Tag: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding

Grosjean on Pole for St. Pete

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Romain Grosjean survived a crash filled fast Six to win the pole for tomorrow’s Firestone Grand Prtix of St. Petersburg. It is his second career pole. Grosjwean led a trio of Andretti Autosport cars in the Fast Six. Teammate Colton Herta will start second. Kyle Kirkwood will start sixth after a crash early in the final round.

The top six:

Romain Grosjean 59.5532 seconds

Colton Herta 59.96871::

Pato O’Ward 1:00.163

Marcus Ericsson !:00,4435

Scott McLaughlin No Time

Kyle Kirkwood No Time

Notes

The second round featured three cars from Andretti, three from Arrow Mclaremand three from Ganassi. Team Penske had just two cars advance- McLaughlin and Will Power.

Kyle Kirkwood had a great weekend going until he locked up the brakes and hit the wall on the first lap of the Fast Six. I still think he will have a strong race tomorrow.

We may be seeing the beginning of a rivalry between Arrow McLaren and Andretti. The teams have had the strongest cars all weekend. Whar=t a great story to dollow this year.

Grosjean’s pole is the 50th for the Andretti organization.

I tried following qualifying on the updated Indycar app. There are still some bugs to work out. The session time always started at 15:00 minutes and didn’t correct until about four minutes remained. The positions updated slowly, with a driver listed twice as his spot changed.

The new qualifying procedure did not profuce a radical change from the past.

The lineup sopuld make for a very interesting race tomorrow. Tire strategy and how the cautions fall-and there will be cautions- will determine the outcome.

Rinus VeeKay felt his lap was hindered and cost him a chanc to advance. He will start 24th. Veekay was in the top six early in his round 1 group and poised for a final run.

Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Fast Facts

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From Indycar:

Race weekend: Friday, March 3 – Sunday, March 5

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

Race distance: 100 laps / 180 miles (NTT INDYCAR SERIES) | 45 laps / 81 miles / 55 minutes (INDY NXT by Firestone)

Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum single duration of 15 seconds. The push-to-pass is not available on the initial start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation

Firestone tire allotment (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Six primary sets, five alternate sets (teams must return a set of each before qualifying). One additional set of primary tires is available to rookie drivers for use in the Friday afternoon practice session.

Twitter: @GPSTPETE, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR, #INDYNXT

Instagram: @GPSTPETE,@INDYCAR, @INDYNXT #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR, #INDYNXT

Facebook: @GPSTPETE, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT  #FirestoneGP, #INDYCAR, #INDYNXT

TikTok: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT #FirestoneGP #INDYCAR, #INDYNXT

YouTube: @INDYCAR, @greensavoreeracingpromotions

Event website: www.gpstpete.com

INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com

2022 race winners:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet)

INDY NXT by Firestone

Matthew Brabham (No. 83 Andretti Autosport)

2022 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet), 59.4821 seconds, 108.940 mph

Qualifying records:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Will Power, 59.3466 seconds; 109.189 mph, Feb. 26, 2022 (set in Round 2 of qualifying)

INDY NXT by Firestone

David Malukas, 1 minute, 4.6491 seconds, 100.233 mph, April 23, 2021

NBC Sports telecast: Race, noon ET Sunday, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Marty Snider, Kevin Lee and Dave Burns are the pit reporters. Telemundo Deportes on Universo will provide a Spanish-language telecast.

Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions, qualifying and races as well as INDY NXT by Firestone races will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman, Jake Query and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn, Alex Wollf and Georgia Henneberry 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 160 and SiriusXM NBC Sports Audio 85, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practice and qualifying sessions and races are available on racecontrol.indycar.com, the INDYCAR App and SiriusXM 160.

At-track schedule (All Times Local/Eastern Time):

Friday, March 3

1:55-2:40 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE

3-4:15 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock

Saturday, March 4

9-9:45 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice, INDYCAR LIVE

10-11 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (Limited guarantee of 45 minutes of green flag time), Peacock

1:35-1:55 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (15-minute session or eight minutes of green condition, whichever comes first), INDYCAR LIVE

2:15-3:30 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock

Sunday, March 5

9-9:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, Peacock

10 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (45 laps / 81 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock (Live)

Noon – NBC Sports on air

12:23 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”

12:30 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (100 laps / 181 miles), NBC, Telemundo Deportes on Universo and Peacock (Live)

“3 THINGS TO LOOK FOR” AT ST. PETERSBURG:

1. Can anyone dethrone the kings? Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske have won the past 10 titles with Scott Dixon, Will Power and Josef Newgarden combining for eight of them.

So, who breaks the streak? It’s best to look Arrow McLaren, where Alexander Rossi (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet), Felix Rosenqvist (No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) and Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) are employed, or Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda).

Those four drivers were the highest-placed drivers in the championship who didn’t drive for Team Penske or Chip Ganassi in 2022. Herta, O’Ward and Rossi are the only three in that group to find victory last season.

Just remember, if you come for the kings, you better not miss.

2. Power Plays Poles at Will. Will Power is the greatest qualifier in modern INDYCAR SERIES history, as his 68 career poles are the all-time series record.

The tale of Power’s qualifying success can best be told through the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, where he has won nine of the last 13 poles.

The only drivers to score a pole in the last 10 years in St. Petersburg not named Will Power are Takuma Sato in 2014, Robert Wickens in 2018, Colton Herta in 2021 and Scott McLaughlin last season. In total, Team Penske has won the pole position in 11 of the past 16 St. Petersburg races.

Power has scored at least one pole position in each season since 2009, including five NTT P1 Awards last year. It’s a sure bet that the reigning series champion will add to his record this season, and don’t be surprised if it starts during NTT P1 Award qualifying Saturday afternoon.

3. Dixon seeks his first win on the streets of St. Petersburg. Who wouldn’t take Scott Dixon’s resume as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver?

He has six NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships, which trails only the seven INDYCAR SERIES titles collected by A.J. Foyt. His 53 wins rank second on the all-time INDYCAR SERIES victory list, behind Foyt’s 67, but Dixon has never won at St. Petersburg.

Still, he has been successful on the streets of the Florida Gulf Coast city.

Dixon has four runner-up finishes at the circuit and has an average finish of 7.88 in his 18 previous starts. He has finished in the top 10 in his last seven starts.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:

  • The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding will be the 20th INDYCAR SERIES race on the streets of St. Petersburg, dating to 2003. Scott McLaughlin won the 2022 race after starting from the pole position. Paul Tracy won the inaugural 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 run every year since 2003 except for 2004. No driver has competed in every St. Petersburg race, but Scott Dixon has started 18 consecutive races.
  • The 27-car field for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is the largest NTT INDYCAR SERIES field at St. Petersburg. The previous high for the race was 26 in 2008, 2012 and 2022.
  • Helio Castroneves (2006, 2007 and 2012), Will Power (2010 and 2014) and Josef Newgarden (2019-2020) are the only entered drivers to win at St. Petersburg more than once. Six past winners are entered: Castroneves, Power, Newgarden, Graham Rahal (2008), Colton Herta (2021) and McLaughlin.
  • For the first time since 2015, Team Penske’s Will Power arrives at the season opener as the defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion. The two-time champion made history in 2022 as he became INDYCAR’s all-time qualifying king by winning his record-setting 68th pole in September at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where he also clinched the title. He will look for more history by becoming the first to repeat champion since Dario Franchitti won three in a row from 2009-11.
  • Team Penske has won at St. Petersburg 11 times, including seven of the last 11 races with Castroneves (2012), Power (2014), Juan Pablo Montoya (2015-16), Newgarden (2019-2020) and McLaughlin (2022).
  • Four drivers have won the race from the pole – Castroneves (2007), Power (2010), Herta (2021) and McLaughlin (2022). The St. Petersburg winner has qualified fourth in four of the last 10 seasons.
  • Dixon is expected to make his 369th INDYCAR SERIES start, tying A.J. Foyt for fourth on the all-time list.
  • Dixon has made 305 consecutive starts heading into the weekend, which is the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.
  • Simon Pagenaud is scheduled to make his 200th INDYCAR SERIES start.
  • Rookies Marcus Armstrong, Agustin Canapino, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb will make their NTT INDYCAR SERIES debuts at St. Petersburg.
  • The NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ 100% Renewable Race Fuel will make its competition debut in St. Petersburg. Created by Shell, this new product consists of a blend of second-generation ethanol derived from sugarcane waste and other biofuels to create a fuel that is 100% comprised of feedstocks categorized as renewable under the applicable regulatory frameworks. The fuel will enable a 60% life cycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to fossil-based gasoline.
  • As with all street courses on the 2023 schedule, the Firestone Firehawk alternate tire will be made with sustainable, domestically sourced guayule rubber. For the 2023 season, Firestone will supply more than 1,900 tires using a sidewall material made exclusively with rubber derived from the guayule woody desert shrub grown on the company’s own farm in Eloy, Arizona. The initiative builds on the 2022 competitive debut of guayule race tires at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville last August.

INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:

  • The 19-car field for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is the largest INDY NXT by Firestone field at St. Petersburg since 2009.
  • The 2023 season features a deep and talented field with INDY NXT race winners such as Hunter McElrea, Danial Frost and Christian Rasmussen joining a promising rookie class that includes Jamie Chadwick (three-time W Series champ), Louis Foster (USF Pro 2000 champ), Jagger Jones (USF2000 Rookie of the Year) and rising stars Nolan Siegel (USF Pro 2000) and Josh Pierson (World Endurance Championship’s youngest winner). Other contenders include returning drivers Jacob Abel, Rasmus Lindh, Kyffin Simpson and Ernie Francis Jr.
  • Two teams with championship pedigree have rejoined the series for 2023. Two-time champions Juncos Hollinger Racing will field a pair of cars for rookies Reece Gold and Matteo Naninni. Cape Motorsports – which last fielded a team in the INDY NXT in 2010, will field cars for Enaam Ahmed and Jones.
  • A new qualifying format will place a premium on banking a quick lap around the 1.8-mile street circuit. Teams will have a single 15-minute session or eight minutes of green flag running, whichever comes first. If an entry does not set a time, their order will be based on entrant points. (At St. Pete, it will be based on 2022’s entrant points.) If a team doesn’t have previous year points, then their spot will be placed after those that do.

Since 2005, the driver who won at least one of the races at St. Petersburg has gone on to win the INDY NXT by Firestone title six times, the most recent being Kyle Kirkwood, who won the first race of the doubleheader in 2021.

Grosjean Sees Stronger Season for Himself, Andretti

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Romain Grosjean came away from the Spring Training tests at The Thermal Club optimistic about the upcoming NTT Indycar season. I spoke with at the St. Pete track build, where the driver of the number 28 DH car for Andretti Autosport represented the series.

He enjoyed his time with Lamborghini at Daytona, but is now fully focused on having his best Indycar season.

About Thermal Club, Grosjean found it “different or better than what we expected really. The facility was amazing , the track was actually pretty good for testing so we actually learned a fair bit of stuff from the two days of of testing.”

Grosjean at Long Beach last year. He finished second.

Grosjean said the team left California ahead of where they were at this point in 2022.

“We have a better baseline that we had last year,” Grosjean said. “We have one more test in Sebring before coming here. We’re going to work on our street setup. Last year we were quite competitive. We should have won Long Beach, almost had the pole in Nashville, so we know on street courses we’re pretty good.”

The team’s dynamic is “pretty good I like Kirkwood andColton as well as Devlin. We’re good, we’ve got a good team. I’m excited to get the season going.”

Grosjean hopes to score his first Indycar win in 2023, but admits it is going to be tough with 27 cars.

5K Returns to St. Pete; Party in the Park Moves to Thursday

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From the firestone grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding:

INDYCAR Party in the Park and Wellcare Ambetter Health 5K set for Thursday, March 2 in downtown St. Petersburg
Community events will kick off the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding Weekend
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2023) – INDYCAR Party in the Park will kick off the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding weekend on Thursday, March 2. This free community activity will launch the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season-opening event held annually in downtown St. Petersburg and will take place in North Straub Park, positioned between Bayshore Dr. NE and Beach Dr. NE along the waterfront. Open to the public, the second annual INDYCAR Party in the Park will feature special guests, including NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers, music, giveaways, food and drink. Race cars 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 party will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. EST and will coincide with another community event, the Wellcare Ambetter Health 5K on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track. The 5K will start and end on Bay Shore 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 currently available online at 
gpstpete5k.com for $40 in advance, and all proceeds will benefit the Police Athletic League (PAL) of St. Petersburg, supporting its many programs positively impacting local children and teenagers. 
“We are excited to bring back these fantastic community events as we kick off both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding race weekend. It will be a fun, festive evening, and the party provides a great opportunity for fans to get up close to the race cars before they hit the track,” 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 urge everyone in the area to take advantage and come join us on the waterfront!”  

The 19th Annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding returns as the opening race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for the 13th time. The event also features five support racing series on track with ten total races set to take the green flag over the three-day weekend. Sunday, March 5th’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, broadcasted nationally on NBC, caps off an exciting race weekend with an approximate 12:30 p.m. EST start. The weekend also features INDYCAR’s future stars as INDY NXT by Firestone speeds through downtown. More of the sport’s rising open-wheel stars will battle in doubleheader races for both the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires series. The jam-packed schedule also includes sports car action with racing from Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich and SRO’s GT America powered by AWS.

INDYCAR PARTY IN THE PARK

 When: Thursday, March 2, 2023 
Time: 5:30-8 p.m. EST 
Location: North Straub Park, 400 Bayshore Drive NE, St.

Petersburg Visit indycar.com for more information about the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding and the latest news on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Tickets for the race start as low as $25. 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 NTT INDYCAR SERIES:The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series. It features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including two-time and reigning series champion Will Power, six-time series champion Scott Dixon, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and reigning “500” winner Marcus Ericsson – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2023 season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDYCAR, INDY NXT by Firestone, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.
About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:The 19th 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 temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. 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 INDYCAR SERIES races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (June 30-July 2, 2023), Honda Indy Toronto (July 14-16, 2023), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 1-3, 2023). 
For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.

One Step Closer to Opening Day- St. Pete Track Build Begins

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I have covered this event for five years now, and it really gets me excited for the beginning of the Indycar season. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg had its formal track build ceremony this morning. Today was actually the fourth day of the track building process. The front grandstands are up, and some of the back stretch walls are line the track, although they need to be moved into their correct position. The track footprint is visible.

The track typically takes 25 days to build, barring rain delays, and 12 days to tear down.

Kim Green one of the owners of Green Savoree, spoke about improvements and suite sales for the 19th race on the streets of St. Petersburg. Green said that some of the suites are sold out and the others are close to being full, and that there are just a few openings for boats in the marina. He added that multiple new grandstands will have five inches of additional leg room.

In addition to the North American viewing outlets, 200 global outlets will carry the race.

Kim Green opens the track

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch reiterated the city’s support for the event.

Mayor Ken Welch

For the first time since 2019 the 5k run will take place on Thursday, March 2. The race will be in conjunction with the Party in the Park. I will post he release with details tomorrow. The party will feature drivers and cars and is open to the public at no charge.

Andretti Autosport driver Romain Grosjean flew his plane into the airport as the event began, then walked over to the backstretch as the event began. His landing should have been recorded.

Romain Grosjean talks about his love for the St. Pete race.

Indy NXT driver Ernie Francis, Jr. also spoke.

Ernie Francis, Jr. is excited for his second year in Indy NXT.

Notes

The Dali Museum is expanding. I spoke with a source from the museum and with Kim Green and learned that the expansion will not affect the course of the track. Green said that they are working closely with the city on this. Spectators might find some inconvenience in the area near the paddock.

I have never seen so many members of the media at this event. There were maybe three times the number of outlets covering this than last year.

USF driver Nikita Johnson and Mazda MX-5 driver Tyler Gonzalez, who won that thrilling race in Daytona by 0.01 seconds, also were on hand. If you watch just one other race at St. Pete, watch the Mazda Mx-5 race. This series puts on a great show.

I spoke with Grosjean and Francis, Jr. I will share what they said tomorrow. Thanks for following along today. It’s just 24 days until race day.

A Perfect Race Weekend- St. Pete Wrap Up

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Photo: Scott McLaughlin at the post race press conference.

Race weekends just don’t get any better than the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding that concluding with a very good race yesterday.

Scott McLaughlin won his first Indycar race by hitting the correct pit strategy and holding off defending series champion Alex Palou by 0.5 seconds. The race was a fascinating ix of pit strategies, complicated by the race’s only caution flag, which happened at the start of the first pit window.

Scott McLaughlin leads Alex Palou in the closing laps. Turn 10 saw a lot of passes for position Sunday.

Huge Crowds

The race, however, was just one part of what made the final weekend of February so special. The crowd was definitely a record. I have been going to this race since 2013, and I have not seen a crowd this size in St. Pete. Indycar officials say attendance was up 49% from the 140,000 in 2019, the last pre pandemic race. In 2020 and 2021, the race had a limit of 20,000 fans each day.

I have never seen the turn 10 bleachers so full, and the general admission area in front of the Mahaffey Theater was packed.

Fans on the lawn just before the green flag.

The atmosphere at the track on Sunday felt like Race Day at IMS.

Party in the Park

The Grand Prix added a free event for fans Saturday afternoon. Party in the Park featured giveaways, including a two seater ride, show cars, and driver interviews. The event was well attended. I was pleased to see so many families there.

Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist talk to the crowd.
Half a dozen Indycars and and Indy Lights cars were on display.

Sirius XM I’s Indycar channel conducted driver interviews at the event. Tony Kanaan and Conor Daly were guests when I arrived.

After sunset fireworks lit up the harbor.

Ancillary events like Party in the Park are essential to the community involvement needed for a successful street race. The St. Petersburg race has grown steadily since I began attending. This year the event has begun to approach the level of Long Beach. I hope this trend continues.

Reunions

The season opener at St. Pete is always a time to see friends that you haven’t seen all winter. In 2022, the reunions were more special. I saw some dear friends I hadn’t been able to see in three years due to the pandemic. I am now more eager for the month of May, when I will be able to see even more friends in person.

Quick Thoughts- Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

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I like this trend. For the second year in a row, the winner of the season opener is a second year driver winning his first race. Scott McLaughlin had to battle Alex Palou for the win. It was not an easy win despite his starting from pole on a street course.

The battle for the lead over the last 15 laps was a great way to start the season.

I don’t recall a St. Pete race with just one yellow. The long green stints may have changed some strategy, which made this race intriguing.

Rinus VeeKay is back. He backed up a strong qualifying effort with a sixth place finish. VeeKay also led 13 laps during an extended stint.

Nice Debuts

In spite of several on track adventures in practice the last two days, Romain Grosjean had a solid debut with Andretti Autosport with a fifth place finish.

Takuma Sato earned a 10th place result after starting 22nd in his first race for Dale Coyne Racing.

Christian Lundgaard was the top finishing rookie in 11th.

Whatever Happened to…

Josef Newgarden was never a factor in the race. He started ninth, but went to an alternate three stop strategy, which had him mired in 16th at the end. newgarden has seemed a step behind his teammates all weekend.

Alexander Rossi dropped to 20th from starting 13th. He led 10 laps during pit cycles. I’m not sure what’s going with the 27 team.

Kyle Kirkwood started strong but ended 18th.

Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist each improved four spots from their starting spots, but O’Ward’s 12 the was the best they could muster. Rosenqvist came home in17th.

Fans Came Back

Today was the ninth time I have attended this race. The crowd was the largest I have seen. For many fans this was their first race in nearly three years. I think more local people attended than have come in a while as well.

I will have more on the race tomorrow. Thanks for following all weekend.