The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

If you live in Florida, get ready to enjoy all the excitement and action at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Held annually in St. Petersburg, Florida, this fantastic Indy Racing League IndyCar Series is broadcast on ESPN or ABC – but nothing compares to being right where the action is!

The city of St. Petersburg is certainly no stranger to fast cars and a festive atmosphere. The first race in the city took place in 1985. After that it took place regularly at the downtown waterfront circuit until 1990. The city took a short break from racing and started up again in 1996 when the cars ran on a short course around the Tropicana Field for two years. The main race of the day was the SCCA Trans-Am Series. Other races, such as the U.S. FF2000, the World Challenge, the Barber Dodge and the Pro SRF, were also held here. Unfortunately the new course was not considered to be satisfactory and so St Petersburg was again left without the sound of powerful engines roaring around a track at top speeds. In 2003 the city saw a racing revival with Champ Cars that lasted for only one year. It was only in 2005 that IndyCar racing really started to pick up momentum in this great city.

When IndyCar racing returned to St Peterburg in 2005, the race took place on a non-oval track and it was the first non-oval race course to form part of the IndyCar series. The course is currently a street circuit that connects the two landing strips of the Albert Whitted Airport. The course runs up 1st Street and makes its way back down near the beachfront before returning to the airport. The entire circuit encompasses Pioneer Park, the Bayfront Center and the IRL Paddock. At this point in time a Ballpark has been proposed for the area inside the course. As this ballpark is built, it may give cause to disrupt, change or even cancel the race in the future. Fans, however, hope that the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will suffer no further setbacks.

The 2008 race is scheduled to take place from the 4th to the 6th of April. Tickets range from $10 (for juniors) to $110 for the best seats in the house. So get your ticket now and make sure that you don’t miss out on this great IndyCar series action!