Community Kickoff Events Preceding Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding Race Weekend Announced

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INDYCAR Party in the Park and 5K Run on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track Return Thursday, Feb. 27th to North Straub Park

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2025) – INDYCAR Party in the Park and the 5K Run on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track will commence an action-packed Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding weekend on Thursday, Feb. 27. These community activities will take place in downtown St. Petersburg at North Straub Park and launch the festivities around the 21st annual running of this marquee motorsport event headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race. 
Open to the public, the fourth annual INDYCAR Party in the Park will feature special guests, including NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers, music, giveaways, food trucks and more. Race cars representing all series running on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding weekend schedule will also be on display for fans to view up close. The event will run from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. ET, but fans are encouraged to get downtown early as cars from nearly every competing INDYCAR team will parade northbound on Bayshore Dr. starting near The Dali Museum and ending in North Straub Park.
The free party will coincide with another community event, the 5K Run on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track. Open to both runners and walkers, the 5K will start and end on Bayshore Drive NE, adjacent to North Straub Park, and will join the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding race track at Turn 9 on Central Avenue.
Part of the INDYCAR Party in the Park festivities will include recognizing 5K participants on stage. Registrations for the 5K are available while supplies last at gpstpete5k.com. The 2024 charity run/walk sold out as 1,200 participants took to the circuit. Registration is $40 in advance or $50 the day of the event, and all proceeds will benefit the Police Athletic League (PAL) of St. Petersburg, supporting its many programs positively impacting local children and teenagers.
“Bringing the fans and local community together downtown to kick off the race weekend has become another great Grand Prix tradition. These unique fan-focused events allow for up-close access to the cars, drivers and the track itself,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding.
“We encourage everyone in the area to join us downtown on the 27th and at the track throughout the weekend for all the excitement!”
The weekend, of course, also features plenty of high-speed racing along the picturesque downtown St. Petersburg waterfront. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will headline the action as the premier open-wheel series in North American opens its season in St. Pete for the 15th time on Sunday, March 2. The racing schedule will also feature the sport’s rising stars as INDY NXT by Firestone, USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire speed through the downtown streets. Additionally, Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin will provide fender-bending sports car competition. 
Both 3-Day and Single Day Grandstand and General Admission tickets are available starting as low as $30. The festival grounds feature many great General Admission viewing areas including access to the Horse Soldier Bourbon Waterside Club floating bar at Turn 11, the trackside Ultra Party Pit along the front straight and more activations and fan gathering points to be announced soon. Fans looking to enhance their experience and get up close to the action can also purchase Firestone IndyCar Paddock Passes. Pit Passes, Rookie Racers memberships and VIP Club passes are sold out. Checkered Flag Club spots remain for those looking for exclusive hospitality options. 
For complete pricing, schedule and festival information, visit gpstpete.com. Follow the event on social media using @gpstpete and #FirestoneGP for the latest updates. Joining the E-Club also provides insider access to the latest news and offers.
About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding:
The 21st annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding airs live on a national broadcast on FOX. FOX Sports named the race one of its “50 Events You Can’t Miss in 2025.” The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration that uses the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runway at Albert Whitted Airport, and borders the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina.
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 4-6, 2025), Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto (July 18-20, 2025) and BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 8-10, 2025).
For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @GPSTPETE or follow the event on X at @GPSTPETE and Instagram at @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.

Andretti Liveries- Something, Something New

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Andretti Global revealed their 2025 liveries yesterday. Colton Herta’s number 26 remains pretty much the same, while Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson will sport combinations of red, white, and black. on the 27 and 28.

Auto Nation dropped its sponsorship of the 27, so Kirkwood will drive with Chili’s sponsorship. Ericsson now carries primary sponsorship from Bryant heating and Cooling, which has been an associate sponsor.

I’m glad that the cars of Kirkwood and Ericsson have different combinations of the red,white, and black. There are plenty of red and white cars on the grid already with paint schemes that are very similar.

News and Notes- Cindric Steps Back; Museum Sells Cars

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Tim Cindric will remain as President of Team Penske’s IndyCar operations, but he is relinquishing his duties overseeing the other Penske racing efforts.

In a statement released a couple days ago, Cindric said,

“I have lived my dream job for the past 25 years as the overall leader of the Penske Racing organization. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the best people in the business while achieving many milestones together. I’ve decided I need to make a change that provides me with the flexibility I need at this stage of my career. I appreciate the understanding Roger has provided throughout our conversations and I’m confident this team will continue to succeed as we have a proven leadership team in all areas.”

Managing a racing team in one category is hard work. I can’t imagine being responsible for several different motorsports entities. It’s nice to see someone realize what their needs are and make those needs a priority. I also couldn’t imagine Penske IndyCar without Cindric. I’m glad it is what he chose to stay with.

IMS Museum Auction

The IMS Museum is auctioning cars not related to the Speedway or the Indianapolis 500. Their goal is to raise $100 million for their endowment fund. The Museum will use the funds to buy more Indy related cars and restore their current collection.

The cars going to auction throught R M Sotheby Auctioin House:

  • 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 R Streamliner Formula 1 car
  • 1964 Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250 LM
  • 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II
  • 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS Project XP-64
  • 1908 Mercedes 17.3-Liter 150 HP ‘Brookland’ Semmering Rennwagen
  • 1907 Itala 120 HP Works Racing Car
  • 1930 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix
  • 1991 Benetton B191 Formula 1
  • 1965 Spirit of America Sonic I
  • 1911 Mercedes 22/40 HP ‘Colonial’ Double Phaeton
  • 1911 Laurin & Klement Type S2 Sportswagen

The 1954 Mercedes is the star of the lot expected to go for more than $52 million.

UPDATE– The 1954 Mercedes has sold for $ 51.15 million

The cars made rare appearances on the display floor. I was fortunate enough to see them all when I took the basement tours which was offered a few years ago.

I understand the Museum’s reasons for selling these cars, but I didn’t think it hurt to have a car or two in their collection that wasn’t an Indy car.

Getting Closer

The Firestone Grand prix of St, Petersburg is just 28 days away. This Thursday, February 6, the event will hold its “First Block ceremony, where the first section of wall is put in place on the back stretch. Andretti driver Kyle Kirkwood is expected to attend along with drivers from he other series who will race that weekend.

Rolex 24 Wrap Up-A Penske Repeat; Late Update: Tower Disqualified

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A late update: Tower Motorsports gas been disqualified from its LMP2 win, and the victory in the class goes to United Autosport car 22

Daniel Goldburg, Paul di Resta, Rasmus Lindh and James Allen were 44 seconds behind at the finish. The disqualification was due to excessive wear on on a skid block.

This time it wasn’t as close, and the race actually went the entire 24 hours. The Penske Porsches both finished on the podium in GTP, with 7 car driven by Nick Tandy, Felipe Nasr, and Laurens Vanthoor coming home first. It was Vanthoor’s first Rolex win.

Meyer Shank’s number 60 Acura spoiled a Penske 1-2 by getting by car 6 late in the race. It was a triumphant return to IMSA for the Meyer Shank team, who sat out last year after being disqualified from the win in 2023. The team included IndyCar drivers Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist, who joined regular drivers Colin Braun and Tom Blomqvist.

There was high attrition and 14 yellow flag periods, which seemed like more as several came in rapid succession in the middle of the night. 16 cars dropped out of the race, and several others got repaired and returned to action. A five car crash in turn 1 in the ninth hour took out cars from the top three classes. There was an audible groan from the crowd in the plaza watching on the jumbotron when AO Racing’s number 77 Porsche, “Rexy,” was involved.

As usual, the Rolex 24 is 21 and a half hours of getting into position to contend during the last 150 minutes. As usual, it was a show worth waiting for. It was evident most of the race that GTP would come down to four cars- the Porsches, an Acura, and the number 24 BMW. The BMW faded from the group with about three hours left, but by then it was clear that the 7 was the best car. The fight was for second, and the Acura prevailed.

Night racing is the best.

In LMP2, Sebastien Bourdais adde to his Rolex collection in the Tower motorsports entry. He teamed with John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez, and Job Van Uitert.

GTD Pro saw a classic battle between Corvette and Mustang, which was fun to watch. The Mustang, in only its second year in IMSA, won, and the other team car finished third. Winning drivers in car 65 were Christoopher Mies, Dennis Olsen, and Frederic Vervisch.

Corvette prevailed in GTD, however, with the AWA entry, Drivers Marvin Kirchhofer, Lars Kern, Orey Fidani, and Matthew Bell piloted the car.

Alex Palou drove the number 93 Acura. The car encountered issues and finished 40 laps off the pace. Scott McLaughlin’s team finished ninth in GTD Pro.in the Trackhouse Corvette.

Notes

The amount of cautions allowed the leaders to complete only781 laps. Only the top three cars were on the lead lap at the finish.

The Lamborghini team, with Romain Grosjean as one of the drivers, did not last long and was the first car to retire.

Attendance at the Rolex 24 seems to grow each year. It is getting to the point where the track needs to exert more crowd control, especially in the general camping areas. I think reserved camping spots for everyone should be implemented. Humans are territorial by nature, and some seem to be trying to take more space than they need.

The grid walk gets more crowded every year.

Ask First -AO Racing reported that fans took some damaged parts from Rexy’s crashed car without permission. While some teams are happy to give away some parts, fans need to ask before they tak anything. Some teams can’t afford to give away anything, even if it is damaged. I would hate to see a ban on giving parts away to fans, but if this continues, the track and series might have to say no more giveaways.

Penske Entertainment as Promoter- A Good Move

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A couple of das ago Penske Entertainment announced that they were taking over the promotion of the Music City Grand Prix. Scott Borchetta and Big Machine Records will still be the title sponsor. Penske now has a promotional stake in Long Beach, Thermal, the races at IMS, Detroit, Iowa, and Milwaukee-seven venues accounting for eight races.

Nathan Brown reported in the Indianapolis Star that one of the reasons for the takeover of Nashville is that Borchetta wanted assurances that the championship would come down to being decided at Nashville. Since the title has gone to the final race in 18 of the last 19 seasons, I’m not sure what he was worried about. Alex Palou clinched the title in 2023 with one race to go. Other than that, the last race determined the championship.

I am happy that the series quashed that idea. It would have meant some sort of playoff, which I thin k would be hard to do in a 17 race schedule. Penske Entertainment presents a very good event. Things run smoothly for the most part, and the company seems to understand what fans out of a race weekend.

While it is unlikely that Penske Entertainment will eventually promote all the races, the ones they have in their control are the ones that need to be. Green Savoree, which owns St. Pete, Mid Ohio, Toronto, and Portland, does a fine job promoting their events. World Wide Technology Raceway, Road America, and Barber also have done a great job drawing fans.

I ave always wondered why the entity in charge of the IndyCar series did not do more to promote the races rather than leave it completely upto the track promoter. Many were very good, but as times changed, IndyCar has been slow to catch up. I’m glad to see that the series is finally exerting more control over their events.

as😘

Penske Entertainment as Promoter- A Good Move

thepitwindow

A couple of das ago Penske Entertainment announced that they were taking over the promotion of the Music City Grand Prix. Scott Borchetta and Big Machine Records will still be the title sponsor. Penske now has a promotional stake in Long Beach, Thermal, the races at IMS, Detroit, Iowa, and Milwaukee-seven venues accounting for eight races.

Nathan Brown reported in the Indianapolis Star that one of the reasons for the takeover of Nashville is that Borchetta wanted assurances that the championship would come down to being decided at Nashville. Since the title has gone to the final race in 18 of the last 19 seasons, I’m not sure what he was worried about. Alex Palou clinched the title in 2023 with one race to go. Other than that, the last race determined the championship.

I am happy that the series quashed that idea. It would have meant some sort of playoff, which I thin k would be hard to do in a 17 race schedule. Penske Entertainment presents a very good event. Things run smoothly for the most part, and the company seems to understand what fans out of a race weekend.

While it is unlikely that Penske Entertainment will eventually promote all the races, the ones they have in their control are the ones that need to be. Green Savoree, which owns St. Pete, Mid Ohio, Toronto, and Portland, does a fine job promoting their events. World Wide Technology Raceway, Road America, and Barber also have done a great job drawing fans.

I ave always wondered why the entity in charge of the IndyCar series did not do more to promote the races rather than leave it completely upto the track promoter. Many were very good, but as times changed, IndyCar has been slow to catch up. I’m glad to see that the series is finally exerting more control over their events.

as😘

Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Event Update 

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Editor’s note: Apparently there is more to the story. I’ll elaborate tomorrow night.

From IMS

 All Roads Lead to Nashville for 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Finale

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025) – Penske Entertainment Corp. and Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta jointly announced today an updated event structure for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix:
Penske Entertainment will assume responsibility for the promotion of the race weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.
Big Machine will remain the event’s entitlement partner, continuing to enhance the event’s connectivity to the entertainment industry and downtown Nashville.
Penske Entertainment executive Anne Fischgrund has been named president of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.
Big Machine served as the original entitlement partner for the event across its first three editions and stepped up in an additional promoter capacity as the race weekend transitioned to Nashville Superspeedway last year. Moving forward, its continued involvement as entitlement partner will be an asset for exciting musical programming and to showcase the brands’ artists, products and community endeavors.
“All things” Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta also will serve as a liaison to Nashville’s entertainment community and civic leaders, keeping the event fully connected to the Music City.
Following a successful debut at famed Nashville Superspeedway this past season, the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will continue as the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES finale, taking place Sunday, Aug. 31 with a national network showcase on FOX. The 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone finale will precede the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship race that day.
“Year one at Nashville Superspeedway was a tremendous success, thanks in great part to the terrific partnership and strong leadership exhibited by Scott Borchetta and his team at Big Machine,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles.
“As we grow our event portfolio at Penske Entertainment, it’s strategically important to take the reins of our season finale at such an exciting and renowned racetrack. And to see the relationship with Big Machine carry forward through this continued partnership only underscores the growth opportunities before us in the Music City.”
A thrilling 2024 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix championship finale produced the best INDYCAR SERIES numbers on record at Nashville Superspeedway, including the most on-track passes, passes for position, passes in the top 10 and passes in the top five. Colton Herta picked up his first win on an oval while Alex Palou celebrated his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.The event also was highlighted by a street festival alongside Nashville’s iconic honky-tonks, including the Battle on Broadway Pit Stop Challenge, to begin championship weekend.
“We are very proud to continue our relationship with INDYCAR and build from our record-breaking 2024 season finale as the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix becomes a true crown jewel for Nashville, Middle Tennessee and global motorsports fans,” Borchetta said.
“We will also continue to produce the incredibly successful downtown street party, which will serve as the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix kickoff event, on Friday, Aug. 29, so make plans to be with us!”
Additionally, veteran motorsports executive Anne Fischgrund assumes the role of president of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. Fischgrund is relocating from Indianapolis to Nashville after her successful tenure as the general manager of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway.
Penske Entertainment continues to prioritize an enhanced NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar, leveraging new partnerships and strategic investments. In October, it unveiled the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington, powered through a first-of-its-kind joint venture with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. In November, it announced the acquisition of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach ahead of its epic 50th anniversary edition this April.
This year, all 17 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races will be broadcast on FOX, beginning with the season opener Sunday, March 2 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on the streets of St. Petersburg. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the only premier motorsport series in North America with all races broadcasting on network television.
The full 2025 schedule is available here. 

Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Event Update 

thepitwindow

Editor’s note: Apparently there is more to the story. I’ll elaborate tomorrow night.

From IMS

 All Roads Lead to Nashville for 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Finale

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025) – Penske Entertainment Corp. and Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta jointly announced today an updated event structure for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix:
Penske Entertainment will assume responsibility for the promotion of the race weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.
Big Machine will remain the event’s entitlement partner, continuing to enhance the event’s connectivity to the entertainment industry and downtown Nashville.
Penske Entertainment executive Anne Fischgrund has been named president of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.
Big Machine served as the original entitlement partner for the event across its first three editions and stepped up in an additional promoter capacity as the race weekend transitioned to Nashville Superspeedway last year. Moving forward, its continued involvement as entitlement partner will be an asset for exciting musical programming and to showcase the brands’ artists, products and community endeavors.
“All things” Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta also will serve as a liaison to Nashville’s entertainment community and civic leaders, keeping the event fully connected to the Music City.
Following a successful debut at famed Nashville Superspeedway this past season, the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will continue as the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES finale, taking place Sunday, Aug. 31 with a national network showcase on FOX. The 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone finale will precede the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship race that day.
“Year one at Nashville Superspeedway was a tremendous success, thanks in great part to the terrific partnership and strong leadership exhibited by Scott Borchetta and his team at Big Machine,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles.
“As we grow our event portfolio at Penske Entertainment, it’s strategically important to take the reins of our season finale at such an exciting and renowned racetrack. And to see the relationship with Big Machine carry forward through this continued partnership only underscores the growth opportunities before us in the Music City.”
A thrilling 2024 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix championship finale produced the best INDYCAR SERIES numbers on record at Nashville Superspeedway, including the most on-track passes, passes for position, passes in the top 10 and passes in the top five. Colton Herta picked up his first win on an oval while Alex Palou celebrated his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.The event also was highlighted by a street festival alongside Nashville’s iconic honky-tonks, including the Battle on Broadway Pit Stop Challenge, to begin championship weekend.
“We are very proud to continue our relationship with INDYCAR and build from our record-breaking 2024 season finale as the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix becomes a true crown jewel for Nashville, Middle Tennessee and global motorsports fans,” Borchetta said.
“We will also continue to produce the incredibly successful downtown street party, which will serve as the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix kickoff event, on Friday, Aug. 29, so make plans to be with us!”
Additionally, veteran motorsports executive Anne Fischgrund assumes the role of president of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. Fischgrund is relocating from Indianapolis to Nashville after her successful tenure as the general manager of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway.
Penske Entertainment continues to prioritize an enhanced NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar, leveraging new partnerships and strategic investments. In October, it unveiled the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington, powered through a first-of-its-kind joint venture with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. In November, it announced the acquisition of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach ahead of its epic 50th anniversary edition this April.
This year, all 17 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races will be broadcast on FOX, beginning with the season opener Sunday, March 2 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on the streets of St. Petersburg. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the only premier motorsport series in North America with all races broadcasting on network television.
The full 2025 schedule is available here. 

Rolex 24 Preview

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Photo – IMSA

Nine fulltime IndyCar drivers from last season and a half dozen others who drove at some point in the series in 2024 will race this weekend in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

IndyCar team owners also have entries in the 61-car field, with Meyer Shank returning to competition and Chip Ganassi Racing out for this year. Penske will field two Porsches, Rahal has 2 BMWs and Meyer Shank returns with 2 Acuras in the GTP class.

Andretti Global still has a stake in Wayne Taylor Racing’s 2 Cadillac entries.

BMW was strong during the Roar this past weekend, as were the Porsches from Proton and JDC-Miller.

IndyCar Drivers

The IndyCar drivers by class, car number, and manufacturer

GTP

60- Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist Acura

63- Romain Grosjean Lamborghini

93- Alex Palou Acura

LMP 2

04 Colton Herta

8 Sebastien Bourdais

71- Hunter McElrea

73- Callum Ilott, Pietro Fittipaldi

99- Christian Rasmussen

GTD Pro

14- Kyle Kirkwood, Townsend Bell Lexus

91- Scott McLaughlin Corvette

GTD

12- Kirkwood Lexus

Kirkwood will be driving both Vasser Sullivan cars.

Other drivers of note to watch:

Former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen in the BMW number 24.

Australian Supercar champion Shane van Gisbergen and teen sensation Connor Zilisch on Scott McLaughlin’s team.

Weather

Weather usually comes into play during the weekend, and as of now rain could affect qualifying. Saturday and Sunday look dry but cooler than normal. The temperature at the start of the race should be around 60 degrees, drop to the upper 40s overnight, and finish with the air at 65 degrees.

There has been worse weather for the race, both precipitation and temperature wise, but I think the event would be better served by moving it to the first weekend in February. Florida begins to warm as the second month of the year begins.

Coverage

Qualifying on Thursday will be streamed live on Peacock, beginning at 2:05 pm Eastern.

The entire race will be streamed on Peacock, IMSA TV, and YouTube.

Over the air coverage:

All times eastern

NBC

Saturday

1:30 pm-2:30 pm

Sunday

Noon-2:00 pm

USA Network

Saturday

2:30 pm-6:30 pm