Photo by Jorden Pompey | The Crow’s Nest
By Dominic Feo
IndyCar is back in town for the 21st annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
The event will be held on a 1.8-mile temporary waterfront street course adjacent to downtown that circles the Mahaffey Theater, the Dalí Museum and reaches the runway of the Albert Whitted Airport.
This will be the 15th straight year that the NTT IndyCar Series season-opener is held in St. Petersburg.
There will be eight races from Feb. 28 to March 2, including the NTT IndyCar Series, INDY NXT by Firestone, and double headers for the USF Pro 2000, USF2000, and the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup.
Pato O’Ward will be looking for another win in St Petersburg Josef Newgarden’s disqualification for altering his push-to-pass system.
The 100-lap race will begin at around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 2.
The INDY NXT is a developmental series will feature local talent this year, with St. Petersburg native Nikita Johnson behind the wheel for HMD Motorsports. The 16-year-old is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign, finishing second in the USF Pro 2000 Championship.
General admission ticket prices will be $30 on Friday, $45 on Saturday and $65 on Sunday, with 3-pay passes being $75.
Tickets for kids 12 and under will be $30 on Friday, $35 on Saturday, $55 on Sunday and 3-day passes will be $65.
Parking will be available in lots six and seven at Tropicana Field for $30 per day. The north side of Central Avenue between First and Second Street will also be open to the public. The SunRunner will transport riders to Gate 1 with stops at 1st Ave. N. and 1st Ave S.
Other free shuttle services will take passengers from 10th Street South to Second Street South and Fifth Avenue South.
Free shuttle services will be available on Feb. 28 from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., on March 1 from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on March 2 from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The following streets will be closed [add until when] for the weekend’s events: 6th Ave. S, 5th Ave. S, 4th Ave. S, and 2nd Ave. S of 2nd St.
A 5K run will also be hosted at the grand prix track on Feb. 27. The run will begin at 5 p.m. on Bayshore Drive NE and all proceeds will go to the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg (PAL).
Fans can attend the IndyCar Party in the Park on Feb. 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Straub Park for the opportunity to see racing cars up close and get autographs from drivers.
Stay tuned to The Crow’s Nest for updates on the races and events.
