyCar.[47] McLaughlin used a two stop fuel saving strategy to lead most of the race, his strategy holding up even through a yellow caused on lap 26 by rookie David Malukas. In the closing laps 2021 champion Alex Palou, who used the same strategy as McLaughlin, began to hunt McLaughlin down for the lead. McLaughlin beat Palou's attempt at an overcut in the final series of pit stops and conserved enough push to pass to use it to both hold off Palou and work through traffic to take his first IndyCar win. Palou would finish in second place, his best finish on a street circuit. Will Power would round out the podium in third place.
  • 2023: St. Petersburg again saw a record setting of entries in the Grand Prix, with 27 full time entries. Romain Grosjean qualified on pole. A first lap five car pileup threw an early red flag before racing resumed. At lap 36 Scott McLaughlin over cut Grosjean for the lead. McLaughlin held on through another series of cautions before being caught up in an incident on lap 78 between himself and Grosjean, ending Grosjean's race and putting himself a lap down. Pato O'Ward cycled to the front and led the closing laps before an overboost issue with three laps to go caused him to lose control, handing the lead to reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson. Ericsson held on to win the incident filled race, which saw almost half the field retire due to crashes. O'Ward and Scott Dixon finished second and third respectively.
  • 2024: Josef Newgarden qualified on pole, his first pole position at St. Petersburg and his first pole position in over a year.

Notes

Works cited

  • Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg's website
  • City has had false starts with racing
  • St. Petersburg course layouts maps via TheRacingLine.net
  • Florida State Fairgrounds course map via TheRacingLine.net Archived 2016-03-27 at the Wayback Machine

References

  1. ^ "IndyCar delays start of season five weeks; St. Pete moves to April 25 as Barber becomes 2021 opener". IndyStar. January 6, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  2. ^ Koff, Stephen (July 26, 1991). "Council not ready to give race go-ahead". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "St. Petersburg Grand Prix: City has had false starts with racing". St. Petersburg Times. February 21, 2003. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  4. ^ "Trans-am Driver Killed In Crash During St. Petersburg Event". Sun-Sentinel. 1987-11-09. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  5. ^ "Veteran driver Fitzgerald dies". Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania. November 9, 1987. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  6. ^ Brassfield, Mike (6 April 2009). "Grand Prix is a winner for St. Petersburg". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on 8 April 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  7. ^ "Firestone rolls in as title sponsor of St. Pete race".
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  11. ^ Green, Chuck (April 1, 2015). "Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks Rock Saint Petersburg". Off Road Xtreme. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
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  17. ^ "List of FIA licensed circuits" (Press release). Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. December 14, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  18. ^ "Street in St. Petersburg named for Dan Wheldon". Fox News. AP. 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2012-03-26.
  19. ^ a b c d "St. Petersburg - RacingCircuits.info". RacingCircuits.info. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
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  23. ^ "American Le Mans Series St. Petersburg 2008". 6 April 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  24. ^ a b "2024 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 2 Provisional Results (45 Minutes)" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 9 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  25. ^ "2020 USF2000 Grand Prix of St Petersburg Race 2 Lap Report" (PDF). 25 October 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  26. ^ a b "2022 Streets of St. Petersburg GT America Race 2 - Classification - Final" (PDF). 26 February 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  27. ^ "2003 Barber Dodge Pro Series Round 1: St.Petersburg, 22nd February". 22 February 2003. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  28. ^ "PRUETT RUSTY NO MORE; WINS GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG - Complete Results". 23 February 2003. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  29. ^ a b "World Challenge: Aschenbach, Bell and Cooper win race one in St. Petersburg". 24 March 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  30. ^ "2022 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Race 2 Official Results (45 Minutes)" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 31 March 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  31. ^ "1997 Kash n' Karry Florida Grand Prix". 23 February 1997. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  32. ^ "Trans-Am St. Petersburg 1987". 8 November 1987. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Can-Am St. Petersburg 1985". 3 November 1985. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Trans-Am St. Petersburg 1985". 3 November 1985. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  35. ^ a b c "Rahal's victory sets open-wheel record". IndyStar.com. 2008-04-06. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
  36. ^ Long, Mark (March 27, 2011). "Franchitti wins IndyCar opener". ThatsRacin.com. Ann Caulkins; The McClatchy Company. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  37. ^ Lewandowski, Dave (March 25, 2012). "Castroneves starts year with exuberant victory". IndyCar.com. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  38. ^ "Helio Castroneves wins opener". ESPN. March 25, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  39. ^ "Street in St. Petersburg named for Dan Wheldon". AP. Fox News. March 7, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  40. ^ Lewandowski, Dave (March 24, 2013). "Hinchcliffe records 1st win in drama-filled opener". IndyCar Series. IndyCar. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  41. ^ "Power diagnosed with concussion; Servia replaces him for St. Pete race". IndyCar Series. INDYCAR. March 13, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  42. ^ "Montoya repeats trip to St. Pete victory lane". IndyCar Series. INDYCAR. March 13, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
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  44. ^ Miller, Robin (March 11, 2017). "Power wins seventh St. Petersburg pole". Racer.com. St. Petersburg, Florida: Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Archived from the original on 2017-03-13. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  45. ^ Malsher, David (March 14, 2017). "IndyCar opener felt 'fabricated' – Scott Dixon". Autosport. St. Petersburg, Florida: Motorsport Network. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  46. ^ Ryan, Nate (25 October 2020). "IndyCar results and final points standings after the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg". NBC Sports. NBC Universal. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  47. ^ Fair, Ashley (26 February 2022). "The starting lineup for the 2022 IndyCar season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg is set following Saturday afternoon's qualifying session". Beyond The Flag. Minute Media. Retrieved 27 February 2022.

External links

  • Official website Edit this at Wikidata
  • Map and circuit history at RacingCircuits.info
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