Streets of St. Petersburg – St. Petersburg, Florida
Race Start: 12:29 PM ET (Green Flag) – 100 laps / 180 miles
Broadcast: FOX (national), INDYCAR Radio Network, Peacock (streaming)
The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series roars to life with its traditional season-opening street fight on the waterfront of downtown St. Petersburg. This is the 22nd running of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (and the 18th as the official opener), featuring a deep 25-car field mixing veterans, street-course specialists, and several high-profile newcomers.
Venue & Track Details
Location: Temporary street circuit encircling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts (Mahaffey Theater), The Dalí Museum, and a portion of Albert Whitted Airport runway along Tampa Bay waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg.
Track Length: 1.8 miles (2.897 km)
Turns: 14 (5 left-handers, 9 right-handers)
Configuration: Hybrid street/airport course with a long frontstretch start/finish on the airport runway, followed immediately by a sharp right-hander into Turn 1 and a quick left into Turn 2 (a notorious trouble spot where many drivers have lost positions or worse over the years). Two additional long straights (including the prominent Bayshore Drive backstretch) provide heavy braking zones and prime overtaking opportunities. The layout mixes tight, bumpy technical sections with high-speed straights, rewarding precise car setup, tire management, and bravery under braking. Pit lane is tight and strategically critical on this clockwise circuit.
Surface: Asphalt/concrete mix typical of temporary street courses – grippy when clean but can become slippery with rubbered-in racing lines or debris.
Expected Weather Conditions
Race-day Sunday: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy, high near 77–81°F (25–27°C), low around 64–68°F overnight. Winds light (5–10 mph from the northeast). Precipitation chance 0–10% (drier than earlier in the weekend). Ideal dry conditions expected for the green flag, with track temperatures in the mid-90s°F range. Saturday’s qualifying saw higher rain risk, but Sunday looks perfect for full-speed racing and strategy plays. Monitor for any late Gulf breezes or pop-up showers common in early March
Florida Race History Highlights
- Multi-winner legends: Josef Newgarden (2 wins), Will Power (2), Juan Pablo Montoya (2), Hélio Castroneves (2).
- Recent winners: 2025 – Alex Palou; 2024 – Pato O’Ward; 2023 – Marcus Ericsson; 2022 – Scott McLaughlin.
- Pole trends: Often set by Penske or Ganassi drivers; street-course mastery is key.
- Notable stats: High attrition possible due to walls and tight corners; average winning speed ~95–100 mph; cautions frequently bunch the field for chaotic restarts.
Key Driver Matchups & Recent Forms (2026 Season Preview)
The grid is stacked with 25 full-time entries. Defending champion Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) enters as the clear favorite after dominating recent seasons (four titles in five years). He won here in 2025 and brings unmatched consistency.
Favorites & Contenders
- Alex Palou (#10 Chip Ganassi Racing) –: Street-course winner last year, supreme in traffic and tire management. Recent testing showed blistering pace.
- Kyle Kirkwood (#27 Andretti Global) –: Street specialist (multiple wins on similar layouts in 2025). Aggressive and fast in the bumps.
- Josef Newgarden (#2 Team Penske) –: Two-time St. Pete winner, hungry for a Penske rebound after a subdued 2025. Master of restarts.
- Pato O’Ward (#5 Arrow McLaren) –: Breakthrough consistency in 2025; explosive qualifying speed and overtaking ability on streets.
- Scott McLaughlin (#3 Team Penske) –: Former winner here; strong in qualifying and long runs.
- Scott Dixon (#9 Chip Ganassi Racing) –: The Ice Man – six-time champ with unmatched experience; always a factor.
- Others to watch: Will Power (veteran street ace), Christian Lundgaard (consistent riser), Marcus Ericsson (prior winner), rookies/debutants like Mick Schumacher, Romain Grosjean (return), and Caio Collet.
Driver Matchups to Watch
- Palou vs. Penske trio (Newgarden/McLaughlin/Power): Ganassi vs. the most successful team in St. Pete history.
- O’Ward & Kirkwood: Young guns battling for “next big thing” status on a layout that rewards daring.
- Dixon vs. the field: Experience edge in traffic and fuel strategy.
- Newcomers (Schumacher, etc.): Will they adapt quickly to the walls and bumps?
Betting Trends
- Favorites dominate but value exists: Palou has won 4 of last 6 similar street/openers, but street courses produce upsets (Kirkwood, O’Ward recent winners).
- Qualifying is crucial: Top-6 starters have won 70%+ of recent St. Pete races.
- Overtaking & strategy: 3–4 long straights mean passing is possible; expect 4–6 pit stops and possible cautions creating chaos.
- Trends: Unders on total cautions (dry conditions favor clean racing); Palou top-3 finish heavy favorite; head-to-head Palou over any single rival pays well.
DRIVER ODDS
Alex Palou + 300
Kyle Kirkwood + 450
Josef Newgarden + 600
Scott McLaughlin + 650
Pato O’Ward + 650
Scott Dixon + 1000
Christian Lundgaard + 1200
Will Power + 1500
Marcus Ericsson + 2000
Marcus Armstrong + 2000
Felix Rosenqvist + 2000
David Malukas + 2200
Romain Grosjean + 4000
Rinus Veekay + 4000
Alexander Rossi + 4000
Graham Rahal + 6000
Santino Ferrucci + 7000
Mick Schumacher + 7000
Louis Foster + 7000
Nolan Siegel + 8000
Kyffin Simpson + 10000
Dennis Hauger + 10000
Christian Rasmussen + 10000
Sting Ray Robb + 20000
Caio Collet + 20000
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, February 28, 2026
