Gen. David Petraeus to Serve as Grand Marshal at 2010 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Jan. 14, 2009) --- Later today, at the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, organizers of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will announce Gen. David Petraeus, the 10th and current commander of U. S. Central Command, will be the Grand Marshal of the 2010 Honda Grand Prix.
As Grand Marshal, Gen. Petraeus will give the traditional drivers’ command to start the Honda Indy St. Pete, the event’s featured race on Sunday, March 28. Gen. Petraeus also will participate in pre-race ceremonies and the awards presentation.
Additionally, event organizers are planning on a much broader program at this year’s event with McDill Air Force Base and area military and their families. Special tickets programs are being developed for active military and their families and the traditional Honda Grand Prix Kick-Off Luncheon, which will be held Thursday, March 25, will include a special salute to wounded veterans.
“Gen. Petraeus is one of the most respected leaders in the world and it is an honor to have him as the Grand Marshal of the Honda Grand Prix,” said Tim Ramsberger, general manager of the event. “There is no one better to give the traditional drivers’ command on Sunday of race weekend than Gen. Petraeus.
Prior to his 2008 appointment as the Commander of Tampa-based U. S. Central Command, Gen. Petraeus was the Commanding General of the Multi-National Force – Iraq where he oversaw all coalition forces in Iraq. A recipient of countless honors and awards, Gen. Petraeus was named near the top of Foreign Policy Magazine’s “Top Global Thinkers” in 2009 and last October Esquire magazine tabbed him as one of “The 75 Best People in the World.”
Scheduled for March 26 – 28 in the streets of downtown St. Petersburg, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg features three days of world-class motorsports, highlighted by the IZOD IndyCar Series. Now in its sixth season, the annual event is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, the Mahaffey Theatre and extending onto runways at Albert Whitted Airport that overlook the Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina.
For the first time since the event debuted in 2005, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will feature five classes of motorsports racing through the streets of downtown St. Petersburg. The main event will once again be the running of the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights. This year, event organizers have added the return of the World Challenge Championship, including both GT and Touring classes, and the open wheel racing of the Star Mazda Championship Series and the U.S. F2000 National Championship series.
For more information on the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and to purchase tickets, visit www.gpstpete.com.
