Latest news with #FirestoneGrandPrix
Fox Sports
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Power Rankings: No Surprise Here, Alex Palou Remains No. 1
INDYCAR Following a dominant victory in Sunday's Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst, Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou continues to solidify his position atop the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Power Rankings. The top 10 drivers entering Saturday's Sonsio Grand Prix airing at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network, remain unchanged for a second consecutive race, but there was still plenty of movement with several drivers either rising or falling. There was also a change in the best driver, not named Alex Palou category. This list reflects the top 10 drivers entering Saturday's 85-lap race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. ↓10. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 9) Dixon has dropped since his runner-up finish in the March 2 season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Still, he has finishes of 10th, eighth and 12th, including a rally Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park coming from 26th at the start to gain 14 spots, the biggest improvement in the field. 9. Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet; Last Rank: 10) Rossi earned his best finish in four starts with Ed Carpenter Racing during Sunday's race, finishing eighth. He did so from the 15th starting position. Rossi has three top-10 finishes in four starts with ECR, with a worst finish of 15th in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. 8. Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 8) O'Ward's natural road course pace continued with a sixth-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park. In The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix, he started on pole and led 51 of 65 laps in a second-place effort. However, he has struggled some on the street circuits, finishing 11th in St. Petersburg and was 13th in Long Beach. 7. Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 SiriusXM Honda; Last Rank: 4) Rosenqvist endured his worst weekend of the season at Barber, qualifying 14th and finishing 13th. That ended a streak of three consecutive top-10 starting spots and race finishes. 6. Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda; Last Rank: 5) Herta has two front-row starting positions in four races; he started third in Barber. Unfortunately, those strong Saturdays have not converted into strong Sundays. A slow pit stop in St. Petersburg relegated him to a 16th-place finish. In Long Beach and Barber, Herta faded in the race, finishing seventh in each. Between those races, Herta started fourth and finished fourth at The Thermal Club. 5. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 PreFab Honda; Last Rank: 2) Kirkwood finished outside the top 10 for the first time this season at Barber. However, he rallied from 18th to finish 11th. After a strong Long Beach race weekend where he earned NTT P1 Award honors and led 46 of 90 laps en route to the victory, his start to the 2025 season has been strong. He finished fifth in St. Petersburg and eighth at The Thermal Club. ↑4. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Good Ranches Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 7) McLaughlin's two-year winning streak at Barber ended, but he still started second and finished third. The Team Penske driver has three top-six finishes in four races this season with the outlier being when he qualified 25th and finished 27th in a tough day at The Thermal Club. He began 2025 with an NTT P1 Award and fourth-place finish after leading a race-high 40 of 100 laps in St. Petersburg and started and finished sixth on April 13 at Long Beach. ↑3. Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 6) Power earned his third consecutive top-six finish by coming home fifth at Barber. Previously, he climbed from 13th to finish fifth at Long Beach and charged from 21st to finish sixth at The Thermal Club. He has been the top-finishing Team Penske driver in two of the last three races. 2. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 3) Most seasons, Lundgaard, who has three consecutive podium finishes and a fourth-place average through four races, would likely be the top driver in these Power Rankings. However, Palou has been that much better. Still, Lundgaard has been second best as we approach a track that he has never started worse than eighth in six tries and has finished second, fourth, fourth and third, respectively his last four tries. ↔1. Alex Palou (No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 1) Palou earned his third win in four races to begin the 2025 season. His worst result is second at Long Beach. Oh, and he has won the past two Sonsio Grand Prix events at IMS. The Spaniard who led 81 of 90 laps at Barber has been atop the Power Rankings for more than a year. He remains there this week as well. recommended
Miami Herald
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
2026 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg set for March 1
The St. Petersburg (Fla.) City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution for the March 1 racing of the 2026 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The IndyCar race week will be Feb. 27 to March 1, with the temporary circuit a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration through the streets of St. Petersburg. The dates are the same calendar week as this year's race, which opened IndyCar's season. "The 2025 event was another tremendous success with record crowds across the three days," said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of event organizers Green Savoree Racing Promotions. "After consulting with the City of St. Petersburg staff and multiple stakeholders, IndyCar and our Green Savoree Racing Promotions teams agree continuing this great downtown tradition on similar dates is optimal. We look forward to planning for and hosting the Grand Prix on the same weekend in 2026." Spain's Alex Palou, a three-time IndyCar Series champion including in 2023 and 2024, won in St. Petersburg for the first time on March 2. His Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon of New Zealand was second and Team Penske's Josef Newgarden took third place. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Reuters
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
2026 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg set for March 1
May 1 - The St. Petersburg (Fla.) City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution for the March 1 racing of the 2026 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The IndyCar race week will be Feb. 27 to March 1, with the temporary circuit a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration through the streets of St. Petersburg. The dates are the same calendar week as this year's race, which opened IndyCar's season. "The 2025 event was another tremendous success with record crowds across the three days," said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of event organizers Green Savoree Racing Promotions. "After consulting with the City of St. Petersburg staff and multiple stakeholders, IndyCar and our Green Savoree Racing Promotions teams agree continuing this great downtown tradition on similar dates is optimal. We look forward to planning for and hosting the Grand Prix on the same weekend in 2026." Spain's Alex Palou, a three-time IndyCar Series champion including in 2023 and 2024, won in St. Petersburg for the first time on March 2. His Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon of New Zealand was second and Team Penske's Josef Newgarden took third place.
Business Journals
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Tampa Bay Rowdies stadium in St. Pete could be demolished
By submitting your information you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and User Agreement . Join the Tampa Bay Business Journal to unlock even more insights! Mayor Ken Welch on Thursday unveiled a two-phase master plan for the downtown waterfront that would cost over $289 million. Mayor Ken Welch sees an opportunity to showcase St. Petersburg's arts scene on the downtown waterfront by demolishing Al Lang Stadium. On Thursday, Welch presented a conceptual master plan for the Center of the Arts to a St. Pete City Council subcommittee. In Welch's master plan, the stadium, which is home to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, would be demolished to make way for the new arts center. The stadium property, according to Welch's presentation, is "underused" and "could play a significant role in shaping" the city's public waterfront. Phase one would include a new, 1,100-car garage with 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail, demolition of an existing garage, a new plaza, a new 60,000-square-foot conference center, a 50,000-square-foot expansion of the Dali Museum and improvements to the Mahaffey Theater. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events The second phase, slated for completion between 2028 and 2038, would demolish Al Lang Stadium, replacing it with an outdoor amphitheater. This phase would also include a 400-car garage with 15,000 square feet of ground-level retail, a new 30,000-square-foot Florida Orchestra facility along with the 3,000-to-4,000-seat amphitheater, designed by ASD | Sky. The estimated costs of this two-phase master plan total $289.2 million, according to the presentation. It's unknown what Welch's plan would mean for the Rowdies, which Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg owns. A representative from the Rowdies was not immediately available for comment. Welch has previously said he would only pursue a new stadium deal with the Rays if Sternberg, who walked away from a previous deal with St. Pete and Pinellas County in March, sold the team. The economic report predicts construction activity over the next decade could generate more than $444.9 million in total economic output — $34 million annually during the time of construction. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete racetrack route is to remain as is while the Mahaffey Theater and Dali Museum work toward expansion.
Fox Sports
12-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Paddock Buzz: Alex Palou Aiming for Rare Three-peat
INDYCAR NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader Alex Palou is 2-for-2 this season, with victories March 2 in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding and March 23 at The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. Two-time defending series champion Palou is aiming for the hat trick in Sunday's 50th anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. A driver has won three consecutive INDYCAR SERIES races just three times in the last decade – Simon Pagenaud in 2016, Scott Dixon in 2020 and Palou in 2023. All three of those drivers won the Astor Challenge Cup as series champion those seasons. Palou rued he was winless over the last nine races last season after winning two of the first eight. 'Whenever you get the chance, whenever the car feels good, whenever you have confidence in the team, you can feel that the team has the confidence and the calls that we're making are right, you need to try and get that wave and try and surf it for as long as possible,' Palou said. 'Because you know that there's going to be a moment where that wave ends a little bit, and hopefully you can get back on really soon. But we know it's not going to be forever.' Palou, a three-time series champion, is winless in four Long Beach starts but has been close with finishes of fourth, third, fifth and third, respectively. He starts third in his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda in Sunday's 90-lap race airing at 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network 'It just makes it even more interesting,' Palou said. 'I think if it was another track, it would still be super fun to try and get three in a row, but being Long Beach, which is probably our second biggest race of the year, it would make it extra special. That's the goal.' A.J. Foyt won a series-record seven straight races in 1964 en route to his fourth series championship in five years. Honda Advantage? Does Honda have an advantage for Sunday's 90-lap race? Honda-powered drivers swept the top five starting positions two years after sweeping the top-five finishing positions around the 1.968-mile, 11-turn track in 2023. Last year, Honda drivers finished 1-2-3-5. Alexander Rossi has the rare distinction of driving for both manufacturers at Long Beach. He won two Long Beach races in 2018-19 driving a Honda for Andretti Global. He raced the last two years with Chevrolet power for Arrow McLaren and will drive Sunday's race for Ed Carpenter Racing. 'Any time there's slow-speed corners, very low in the RPM range, the architecture of that (Honda) engine is just in a better range,' Rossi said. 'And because it's an architectural thing, there's only so much that you can do with an homologated engine. 'Now that being said, there's been a huge kind of study on what we can control from software side of things and the hybrid side of things for this event, in particular, to try and close that gap. Again, there's only so much you can do without changing hard components.' Honda placed five cars in the top seven of the March 2 season-opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, including winner Palou and second place Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing. Chevrolet drivers did lead 65 of 100 laps in St. Petersburg and had two of the top four finishers. Rossi is the second-fastest Chevrolet qualifier, starting eighth in the No. 20 ECR JavaHouse Chevrolet, with Scott McLaughlin rolling off sixth as the top Chevy in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet. There are seven Chevrolet-powered cars starting in the top 13. Long Beach Grandstands Sold Out Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach officials announced Saturday all grandstand seating around the 1.968-mile street circuit is sold out. Fans can still purchase tickets for the general admission areas to watch the 90-lap event in person. 2022 Long Beach winner Josef Newgarden has noticed the fan interest seems larger this weekend compared to years past. Newgarden started competing at Long Beach in 2011 in INDY NXT by Firestone. 'We say that every year, and I think in a lot of ways the last three years they've just increased the capacity and size,' Newgarden said. 'It was no different this time around. It just felt bigger than last year. I don't know how we can keep saying that year after year. 'It looked like race day today. It was super cool. I think that's the great thing about motorsports right now. There's an excitement. There's a cool factor to it. If you just want to talk about trends, I think motorsports is a trend right now, especially with young people, and it's really fun to see that. You're just seeing this resurgence. 'It has been unique to see over the last two years the amount of kids that I see at the racetrack that are bringing their parents. It's not the other way around. I meet parents that are my age and they're going, 'I know nothing about this, but my 6-year-old loves it and loves you and loves INDYCAR.' It used to be the other way around. It was, 'Hey, I used to love INDYCAR back in the '80s, and now I'm here and I'm trying to bring my kids.' 'It's very, very cool to be a part of. I think we can continue that and grow it, and we're in a really good position to do it. So, it's just a fun time to be a part of motorsports.' Herta Ready for Long Beach Limelight Colton Herta starts Sunday's 90-lap race in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda for Andretti Global in the same place he finished last season at Long Beach – second. 'Historically with Andretti, four wins going back to 2018, so we do have really good race cars here,' he said. 'And from where we're sitting right now, we kind of expect that to stay the same.' California native Herta is joined on the front row by teammate and 2023 winner, Kyle Kirkwood. Herta has extra motivation to secure his second Long Beach victory Sunday due to the nature of his maiden win in 2021. He stormed from a 14th-place starting position to reach victory after leading a race-high 43 of 85 laps that afternoon. However, he questions whether that win comes with a caveat. Due to COVID-19 safety measures, the 2021 Long Beach Grand Prix was moved to the season finale. That's only the second time in 49 years this race was held outside of March or April, joining the inaugural event in 1975. 'I've made a habit of winning the last race of the championship,' Herta said. 'I think it's like four times in seven years. So, I do a good job of making it a pretty unimportant race to win, but it's a win, nonetheless.' Palou took the first of his three championships that afternoon in 2021, overshadowing Herta's victory. 'I think you don't get all the limelight when you have a champion, Alex Palou again,' Herta said. 'Overall, I think it was a great day, but even on my wins, I'm still having to chase that guy.' Rossi Making 150th Career Start Rossi becomes Sunday the 56th driver to make 150 career NTT INDYCAR SERIES starts. 'It goes fast,' he said. 'I wouldn't have thought that I was there yet. It's a number in my mind. It's cool. Obviously, you have to be grateful for having that amount of opportunity and to have that career longevity.' Rossi, who moved to Ed Carpenter Racing this season, strives to earn his third Long Beach victory. Only Al Unser Jr. (six wins), Paul Tracy (four), Mario Andretti (three) and Sebastien Bourdais (three) have more trips to an INDYCAR SERIES victory lane in Long Beach. Rossi stomped the field, leading 71 of 85 laps, in his 2018 victory and led 80 of 85 laps in a repeat victory a year later. He accomplished both with Andretti Global. 'I think what a lot of people see is my passion for this championship and this sport has grown over my time here,' he said. 'I think I love it just as much as a Tony Kanaan, who has been here for two and a half decades. I think that carries a lot of weight. 'I will do everything in my power to continually help grow and promote this championship. For me, that's something that comes easily just because I do love it and care for it.' 100 Career Starts for Ericsson Marcus Ericsson made 97 Formula One starts across five seasons with Sauber from 2015-18. The 50th anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach marks his 100th career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start. 'That's pretty crazy,' he said. 'When you think about it, 100 races are a lot of races. And yet it doesn't feel like that long ago when I came over. It's been a blast for me. I really love being in INDYCAR and just the way the racing is and everything. I've really, enjoyed it here.' Having more starts in the INDYCAR SERIES than F1 speaks to the longevity Ericsson has earned. Ericsson has four career victories, none bigger than the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in 2022. 'To be honest, when I was in F1, I was very focused on staying there,' he said. 'Then when that ended, I was very focused on getting here to INDYCAR. There was no doubt about that. And then when I got here, it was all about trying to establish myself here, and I'm very happy to have been able to do that. 'I live here now with my wife and Indianapolis as home, so now it feels very normal and very natural. It's crazy to think that it's my seventh season now.' Odds and Ends Andretti Global has produced four of the last six Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race winners and the runner-up finisher in three consecutive years. It has all three drivers starting in the top five Sunday, with Kirkwood on pole, Herta second and Ericsson fifth. CGR has produced the third-place finisher in six of the last seven races at Long Beach. Palou starts third. Thirteen drivers won both the Indianapolis 500 and Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach: Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Danny Sullivan, Juan Pablo Montoya, Helio Castroneves, Will Power, Dario Franchitti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Takuma Sato, Dixon, Simon Pagenaud, Rossi and Newgarden. There will be a special flyover after the national anthem Sunday consisting of helicopters from L.A. County Fire, L.A. City Fire, Cal Fire, L.A. County Sheriff, the L.A. Police Department and the Long Beach Police Department. Also on Sunday, 27 first responders from various departments will ride in the back of pickup trucks along with NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers in the pre-race parade lap. Sunday's honorary starter will be Captain Erik Scott with L.A. City Fire, and there will be a special recognition for Department Chief Anthony James with Pasadena Fire. Chip Ganassi Racing launched its 2025 trading cards for purchase at com/cgrcards. This year's version will honor important wins and milestones through CGR's history. All proceeds from card sales will benefit select charities throughout the year. April proceeds will support the American Red Cross for its disaster relief efforts across the country. recommended
