WHAT
Rescheduled from March, the 16th Annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg returns as the closing race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for the first time in its history. It will also feature four support racing series on track with all four closing out their 2020 championship seasons on the streets of St. Petersburg.
WHEN
October 23-25, 2020
WHERE
Held on a temporary waterfront street course that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, The Mahaffey Theater, Salvador Dali Museum and extending onto the runways of Albert Whitted Airport, which overlook the Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina.
RACES
9 total races
Headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Doubleheader features for the following:
Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires
Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship
Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich
IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama
OWNERS
Kim Green and Kevin Savoree of Green Savoree Racing Promotions
TRACK
1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street course
INDYCAR
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is the final round of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule.
FLORIDA
Only NTT INDYCAR SERIES race held in Florida.
TV / STREAMING
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Sunday, Oct. 25 race – live nationally on NBC with coverage starting at 2:30 p.m. ET; all other INDYCAR on track sessions streamed live on the NBC Sports Gold App with the IndyCar Pass.
Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000: Livestream on RoadtoIndy.TV.
Global Mazda MX-5 Cup: Livestream on mazdamotorsports.com.
Porsche GT-3 Cup Challenge: Livestream on imsa.com/TVlive.
VOLUNTEERS
Hundreds of local volunteers in 10 key specialty areas contribute to the success of the event.
MBA 5K RUN
The 8th Annual Modern Business Associates 5K Run on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track is now a virtual event in order to social distance runners and walkers. It will be hosted from Friday, Oct. 23 to Friday, Nov. 6. Proceeds benefit the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg and American Stage Theater. Over $190,000 has be raised over the last three years. More details are posted on this new virtual format at gpstpete5k.com
ON-TRACK PROGRAMMING
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the premier open-wheel racing series in the United States. It offers one of the most diverse and challenging schedules in motorsports with races held on super speedways, ovals, permanent road courses and temporary street courses. A new aerodynamic body kit was introduced to the series in 2018 providing a sleeker, more aggressive-looking Indy car. An aeroscreen was added this season offering additional protection to the driver in the cockpit.
The Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires is the second step on the Road to Indy, bridging the gap between the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires. The series' champion is awarded a scholarship package valued at $609,245 to advance to Indy Lights competition the following year. Graduates include Marco Andretti, Conor Daly, James Hinchcliffe, Graham Rahal and Rinus VeeKay.
The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship is the first step on the Road to Indy. In addition to providing a vital training ground for rising stars just out of the karting ranks, the series champion will earn a scholarship package valued at $328,255 to advance to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. Drivers who have honed their skills in the series include Dan Wheldon, Austin Cindric, Colton Herta and Oliver Askew.
The Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires is the signature spec series for the Mazda Road to 24, the sportscar equivalent to the Road to Indy. The MX-5 Cup champion earns a $200,000 scholarship to be used to help elevate their career to the next level of racing competition.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama is a single-make racing series based in North America using Porsche 911 GT3s. The series produces intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world’s most produced and iconic race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Web: gpstpete.com
Facebook: facebook.com/GPSTPETE
Twitter: @GPSTPETE #FirestoneGP
Instagram: @gpstpete
HISTORY
2020
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be the 16th annual running for INDYCAR racing on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg.
BEGINNING
The inaugural Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was held in 2005 and won by the late Dan Wheldon, two-time Indianapolis 500 champion and local resident. A Champ Car World Series race did run on the circuit in 2003. No race was held in 2004.
TITLE SPONSOR
Title sponsorship partners for the event have included:
Firestone: 2014 to present
Honda: 2005 to 2013
PAST INDYCAR WINNERS
The winners of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg include:
2019 Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
2018 Sebastien Bourdais, Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan
2017 Sebastien Bourdais, Dale Coyne Racing
2016 Juan Pablo Montoya, Team Penske
2015 Juan Pablo Montoya, Team Penske
2014 Will Power, Team Penske
2013 James Hinchcliffe, Andretti Autosport
2012 Helio Castroneves, Team Penske
2011 Dario Franchitti, Target Chip Ganassi Racing
2010 Will Power, Team Penske
2009 Ryan Briscoe, Team Penske
2008 Graham Rahal, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
2007 Helio Castroneves, Team Penske
2006 Helio Castroneves, Team Penske
2005 Dan Wheldon, Andretti Green Racing
2004 No race held
2003 Paul Tracy, Forsythe Racing (Champ Car World Series sanctioned event)
REPEAT WINNERS
Helio Castroneves (three wins: 2006, 2007 and 2012), Will Power (two wins: 2010 and 2014), Juan Pablo Montoya (two wins: 2015 and 2016) and Sebastien Bourdais (two wins: 2017 and 2018) are the repeat winners on the streets of St. Petersburg.
TEAM WINS
Team Penske has the most wins of the streets of St. Petersburg, having won nine races in the history of the event.
FASTEST RACE
At last year’s length of 110 laps, the fastest race was set by Josef Newgarden on March 10, 2019, with a time of 2:04.18.2588 (95.572 MPH). (A new race record will be established with race length 100 laps in 2019.)
FASTEST QUALIFYING LAP
The fastest qualifying lap time registered on the streets of St. Petersburg was on March 10, 2018 by Jordan King with a time of 1:00:0476 (107.914 MPH).
FASTEST RACE LAP
The fastest race lap was set by Alexander Rossi, on March 11, 2018, with a time of 1:01:7244 (104.983 MPH).
HISTORIC FIRSTS
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg has had the privilege to see a number of “firsts” take place on its track. Among them are the following:
2020
Site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale for the first time in its history where a new INDYCAR champion will be crowned
2019
NBC Sports broadcasts its first race as the exclusive U.S. television partner for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
2018
New aerodynamic body kit for the Indy car debuts into INDYCAR competition
2018
New chassis debuts for Pro Mazda series (now known as Indy Pro 2000 Championship)
2017
Sebastien Bourdais is first IndyCar driver at St. Petersburg to go from last to first to victory while also leading the most race laps
2017
Colton Herta becomes youngest driver in Indy Lights history to win a race
2015
Street/road course aero kits for the Verizon IndyCar Series make its competition debut
2015
The new Dallara chassis for Indy Lights makes its debut
2013
Verizon IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe wins his first race with the series
2012
The new Verizon IndyCar Series Dallara chassis – known as the DW12 – makes its debut, racing for the first time at St. Petersburg
2012
Engine manufacturer competition is reintroduced with Honda, Chevrolet and Lotus fielding entries
2011
First street/road course to see double-file restarts in the Verizon IndyCar Series
2009
Graham Rahal is the youngest driver in IndyCar history to qualify on pole position
2008
Graham Rahal becomes the youngest driver in IndyCar history to win a race
2007
The first event to feature both IndyCar and American LeMans Series (now known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship) races
2005
First event to feature an Indy Lights double-header weekend
2005
First non-oval event for the IndyCar Series
TRACK FACTS
What does it take to build the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race track?
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, The Mahaffey Theater, the Salvador Dali Museum and extending onto the runways of Albert Whitted Airport, which overlook the Tampa Bay and the picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina.
START DATE
October 5, 2020
END DATE
November 6, 2020
RACE DATES
October 23-25, 2020
INSTALLATION
Typically 25 days to construct allowing for rain delays; the rescheduled October date has a more condensed window
TEARDOWN
Teardown and removal completed within two weeks
CONCRETE
18,000 feet of steel-reinforced concrete block resulting in 20 million pounds of concrete being moved
FENCING
22,000 feet of chain-link spectator fencing lining the track; 18,000 feet of chain-link fencing securing the steel-reinforced concrete barrier blocks
TIRE WALL
More than 12,000 tires are used to build the track’s tire wall safety system
TRACK WIDTH
Minimum track width is 26 feet; maximum track width is 63 feet
FRONT STRAIGHT
A front straight that is 2,350 feet or 4/10th of a mile long
BRIDGES
Five bridges into the infield
GRANDSTAND
Seven grandstands
PADDOCKS
Four race car paddocks
THE CREW
Approximately 250 workers will contribute to the effort
