Streets of St. Petersburg

Track Info

Location	St. Petersburg, Florida
Type	Street Circuit
Length	1.8 miles (2.897 km)
Turns	14 (5 left, 9 right)
Surface	Temporary asphalt (city streets)
Capacity	~200,000 (over race weekend)
First IndyCar Race	2003

Track Characteristics

The Streets of St. Petersburg is one of the most beloved circuits on the IndyCar calendar and has served as the season opener for much of the modern era. The 1.8-mile layout threads through downtown St. Petersburg and incorporates a section of runway at Albert Whitted Airport, giving the track a character unlike any other venue in American motorsport.

The front straight stretches 2,350 feet, one of the longest on any street circuit, giving drivers a massive slipstreaming and braking zone opportunity into the tight right-hander at Turn 1. That heavy braking zone, combined with a second long straight along the waterfront, produces an average of nearly 185 passes per race - exceptional for a street circuit.

The track is narrow at points, just 26 feet at its tightest, which punishes mistakes with concrete walls on both sides. The airport runway section offers a brief respite with wider surfaces before the cars dive back into the tight street sections. The waterfront setting along Tampa Bay provides stunning backdrops for television broadcasts and makes the event feel like a true destination race.

Getting There

Nearest Airport	Albert Whitted Airport (SPG) is literally adjacent to the track - part of the circuit uses its runway. St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) is 15 minutes away. Tampa International (TPA) is 30 minutes away and offers the most flight options.
Nearest City	St. Petersburg, FL (the track is in downtown). Tampa is 25 miles east across the bay.

Series That Race Here

• NTT IndyCar Series - Season opener since 2003 (with brief exceptions)
• Indy NXT by Firestone - Support race during the Grand Prix weekend

2026 Event Info

Race Name	Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Round	1 of 17 (Season Opener)
Date	March 1, 2026
TV	FOX
Race Time	12:00 PM ET
Qualifying	Firestone Fast 6 knockout format
2026 Winner	Alex Palou

Track Record

Qualifying Record	59.2706 seconds
Record Holder	Felix Rosenqvist
Year	2024

Notable Past Races

• 2023: New Zealander Scott McLaughlin won a thriller, holding off a charging Alex Palou in the closing laps to kick off a strong season for Team Penske.
• 2021: Colton Herta stormed from deep in the field to take a stunning victory, announcing himself as one of IndyCar's brightest young talents.
• 2018: Sebastien Bourdais won on the streets of his adopted hometown, less than a year after his horrific crash during 2017 Indianapolis 500 qualifying at IMS, delivering one of the most emotional victories in modern IndyCar history.
• 2015: Juan Pablo Montoya kicked off his remarkable comeback season with a win at St. Pete, en route to an IndyCar championship.
• 2009: Graham Rahal became the youngest IndyCar race winner at age 20, winning in wet conditions in a masterful display of car control.

Track Facts

• Part of the circuit literally runs on the runway of Albert Whitted Airport, making it one of only a handful of racing circuits in the world to incorporate an active airport.
• The front straight at 2,350 feet is one of the longest on any street circuit in North America.
• The race weekend draws an estimated 200,000 fans to downtown St. Petersburg over three days.
• St. Petersburg previously hosted a round of the CART World Series from 1985 to 1989 on a different downtown layout before IndyCar arrived in 2003.
• The waterfront setting along Tampa Bay means the track sits at essentially sea level, with zero elevation change throughout the lap.

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