For those fans attending the upcoming Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27-March 1, some new amenities and expanded features have been added to enhance the fan experience across the three-day festival along the downtown waterfront.
To supplement the high-demand downtown St. Petersburg street parking and garage spaces, Tropicana Field’s Lot 6 and Lot 7 will be available for $30 per day on a first-come, first-served basis. This includes a free shuttle service to and from the event site. Also, The Central Garage at 1398 1st Ave. N. is a brand new parking structure with over 500 spaces. Its entrance is on 1st Avenue North between 13th Street and 15th Street and accessible via a short walk to SunRunner stops at 13th Street and 1st Avenue South for east-bound service, and the route back to the garage drops passengers at 1st Avenue North and 13th Street.
For those not wanting to commute by vehicle to the race site, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority has special SunRunner bus routes established for race fans dropping off and picking up at three different locations within a few blocks of Gate 1 and Gate 5 starting at just $3. To take advantage of this special rate, more details and instructions can be found at psta.net/sunrunner or on the gpstpete.com website in the “Know Before You Go” section under the “Plan Your Visit” main menu.
While on site, new features for the enjoyment of all spectators are spread across the event site. An increase to nine videoboards will be positioned strategically around the race track near key spectator general admission and reserved grandstand viewing locations. Pre-race ceremonies for both Saturday’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES 100-lap finale will both happen for the very first time on the Mahaffey Theater’s Festival Plaza stage offering viewing access to a greater number of spectators.
This Festival Plaza stage will also be home to live music from a DJ on Friday and Saturday during breaks in the on track sessions and the site of a large video board to not miss a moment of the racing action. Tables and chairs will be placed throughout this area again to take a break.
Pioneer Park is a gem on the race site near Gate 1. It is a major general admission gathering area with many trees offering shade and positioned nearby is the SpeedZone filled with numerous food and beverage options and many fan activations. This is a popular location for families attending.
There are also some key social gathering areas where fans can catch some beverages and refreshments trackside. New is the trackside Nowadays Club open to the public with Nowadays products, seating with shade, videoboard and view of the track located just north of Al Lang Stadium, and a general admission viewing area outside Turn 1 with an additional bar structure will be positioned nearby the Albert Whitted Airport Terminal. The ever-expanding Horse Soldier Bourbon Whiskey Waterside Club again will be floating in the Tampa Bay at the entry point of the Grand Prix’s Yacht Club accessible from the Turn 11 spectator bridge. The Ultra Party Pit returns to the entry of pitlane, and NUTRL Victory Garden will be positioned on the opposite end at pit out.
A printable and downloadable festival map identifying these locations and many more is available on the official event website at gpstpete.com/plan-your-visit/festival-map.
Before the cars hit the track with seven races in all planned to take the green flag, the festivities officially kick off for the community on Thursday, February 26 with the annual INDYCAR Party in the Park and 5K Run on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track. Free to the public, INDYCAR Party in the Park takes place at North Straub Park from 4-7 p.m. ET and features driver appearances, displayed race cars, music, giveaways and more. The 5K will give runners and walkers the unique opportunity to take on the same course as the racers. Participants can register at gpstpete5k.com with all proceeds benefiting the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg.
A limited number of remaining multi-day tickets can still be purchased at gpstpete.com gpstpete.com for those wanting to attend all three days of the action-packed weekend. A 3-Day General Admission ticket offers the best value at $80, and 3-Day Grandstand seats are priced at $185, $170 and $140 for Gold, Silver and Bronze, respectively.
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will bring fans three full days of family fun and nonstop racing action with seven total races from five different racing series. Daily General Admission tickets are $30 for Friday, $55 for Saturday and $70 for Sunday. Single Day Grandstand tickets are $135 for Silver and $110 for Bronze seating. Junior pricing is available for attendees ages 12 and under.
For additional ticket prices, the event schedule and festival information, visit gpstpete.com. Follow Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on social media using @gpstpete and #FirestoneGP for the latest updates. Joining the E-Club also provides insider access to the latest news and offers.
