'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Firestone St. Petersburg GP will kick off the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Championship on Sunday, March 2. The race will take place on a 1.8-mile street circuit featuring 14 turns, winding through downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, and incorporating part of the Albert Whitted Airport runway. The St. Petersburg GP has served as the opening race of the IndyCar season for the better part of the last decade and a half with a few exceptions.
The St. Petersburg GP is one of the rare street races in IndyCar that have survived the test of time due to the amazing racing action it provides for the fans of the sport. The tight entry into Turn 1 right-hander followed by two more heavy braking zones tend to give drivers ample overtaking opportunities but also invite trouble if they are not careful.
Trending
Here are three drivers who have navigated the tricky street circuit and have gone on to register their maiden IndyCar wins at St. Petersburg.
#3 Scott McLaughlin conquered the street circuit in 2022
On February 27, 2022, Scott McLaughlin achieved his first IndyCar Series win at the St. Petersburg GP. Driving for Team Penske, McLaughlin started from pole position and maintained his lead throughout the race. He finished just ahead of defending series champion Alex Palou, with teammate Will Power securing third place.
McLaughlin became the second driver in a row to win his first IndyCar race during a season opener. The previous year, Palou had done the same at Barber Motorsports Park. The battle for the 2022 victory came down to strategy, with some drivers opting for two pit stops and others choosing three.
McLaughlin expressed how difficult it was to handle the pressure from Palou (via IndyCar):
"Oh, man, it was crazy. Really struggled those last couple laps just to keep my head and then save the fuel and all that sort of stuff. But we did it."
As the race neared its end, McLaughlin and Palou were the only two contenders for the win on a two-stop strategy. When Scott Dixon made his third stop, McLaughlin took control of the race.
#2 James Hinchcliffe opened his IndyCar wins account at the 2013 St. Petersburg GP
On March 24, 2013, James Hinchcliffe secured his first IndyCar Series win at the St. Petersburg GP. Driving the No. 27 GoDaddy car for Andretti Autosport, Hinchcliffe overtook Hélio Castroneves on a Lap 85 restart and maintained his lead to finish 1.0982 seconds ahead. This victory marked the first IndyCar win by a Canadian since Paul Tracy's 2007 triumph in Cleveland.
After winning the race, Hinchcliffe said (via IndyCar):
"Man, that was a tough race... The big thing that people were saying early on in the season is, 'What is it going to take to win?' And the big thing was minimizing mistakes. We had a good car. Not sure if we had the fastest car over a lap but I'll tell you what, we nailed the pit stops."
The race began with Will Power in pole position, leading the initial laps. However, a series of incidents, including a collision with J.R. Hildebrand during a caution period, affected his performance. Hinchcliffe, starting fourth, capitalized on these events and eventually took the lead for the victory on the lap 85 restart.
#1 Grahan Rahal won the St. Petersburg GP in 2008
On April 6, 2008, Graham Rahal made history by winning the IndyCar Series race at the St. Petersburg GP. At just 19 years, 93 days old, he became the youngest driver to win an IndyCar race, surpassing Marco Andretti's previous record (the record of the youngest IndyCar race winner is now held by Colton Herta).
This victory was also special as it came in Rahal's first IndyCar start, driving for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing after missing the season-opening round. The race day was challenging due to heavy rain, which led to a time-limited race that ended after 83 laps, 17 short of the scheduled 100. Despite the wet conditions, Rahal skillfully drove around the street circuit.
Starting from the ninth position, he avoided early incidents that saw several drivers spin out on the slippery track. By the time the race reached its closing stages, he had got into the lead, finishing 3.59 seconds ahead of Castroneves.
Looking back at his maiden victory 10 years later, Rahal explained his thoughts when he won his debut IndyCar race (via IndyCar):
"Race day is obviously intense... Racing against Dixie and TK and Helio, Wheldon, all these guys that you had kind of watched and looked up to, and all of a sudden, ‘Oh, s---, now I gotta go race these guys for the first time!’
We had worked our way up to third anyway in the rain, so we were running up front. But then we got nudged out of the way, so it put us in a little bit of a different mindset. And we were able to save a lot of fuel but also run at a pace where no one else could keep up with us, which was unbelievable. I don’t know what else to say. It just worked."
The St. Petersburg GP on March 2 will kick off the 17-race IndyCar season when the green flag drops at noon ET.
