Today’s Schedule Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:

Warmup and IndyNXT race on FS1; IndyCar race on FOX.

The waiting and wondering is over. The 2026 NTT IndyCar series begins just after noon today. There were many storylines coming into the weekend- Alex Palou’s quest for four titles in a row, Team Penske looking to rebound from a subpar 2025, Will power’s move to Andretti- and more were added yesterday as a result of qualifying.
How will Dennis Hauger race after a spectacular qualifying run? Is Josef Newgarden in for another difficult year? Is Meyer Shank racing in for a very good season?

Tire strategy is key in today’s race with the two mandated stints on alternate tires. Some teams may not have an idea of what to do until after the morning warmup. If it comes down to tie calls, Plou has the upper hand, but with Tim Cindric calling the shots for McLaughlin, don’t count them out, either.

Today is just one race, bu some teams are poised to enter the conversation. We will have a better idea at the end of this month where things are headed, but today let’s enjoy the race.

I’ll be back with the starting tire selections ariund 11 am Eastern.