Kart Race Benefiting Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital Moved to Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Andersen RacePark Continues Its Support as Pro-Am Race’s Kart Supplier and Organizer

ST PETERSBURG, Fla. (January 30, 2018) – Kart 4 Kids, Inc. is excited to announce that the 7th Annual Kart 4 Kids Pro-Am Kart Race to Benefit Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Featuring Sebastien Bourdais and Patrick Long will be held at the site of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in 2018.

The temporary circuit built on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg and on the runways of Albert Whitted Airport will host this annual karting event starting mid-afternoon on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, just prior to the start of the race weekend. The first six years the event was held at Andersen RacePark in North Palmetto, Fla., and Andersen will continue supplying the karts and organizing the races.

“This year’s move of the event to the actual racetrack of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the heart of Downtown is amazing news,” said IndyCar driver and St. Petersburg resident Sebastien Bourdais. “It would have never been possible without the Andersen organization and the Grand Prix, and I can’t wait to see the response of the community.”

“This is a massive leap forward for our 7th annual event!  As we see with IndyCar and sportscar racing, when you drop the racing culture and action into a major city center, the local response is electric,” said Patrick Long, the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge GT Driver’s Champion and Kart 4 Kids’ very first pro driver entrant.  “To be just a couple blocks down the road from Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital makes this story that much sweeter.”

Situated at Turn 1 of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg track, just a few blocks from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, the race will be visible by the very people that it was created to help, All Children’s kids.  

With the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg helping facilitate the move from Andersen RacePark, Kart 4 Kids, Inc is striving to expand its role as the largest third-party fundraiser for All Children’s.

For further information, contact David Bassett, president, Kart 4 Kids at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or Page Obenshain, vice president, Kart 4 Kids at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

 

ABOUT KART 4 KIDS

A 501(c)3 organization, Kart 4 Kids Inc.’s sole purpose is to raise money for Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital by organizing and running the Kart 4 Kids Pro-Am Kart Race. An all volunteer staff means that All Children’s receives all proceeds net of direct race expenses. Now in it’s seventh year, the Pro-Am Kart Race was started in 2012 to honor the memory of IndyCar driver and St. Petersburg resident Dan Wheldon, who had tragically perished in a racing accident the previous October.

KART RACE MOVED TO FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST PETERSBURG

Starting with American Porsche factory driver, Patrick Long as its only professional driver in the first race, the race has been embraced and supported by many of the best racing professionals in IndyCar, IMSA, and Pirelli World Challenge, among other series. Patrick has been joined the last year by early supporter Sebastien Bourdais as the two featured drivers. From its small start, the Kart 4 Kids Pro-Am Hosted by Andersen Racepark, Featuring Sebastian Bourdais and Patrick Long has become one of Johns Hopkins All Children’s top third-party fund raisers by donating $81,000 this past year for a total of over $281,000 over its life. For more information visit www.Kart4kids.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at Kart4Kids Pro-Am Kart Race, or follow the race on Twitter @kart4kidsproam.

About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Entering its 14th year, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlook the Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Scout.com’s Stadium Journey named the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg as #2 on the list of “Top 100 Stadium Experiences of 2016.”  The event is owned and operated by Green Savoree Racing Promotions, which also promotes Honda Indy Toronto (July 13-15, 2018), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 27-29, 2018) and Grand Prix of Portland (August 31-September 2, 2018). 

For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.

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