FACT SHEET / General Information
WHAT The 16th Annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will return as the opening race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for the 10th consecutive year. It will also feature six support racing series on track with four of the six opening their 2020 seasons in St. Petersburg.
WHEN March 13-15, 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 13 total races
Headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Doubleheader features for the following:
Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires
Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires
Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship
SRO Motorsports Group America: Pirelli GT4 America & TC America Series
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 first of 17 races on the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, which visits the United States and Canada.
FLORIDA Only NTT INDYCAR SERIES race to be held in Florida in 2020
TV NTT INDYCAR SERIES race broadcast live on NBC Sports Network on March 15 with green flag coverage starting at 3:30 p.m. EDT, and all on track sessions streamed live on the NBC Sports Gold App with the IndyCar Pass.
HOSPITALITY Offers exclusive viewing points with the VIP Club, Pit Lane Suites, Rooftop Chalets,
FEATURES RV Club and Yacht Club
VOLUNTEERS Over 500 local volunteers in 10 key specialty areas contribute to the success of the event
MBA 5K RUN 8th Annual Modern Business Associates 5K Run on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track to feature over 1,000 runners and walkers on Friday, March 13th, starting at 6:15 p.m. EST. Proceeds benefit the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg and American Stage Theater. Over $190,000 has be raised over the last three years. Website: gpstpete5k.com
Featuring racing at a combination of superspeedways, short ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES offers its international lineup of drivers the most diverse challenges in motorsports. The top point scorer is crowned the series champion and receives a $1 million bonus. Founded in 1994, INDYCAR serves as the sanctioning body for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. These stars drive single-seat, open-cockpit cars that feature a 2.2-liter, twin turbocharged, direct-injected V-6 engine optimized to run at 12,000 RPM with an estimated 500-700 horsepower depending on the turbocharger boost setting. The consumer-relevant engines, which are supplied by Chevrolet and Honda, utilize Speedway E85R fuel.
Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires is the top step of the Road to Indy ladder system for drivers and teams striving to compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500. 23 of the 33 starters in the 2019 Indianapolis 500 were Indy Lights graduates, including nine series champions. The Indy Lights champion receives a three-race NTT INDYCAR SERIES scholarship package valued at $1 million which includes the Indy 500. Some graduates include Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Patricio O'Ward, and from 2019 Oliver Askew and Rinus VeeKay (Askew and VeeKay will make their NTT INDYCAR SERIES race debuts at St. Pete.).
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 worth $609,245 to advance to Indy Lights competition the following year. Graduates include Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe and Graham Rahal.
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 $328,225 scholarship package to advance to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. Drivers who have honed their skills in the series include Indy 500 winners Dan Wheldon, Sam Hornish Jr. and Buddy Rice.
Some of North America’s top GT and Touring Car production-based racing will be featured with Pirelli GT4 America and TC America series part of the SRO Motorsports Group America. Pirelli GT4 America with its Sprint race format and TC America’s TCR and TCA classes will be featured at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
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