From IndyCar
Note: A digital copy of the 2026 INDYCAR Media Guide is available for download by clicking here. It is also available in the media guide section of the INDYCAR Content Site at http://content.indycar.com. A limited number of printed copies will be available beginning this weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Race weekend: Friday, Feb. 27 – Sunday, March 1 Track: Streets of St. Petersburg, 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit (clockwise) through downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, including a runway of Albert Whitted Airport Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 50 seconds of total time Hybrid energy deployment parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 310 kilojoules (kj) per lap Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary, five sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and two sets of alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend, with one new set used for qualifying. Another new set may be used during the race. Two carryover sets from the preseason test at Miami International Autodrome may be used during the prequalifying practices. X: @GPSTPETE, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR Instagram: @gpstpete, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR Facebook: @GPSTPETE, @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR TikTok: @IndyCar, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR YouTube: @INDYCAR, @greensavoreeracingpromotions Event website: www.gpstpete.com/INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com 2025 race winners:NTT INDYCAR SERIESAlex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)INDY NXT by FirestoneDennis Hauger (No. 28 Andretti Global) 2025 NTT P1 Award winner: Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet), 59.4624 seconds, 108.976 mph2025 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Dennis Hauger (No. 28 Andretti Global), 1 minute, 3.8801 seconds, 101.440 mph Qualifying records:NTT INDYCAR SERIESFelix Rosenqvist, 59.2706 seconds, 109.329 mph, March 9, 2024 (set in Round 2 of qualifying)INDY NXT by Firestone Dennis Hauger, 1 minute, 3.8801 seconds, 101.440 mph, March 1, 2025 FOX Sports telecast: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 1:35 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 9:35 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 4:35 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Warmup Show/Final Practice, 9 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1; Firestone Grand Prix of St, Petersburg, Noon ET, Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. | INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 12:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 8:30 a,m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 3:45 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race, 10 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter. INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Michael Young, Jake Query and Alex Hayden are the turn announcers. Alex Wollf and Ryan Myrehn are the pit reporters. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practices, qualifying sessions and races are available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA .At-track schedule (All Times Local/Eastern Time): Friday, Feb. 27 12:30-1:15 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, FS2 1:35-3 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (two groups), FS2 Saturday, Feb. 28 8:35-9:15 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, FS1 9:35-11 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (two groups), FS1 3:45-4:15 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (Two groups, 10-minute session), FS2 4:35-6 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS2 Sunday, March 1 9:05-9:35 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, FS1 10:06 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (45 laps / 81 miles / 55 minutes), FS1, FOX One and FOX Sports App (Live) Noon – FOX Sports on air 12:22 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines.” 12:29 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps / 181 miles), FOX, FOX Sports Deportes, FOX One and FOX Sports App (Live) “WHAT TO LOOK FOR” AT ST. PETERSBURG: Palou begins historic title chase: Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou arrives at the season opener as the defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion for the fourth time in five seasons. The four-time series champion from Spain (2021, 2023-25) will look to make history by becoming the first driver since Sebastien Bourdais won four titles in a row for Newman/Haas Racing from 2004-07. Dixon eyeing first St. Pete win: Scott Dixon has six NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships, which trails only the seven INDYCAR SERIES titles collected by A.J. Foyt. His 59 wins rank second on the all-time INDYCAR SERIES victory list, behind Foyt’s 67. However, the streets of St. Petersburg might be his kryptonite. It is one of five tracks on the schedule where Dixon is winless and the one where he has the most starts (21). Dixon has been successful on the streets of St. Petersburg. Dixon has five runner-up finishes at the circuit and has an average finish of 7.33 in his 21 previous starts. He has finished in the top 10 in his last 10 starts, including second in 2025. Power plays poles at will: Will Power is the greatest qualifier in modern INDYCAR SERIES history, as his 71 career poles are the INDYCAR SERIES record. The tale of Power’s qualifying success is best told through the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, where he has won nine of the last 16 poles. The only drivers to score a pole in the last 10 years in St. Petersburg not named Will Power are Robert Wickens in 2018, Colton Herta in 2021, Romain Grosjean in 2023, Josef Newgarden in 2024 and Scott McLaughlin in 2022 and 2025. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be the 23rd INDYCAR SERIES race on the streets of St. Petersburg. Alex Palou won the 2025 race, while Scott McLaughlin won the NTT P1 Award. Paul Tracy won the inaugural INDYCAR SERIES race on Feb. 23, 2003, under CART sanction, while Sebastien Bourdais started from the pole that year.The St. Petersburg INDYCAR SERIES race has been held every year since 2003, except in 2004. No driver has competed in every St. Petersburg race, but Scott Dixon has started 21 consecutive races.Will Power (2010, 2014) and Josef Newgarden (2019, 2020) are the only entered drivers to win at St. Petersburg more than once. Seven past winners are entered: Power, Newgarden, Graham Rahal (2008), Scott McLaughlin (2022), Marcus Ericsson (2023), Pato O’Ward (2024) and Alex Palou (2025).Team Penske has won at St. Petersburg 11 times, including seven of the last 14 races with Helio Castroneves (2012), Will Power (2014), Juan Pablo Montoya (2015-16), Josef Newgarden (2019-2020) and Scott McLaughlin (2022).Four drivers have won the race from the pole – Helio Castroneves (2007), Will Power (2010), Colton Herta (2021) and Scott McLaughlin (2022). The St. Petersburg winner has qualified fourth in five of the last 21 races. Milestones: Scott Dixon is expected to make his 420th INDYCAR SERIES start, extending his INDYCAR SERIES record. Dixon has made 356 consecutive starts heading into the weekend, which is the longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Rookies Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger and Mick Schumacher will make their NTT INDYCAR SERIES debuts at St. Petersburg. Both Collet and Hauger have raced at St. Pete in INDY NXT by Firestone. INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:Season starter: INDY NXT by Firestone drops the green flag on a new season on the streets of St. Petersburg for the 14th time in series history. The 17-race 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone calendar brings the series to many of North America’s most revered tracks joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES at the streets of St. Petersburg, Streets of Arlington, Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, streets of Detroit, World Wide Technology Raceway, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Nashville Superspeedway, Portland International Raceway, Milwaukee Mile and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.Local favorite: Nikita Johnson of Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR is one of five native Floridians competing this weekend in INDY NXT by Firestone. The 17-year-old from St. Petersburg made his series debut in his hometown event in 2025 and won races at St. Petersburg in the series that feed INDY NXT. Other Florida drivers in the field include second-year driver JM Correa and rookie drivers Alessandro de Tullio, Enzo Fittipaldi and Max Garcia. All four hail from Miami.International flair: This weekend’s race will feature drivers representing nine countries. A total of 13 drivers represent the United States. There are three drivers from Australia, two from Mexico and one each from Brazil, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Scotland. Welcome back: For the third consecutive season, INDY NXT by Firestone welcomes a new team to the paddock. Former series champions AJ Foyt Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing return to the series in 2026, running a pair of full-time cars beginning at St. Petersburg. The Foyt team won the first INDYCAR-sanctioned development series title in 2002. Indianapolis 500 competitor Cusick Morgan Motorsports also debuts in the series with a two-car effort.St. Pete precursor? Since 2005, a driver who won at least one race at St. Petersburg has gone on to win the INDY NXT by Firestone title seven times, the most recent being Dennis Hauger, who won the race in 2025. |
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 