Official 2021 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Souvenir Program

2020 FIR

RAND

ESTONE G

HAMPION RSBURG C EN E T E P T. S GARD PRIX OF

JOSEF NE

APRIL 23-25, 2021 O

2021 SOUVENIR PROGRAM PUBLISHED BY

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4/19/21

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APRIL 23-25, 2021 O

2021 SOUVENIR PROGRAM

INSIDE EVENT INFORMATION 6 8 18 82 84

Event Sponsors Welcome Letters The Dan Wheldon and Victory Circle Monuments Map Schedule

NTT INDYCAR SERIES 12 14 22 26

Focal Point Accelerating the Future of Mobility Through Motorsports Nascar Legend Jimmie Johnson Takes Stock in Huge Learning Curve as Indycar Rookie Indycar Takes Green Flag with Defiant Momentum, Stars in 2021

SUPPORT SERIES 70 74 76 78 80

Andretti, Kirkwood Chase the Hat-Trick High Intensity Wide-Open USF 2000 Mazda MX-5 Cup Returns to the Streets of St. Petersburg Stadium Super Trucks

EXTRAS 86

Spot 10

PAGE

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JIMMIE JOHNSON

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EVENT SPONSORS

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STAFF LISTING EXECUTIVE 42 Industrial St. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4G 1Y9

EXECUTIVE

Tim Rutledge Group Publisher & CEO

EDITORIAL Anna Rutledge Special Projects Editor Adam Gordon Associate Editor

Kim Green Chairman & CEO, Green Savoree Racing Promotions Kevin Savoree President & COO, Green Savoree Racing Promotions Michael Morrisey Executive Vice President & CFO, Green Savoree Racing Promotions Jeff Atkinson Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Green Savoree Racing Promotions

George Webster Motorsport Editor

DESIGN + PRODUCTION Queue Gonzalez Creative Director Patrick Dinglasan Production / Senior Art Director Edward Shintani Senior Art Director Patrick Beltijar Senior Art Director Julia Neukom Intern

EVENT STAFF Stephen Timms, Deven Keady Operations & Event Control Jim Tario, Nate Long, Kris Boatwright, Weston Bell Track Operations

Mike Raven, Tammi Sipes, Gwen Duffy, Karen Jones Box Office & Credential Center Nathan Savoree Accounting

Ryan Cash, Giles Dowden Sales & Client Services

Matt Coyne, Russ Kimes Race Control

Angela Hogeveen, Steve Bidlack, Jenna Hood Marketing & Communications

Todd Lewis PA Announcer

SALES + ADMINISTRATION Randi Bentia Audience Development Manager Richard Robles Director, Client Services Jason Redmond Motorsport Marketing Manager

IMAGE CREDITS INDYCAR Media, GSRP, PPMG, Road to Indy, MX-5

STORY CREDITS PPMG, INDYCAR Media, GSRP, Road to Indy, MX-5, Stadium SUPER trucks

ADVERTISING sales@ppmghq.com Phone: (416) 922-7526 Toll Free: 1-800-667-7223 www.ppmghq.com

VOLUNTEER TEAM LEADERS Eric Stockwell Access Control

Tony Presley Grandstands

Norm Hartwick Access Control

Rusty Wood Hospitality Suites

Ian Boyle Ceremonies

Gene Carine Hospitality Suites

Kelli LaPuma Ceremonies

John Hehn Information Services

Jason Adler Credential Center

Bart Graham Media Center

Lisa Hoyland Credential Center

Scott Lescard Photography

Nancy LaFleur Grandstands

Gary Lewis Show Car Crew

Jace Kole Grandstands

Don Rambajan Volunteer Services

Mike Hulett Grandstands

David Crump Yacht Club

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WELCOME

LETTERS

On the behalf of the entire team at Green Savoree Racing Promotions, we’d like to welcome you to the 2021 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. While the past year has presented unique challenges for everyone, we are fortunate to have been able to present the 2020 season finale here in St. Pete and to have the opportunity to host the NTT INDYCAR SERIES once again only six months later. Led by our title sponsor Firestone, neither of these moments would have been possible without the unwavering support of our world-class partners. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will headline this weekend’s festivities of course, and world-class series will race alongside which include doubleheader races for Indy Pro 2000, Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and Indy Lights making its return to the streets of St. Pete. Another crowd-pleaser, the Mazda MX-5 Cup will be the first ones on the track Friday morning at 8 a.m. and back by popular demand, Robby Gordon’s Stadium SUPER Trucks will be flying around the track all weekend long with races on Saturday and Sunday. For the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to be a safe and enjoyable environment this weekend, we ask for you to do your part in making it a great experience. We are extremely grateful to Mayor Rick Kriseman and the St. Petersburg City Council for allowing us the opportunity to host a limited number of spectators. Taking guidance from our local government and health officials, please read the important COVID-19 protocols and policies to adhere to this weekend found on our website at gpstpete.com/COVID19. Of course this weekend would not be possible without the support of over 500 volunteers. Their hard work and dedication each year make this event run smoothly. Again, we greatly appreciate you, our loyal Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race fans, for your cooperation to follow the necessary guidelines throughout the weekend. It’s going to be an excellent weekend of racing culminating with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Sunday - don’t forget, green flag is at 12:40 p.m.!

Dear Race Fans, Welcome to the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, one of my favorite events of the year. While it is always a pleasure to welcome back the teams and drivers of the Grand Prix, I am also grateful for the opportunity to showcase Florida’s best city. Whether this is your first trip to the Firestone Grand Prix, or you are a regular, take this opportunity to see the new St. Petersburg Pier, twenty-six beautiful acres that seamlessly combine the peaceful blue waters of Tampa Bay with the vibrant greenery of our thriving downtown parks system. This race is one of my favorite events of the year. I am grateful to IndyCar, the drivers and their teams, and everyone who makes this race happen. We are all working together to ensure we enjoy the race the 'St. Pete Way' - putting public health and safety first. Thank you for joining us in making this a successful race. Be considerate of others by adhering to health safety rules and guidelines. Whether you're enjoying the race or one of the world's best downtown waterfronts, including the St. Pete Pier, please spread out. This year, we aren't just cheering on our favorite team or driver, but our entire community. Thank you for being here.

Kevin Savoree President and COO Green Savoree Racing Promotions

Sincerely,

Kim Green Chairman and CEO Green Savoree Racing Promotions

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WELCOME

LETTERS

Dear INDYCAR Fans, Welcome to this weekend’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, a traditional and fan-favorite race on the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. INDYCAR is committed to delivering a comprehensive fan experience through outstanding entertainment and competition as our athletes defy all obstacles presented by St. Petersburg’s challenging 1.81-mile temporary street course. Whether this is your first INDYCAR race or you have been attending races for years, we are excited for you to witness the spectacle of the sport. This weekend has a vibe like few others and is a destination event, so we urge you to take in as much as possible and enjoy it all. INDYCAR has the most diverse lineup of tracks in motorsports, with superspeedways, short ovals, permanent road courses and temporary street circuits. The collection makes for a true proving ground as elite athletes compete for the most challenging championship in motorsports. The car used this weekend is one of a kind, featuring a sleek look with the most advanced safety components available. Honda and Chevrolet provide the 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engines, and no tire manufacturer can match Firestone for reliability and competitiveness. You likely will notice INDYCAR’s revolutionary driver-protection Aeroscreen that debuted on all cars in 2020. The look of these cars is reminiscent of INDYCAR SERIES favorites of the 1980s and ‘90s, and driver skill is paramount as the low-downforce machines slip and slide on this challenging road course. Trust me when I say you will be able to see how hard the drivers must work to achieve maximum speed. You should find that INDYCAR offers some of the most daring and defiant athletes in sport, including six-time and reigning series champion Scott Dixon and two-time and denfending Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato. While at this beautiful facility, we invite you to download the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA on your smartphone to get behind-the-scenes driver features, live timing and scoring, in-car cameras and more information to help you follow the action. Also, follow the NTT INDYCAR SERIES online at INDYCAR.com, on Facebook and on Twitter (@INDYCAR). Thank you for your continued support. INDYCAR appreciates your attendance this weekend. We are glad you can experience the speed, action and excitement that defines the series. Enjoy the weekend!

Mark Miles President and CEO, Penske Entertainment Parent company of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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Creating a digital-first INDYCAR experience NTT is shaping the future of INDYCAR racing and fan engagement. With our innovative smart platform technology, we deliver real-time insights that keep you connected to the action on the track. Great connections change the world. Learn more about how our technology drives one of the most challenging series in all of motorsports at global.ntt/nttindycar.

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Álex Palou, NTT INDYCAR® SERIES NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing

Download the INDYCAR app powered by NTT DATA to keep up with the evolution of the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES. Official Partner of the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES

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FOCAL POINT Although Scott Dixon did not win the 2020 Firestone Grand Prix, he did secure his sixth INDYCAR Championship at the race. PHOTOGRAPHY BY INDYCAR MEDIA

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ACCELERATING THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

THROUGH MOTORSPORTS RACING – IN VARIOUS FORMS – CONTINUES TO BE A PROVING GROUND FOR BRIDGESTONE INNOVATION WORDS AND IMAGES PROVIDED BY BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE

or more than 110 years, openwheel racing has played an integral part in developing and advancing Bridgestone and Firestone tire technology. Creating an unrivaled racing legacy that is set to continue well into the future. It’s a history that started with Firestone’s 60-mile per-hour tire test in 1909 with legendary dirt-track driver Barney Oldfield and accelerated when Ray Harroun’s Firestone-equipped Marmon wasp crossed the yard of bricks first at the inaugural Indianapolis 500®. Mario Andretti and his 1969 Indy 500 win also have their own special chapter in that story, which has continued to evolve and expand since the Firestone brand became part of Bridgestone in 1988. Firestone’s success at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway® created a “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” mindset that turned the race track into a proving ground. Among the industry-shaping Firestone innovations to win at Indy were nonskid treads, low-pressure balloon tires, gum-dipping to insulate tire cords against internal heat, and nylon cords. This track-to-street testing and development process continues today as Firestone race tire engineers use the extreme conditions of open-wheel racing to advance breakthrough technology that is ultimately incorporated into Bridgestone and Fire-

stone passenger tires that are available to everyday drivers. And as the company looks to the future, its path of creative pioneering through racing is exploring a few other emerging areas, as well.

MOVING MOBILITY FORWARD

Bridgestone has put forth a vision to go beyond tires and become a global leader in sustainable mobility and advanced solutions that deliver new value for customers and for society. As part of this strategic shift, Bridgestone is committed to collaborating with innovative partners – including those in motorsports – to create active, intelligent and digitally-integrated technologies that will improve the way people move, live, work and play. Among these efforts, Bridgestone has partnered with the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), the world’s first headto-head, high-speed autonomous racing competition among global universities. Bridgestone will serve as the exclusive tire supplier for the event, which is scheduled for October 23, 2021 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The evolution of autonomous driving systems is one trend that will significantly shape the future of mobility. With this in mind, the IAC is designed to push the boundaries of self-driving technology and increase public awareness of the impact automation can have on the world.

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Bridgestone also sees it as an opportunity to collaborate with young engineering talent and fellow industry leaders to help advance the next-generation of digital tire solutions and create future opportunities for integration. In addition to its partnership with the IAC, Bridgestone continues to serve as title sponsor and a tire supplier for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) in Australia. Despite the cancellation of the 2021 event, Bridgestone has committed to supporting the world’s most celebrated solar car race through 2030. BWSC participants are challenged to design and build energy-efficient vehicles that can travel a total of 1,860 miles across the grueling Australian outback, offering a unique proving ground for sustainable mobility innovation that harnesses and repurposes energy produced solely by the power of the sun. The combination of people, process and product that can win the most demanding races often produces the biggest breakthroughs for mass market innovation that can deliver value to society and move the world forward. That’s why partnerships with the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES, the Indy Autonomous Challenge, and the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, among others, will continue to serve as valuable proving grounds for Bridgestone as it advances on its sustainable solutions journey.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG EXTENSION

In October, Firestone proudly announced its extension of title sponsorship for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. This year’s race marks the Firestone brand’s eighth year as the entitlement sponsor and the new multi-year deal extend that relationship through 2023. The Firestone brand’s history in the Tampa/St. Petersburg market dates back nearly 90 years to the opening of its first area retail location. The Firestone Complete Auto Care store location on Kennedy Boulevard in downtown Tampa opened in 1933 and continues to be a trusted provider of tire and automotive service for customers in the area.

Race fans can keep up with Firestone Racing by following @FirestoneRacing on Twitter and Instagram.

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WE’RE IN THIS RACE TO SAFE TOGETHER

THIS YEAR, LET’S CELEBRATE THE FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX THE ST. PETE WAY. 361 days of sunshine every year is only the beginning. St. Pete also shines through its charming, bungalow-lined neighborhoods, original craft brew pubs, world‑class restaurants led by award‑winning chefs and a cultural fabric as diverse as its offerings. Come for a weekend. Stay for a lifetime. Your sunshine is here, safely under the St. Pete sun. For more details on city safety information, visit stpete.org/RacetoSafe. Follow us on social media @StPeteFL, or visit us online at stpete.org.

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THE DAN WHELDON & VICTORY CIRCLE MONUMENTS In 2011, we lost an incredibly important man, not only to the INDYCAR family, but also to the Green Savoree Racing Promotions family and the St. Petersburg, Fla. community. Dan Wheldon’s (aka “Lionheart”) impact continues to be felt throughout the paddock, from his fellow competitors who loved him, the up-andcoming athletes who idolized him, and the fans who cheered for him. n March 21, 2013, the Dan Wheldon and Victory Circle Monuments were unveiled to continue on Lionheart’s legacy for years to come and recognize those who have also won on the streets of St. Petersburg. Dan Wheldon’s wife Susie Wheldon and his two sons, along with past Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winners Dario Franchitti, Graham Rahal, Will Power and Helio Castroneves were at the dedication ceremony of the new monuments. All the winners previous to 2013 were installed during the ceremony with plaques commemorating their terrific victories on the streets of St. Petersburg. Continuing as a tradition on every race weekend, the previous year’s winner is presented a plaque that he personally receives and installs into a permanent place on the Victory Circle Monument as well as taking a moment to honor the legacy of

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Dan Wheldon. Just as he did in October 2020, Josef Newgarden will once again stand at the monument during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend carrying on the recent tradition as the third back-to-back winner of the event in a row.

CITY HALL FLAG RAISING CEREMONY

Since 2016, Mayor Rick Kriseman and the City of St. Petersburg Council members have hosted a flag raising ceremony in front of City Hall. On the Thursday before the race weekend, Mayor Kriseman and Green Savoree Racing Promotions co-owners Kim Green and Kevin Savoree raised the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg flag high, and welcomed the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, all the support racing series, and fans back to sunny St. Pete. In 2018, there was a special dedication to St. Pete resident, Sebastien Bourdais, who had won the 2017 Firestone Grand Prix. He was surprised with his own street sign at the flag raising ceremony presented by Mayor Kriseman.

TRACK BUILD KICK-OFF

Happening back on March 29th, the Track Build Kick-off signifies the official beginning of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg each year. The operations team sets the first blocks for the street circuit’s temporary 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration, and the mayor, race organizers, and local resident and AJ Foyt Racing’s INDYCAR

driver Sebastien Bourdais field questions from the local media in anticipation of another great race weekend. Does it feel like the Track Build Kick-off starts later and later each year? That’s because it does! The team at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg has the building of a track down to a science. They are so

good and efficient, that it only takes about 25 days to construct it, and two weeks to tear it down. In all, 20 million pounds of concrete block are moved, 40,000 feet of fencing is erected, more than 12,000 tires are placed for safety barriers, just to list a few of the major components of this major undertaking.

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NASCAR LEGEND

JOHNSON

TAKES STOCK IN HUGE LEARNING CURVE AS INDYCAR ROOKIE Jimmie Johnson completed more than 200,000 laps in his 20-year NASCAR career, and those were just the races. Add in offseason testing, practices and qualifying sessions, and driving a stock car was second nature for him.

his year, Johnson has a new nature, and the challenge the NTT INDYCAR SERIES offers any newcomer – but this one in particular -- is immense. Driving his No. 48 Carvana Honda is one thing; racing it is another. And he must race the car while learning many new techniques. “It’s a monster,” Johnson said of this car. “That’s the best way I can put it. “There’s so much power, so much downforce, so much grip. It’s wild to drive.” Johnson’s learning curve is aided by help from some of INDYCAR’s best. Chip Ganassi Racing has won 13 series championships, with Scott Dixon capturing six of those. Johnson not only has been a sponge to all the advice Dixon offers, but he also has a personal tutor in four-time series champion Dario Franchitti, a team advisor since retiring after the 2013 season. Still, it’s a lot to absorb for the 45-year-old Californian. “Every time I’m in the car there are so many steps forward in all these different areas that’s it’s hard to say there’s one (piece of advice),” Johnson said. “But I can tell you this: I am so thankful for Dario and for Scott. Those two, especially Dario and just how thorough he is and the notes he took from when he was driving, have been so helpful.”

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Johnson is scheduled to compete in at least two NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasons, and he is focusing this season on the 13 events held on road courses and street circuits. Tony Kanaan, the 2004 INDYCAR champion and 2013 winner of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, will drive the No. 48 car in this season’s four oval races with backing from The American Legion. Johnson does have experience turning left as well as right, with 26 road course starts in NASCAR (22 in Cup, four in Xfinity) and 11 sports car endurance races, including nine starts in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. But in this case, he won’t have teammates to share driving duties with, and the competition he must beat includes some of the most experienced INDYCAR drivers in history. For example, Helio Castroneves and Dixon rank fourth and fifth in career starts with 351 and 335, respectively, and they have combined for 80 race wins. Will Power needs six more NTT P1 Awards to have the most poles ever in INDYCAR. There are veterans all through the INDYCAR field, with seven drivers accounting for 16 series championships. Nineteen drivers expected to compete this season have won at least one series race, and even those who haven’t won yet figure to enter Victory Lane soon. That list includes Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren SP, Jack Harvey of Meyer Shank Racing and Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing. Even Johnson’s fellow series rookies have a considerable amount of experience. Romain Grosjean of Dale Coyne Racing with RWR spent nine seasons in Formula One, earning a top-three finish on 10 occasions. Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske won 56 races and stood on 106 podiums en route to winning the past three consecutive V8 Supercars championships, the top series in Australia. Given that INDYCAR limits the number of test days a driver and his team can have in a year, Johnson has taken to testing in junior formula cars as often as possible. One of the things that experience has helped him understand is what it takes to bring tires up to temperature, and in some cases, like Barber Motorsports Park, he has been able to acclimate himself to the circuit. Still, Johnson figures to be learning throughout the INDYCAR season, with new experiences at every corner. An example: Maximizing Firestone’s alternate red tires, which aren’t available for use until qualifying sessions. “I can say that the last 10 or 15 percent (of the performance) is going to be the

hardest,” Johnson said. “I’ve made some great strides, (and) I’m going in the right direction. I’m (closer) to my teammates now, which has really been my goal out of the box. “But that last little bit, that’s what the elite guys are so good at and chase their whole career. I don’t know if I’ll get to 100 percent with the amount of years that I have to give this a try, but there’s still so many things I haven’t experienced yet.”

Johnson said even the preparation between NASCAR and INDYCAR teams is different. Yes, both use teams of engineers, and the crews that go over the pit wall in races have similar responsibilities. But after that, it’s a different sport. “I would say the intensity (is different), not only in what the (car) demands but also the layers with the engineers that come with that,” he said. “We want more data on the NASCAR vehicles, but we’re just not

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I’ve made some great strides, (and) I’m going in the right direction. I’m (closer) to my teammates now, which has really been my goal out of the box.

allowed to with the way the rules work. I didn’t realize how that simplified things. “From a homework standpoint, a weekly to-do check-in standpoint, the pre- and post-race work, I’ve been really surprised how time is required in INDYCAR. It’s a lot more than I experienced on a weekly basis in NASCAR.” As you watch Johnson through this fascinating adaptation, keep in mind that he has had to recalibrate everything from how he climbs in and out of the car. It’s how his view is different behind INDYCAR’s revolutionary Aeroscreen versus a standard NASCAR windshield, how much more powerful the acceleration in these cars is, how his braking points have changed, the increased G forces on his head in cornering – those are just a few of the ways driving is different for him. And remember, these cars don’t have power steering as stock cars have. Johnson is racing on different tracks, too, with a new cast of competitors. He must keep his perspective as outside expectations stand to be unrealistic. “I mean, I still have to learn the flag and the procedures and all the stuff that’s different,” he said. “I’m starting over from square one here. “I’m just laughing at myself and enjoying the ride as I’m on it.”

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INDYCAR TAKES GREEN FLAG WITH DEFIANT MOMENTUM,

STARS IN 2021

“DEFY EVERYTHING” IS MORE THAN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ SLOGAN FOR THE 2021 SEASON. IT IS ITS MINDSET. rom attacking the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, where danger lurks in all four corners, to aggressiveness needed to conquer street racing and to rumbling through picturesque road courses with a nimble Dallara chassis powered by a beast of a Chevrolet or Honda engine, INDYCAR unapologetically defies anyone to find a more dynamic and diverse series. The 17-race schedule challenges every element of these athletes’ talent. Necks must withstand sustained loads in high-speed cornering, the bruising bumps of a temporary street circuit and the intensity of side-byside racing with many of the best drivers ever to pass through this discipline. Start with trying to get the best of Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, a living legend in open-wheel racing. Dixon entered the season two wins shy of second place on INDYCAR’s all-time list, a mark of 52 set by Mario Andretti. Dixon also is aiming for his seventh series championship; only A.J. Foyt has won as many, and no other driver in history has won more than four. If it’s maximizing speed over a single lap, there have been few quicker than Team Penske’s Will Power, who could tie Andretti’s all-time mark of 67 poles by year’s end. But get this: Andretti achieved his total over 421 events; Power reached 62 in his first 235.

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INDYCAR’s field features drivers from around the globe. Challenging the Americans at home are drivers from Canada, Japan, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, England, Colombia, The Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.

INDYCAR is a healthy mix of old and new. Tony Kanaan of Chip Ganassi Racing, Helio Castroneves of Meyer Shank Racing and Sebastien Bourdais of Dale Coyne Racing with RWR have shown that 40 is just an age to defy. Dixon, Power and Ed Carpenter of Ed Carpenter Racing are finding out – each reaching that age plateau in recent months. Takuma Sato of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has won two Indianapolis 500s presented by Gainbridge in his 40s. INDYCAR’s fearless young stars could care less. Andretti Autosport’s Colton

Herta is the youngest race winner in the sport’s history – 18 years, 11 months, 25 days – and he still has two more chances to become the youngest winner of the Indianapolis 500. Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing doesn’t turn 21 until September. Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren SP turns 22 in May. The youth movement seems to go on and on: Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing and Pietro Fittipaldi of Dale Coyne Racing with RWR are 24, and Ed Jones of Dale Coyne Racing with VasserSullivan is 26.

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You think Jimmie Johnson isn’t trying to defy something? After winning 83 races and seven season championships in NASCAR’s Cup Series, he is challenging INDYCAR’s best with all the passion that put his stock car racing resume alongside Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Johnson is driving Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 48 Honda on the road courses and street circuits this season; Kanaan will drive the car on the ovals. Romain Grosjean spent nine seasons in Formula One, scoring 10 top-three finishes. But when it came time to choose his next path, he saw INDYCAR’s intense form of racing too intriguing to pass on. Like Johnson, Grosjean stepped out of his comfort zone as a seasoned Grand Prix driver to give this ultra-competitive series a try with Dale Coyne Racing with RWR. Scott McLaughlin could have lived out his racing career in Australia’s top series, the V8 Supercars Championship, where he won three consecutive season titles from 2018-20. But he wanted to measure himself in the series he has long watched on television (cheering on fellow New Zealander Dixon, no less). First, as a Team Penske driver he must beat three championship-winning teammates – Power, Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud – and a host of other bad asses await.

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Andretti Autosport also has a host of elite athletes. Ryan Hunter-Reay won INDYCAR’s 2012 championship and the 2014 Indianapolis 500. Alexander Rossi is also a “500” winner, capturing the 100th Running in 2016. James Hinchcliffe and Marco Andretti have won the NTT P1 Award for capturing the Indy 500 pole on that iconic IMS oval, and it seems like a foregone conclusion that Herta will one day leave his indelible mark on Indy. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has a pair of stars always in the hunt. Sato, who in 2020 became the 20th driver to win a second “500,” has won races on all of INDYCAR’s configurations: superspeedways, short ovals, road courses and street circuits. Graham Rahal finished third at Indy last year and, like Sato, has six INDYCAR wins in his career. INDYCAR’s field features drivers from around the globe. Challenging the Americans at home are drivers from Canada, Japan, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, England, Colombia, The Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates. Of course, the Canadians are annually on their own turf with the Honda Indy Toronto, a race set for July 9-11. The North American-based series has teams owned by U.S. driving legends A.J. Foyt, Roger Penske, Michael Andretti and

Bobby Rahal, with competition coming from former drivers Chip Ganassi, Dale Coyne, Sam Schmidt and Michael Shank along with European-influenced entries from Arrow McLaren SP and Carlin. An electric new street race in Nashville, Tennessee, and the season finale in Long Beach, California, headline the exciting street circuits on INDYCAR’s schedule. The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, to be held Aug. 8 in Nashville, has music icon Justin Timberlake among its investors, and INDYCAR will race around Nissan Stadium, home to the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. The race also features crossing the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge, a landmark in the city of country music’s soul. The atmosphere of the inaugural event figures to rival that of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, which has been attracting throngs of INDYCAR fans since 1984. INDYCAR’s 2021 season seemingly has storylines at every turn, from Paretta Autosport’s effort to field an Indy 500 team primarily of women with Simona De Silvestro as the driver in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on May 30. It has support from Penske Entertainment through the company’s Race for Equality & Change program introduced in July 2020. Pietro Fittipaldi, the grandson of twotime Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fit-

tipaldi, is trying to uphold the family name. Remember, Pietro’s cousin, Christian, finished second in the “500” in 1995 and had a successful INDYCAR career, winning races on a road course (Road America) and a superspeedway (Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California). Fittipaldi’s younger brother, Enzo, is competing this season in the Road to Indy program’s Indy Pro 2000 series, and their uncle, Max Papis, is one of INDYCAR’s stewards. Several INDYCAR teams are enjoying an unprecedented period of expansion, giving the NTT INDYCAR SERIES its largest full-time car count in years. Meyer Shank Racing is one of these teams, adding Castroneves in a part-time role alongside Jack Harvey, who appears set to become one of the next firsttime series winners. MSR, like RLL, is building a new state-of-the-art headquarters that exemplifies INDYCAR’s growth. The Hondas and Chevrolets used in INDYCAR operate from a 2.2-liter, twinturbocharged V6 engine platform mounted to a Dallara chassis fitted with a revolutionary cockpit-protecting Aeroscreen that debuted in 2020. Chevrolet and Honda also are preparing for INDYCAR’s movement to a 2.4-liter powerplant with hybrid technology in 2023. Add it up. INDYCAR defies you to hang on tight.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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2019 JOSEF NEWGARDEN 2020 Race

Winner Race Winner

TEAM PENSKE

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

December 22, 1990

Hendersonville, TN

Nashville, TN

JOSEFNEWGARDEN.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

JOSEF NEWGARDEN

@JOSEFNEWGARDEN

Hitachi Team Penske Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet March 25, 2012 - Streets of St. Petersburg April 26, 2015 - Barber Motorsports Park

Josef Newgarden charged to his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in 2019 - after also winning his first championship in 2017 with Team Penske. In 2020, he finished second in the championship points after winning four races.

July 12, 2015 - The Milwaukee Mile

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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3 SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN TEAM PENSKE

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

ROOKIE YEAR

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

June 10, 1993

Christchurch, New Zealand

Charlotte, NC

SCOT T-MCL AUGHLIN CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

SMCL AUGHLIN93

DEX Imaging Team Penske Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet Oct. 25, 2020 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

FIRST WIN

N/A

FIRST POLE

N/A

Scott McLaughlin joined the NTT INDYCAR Series full-time in 2021 after racing for nine seasons in the Australian Supercars Championship series (also for Team Penske.) He has three back-to-back Supercars Championships and is ranked third on Team Penske's all-time win list, trailing only Brad Keselowski and Mark Donohue.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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DALTON KELLETT A.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

August 19, 1993

Stouffville, Canada

Indianapolis, IN

DALTONKELLET T.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

@DALTONKELLET T

K-Line Insulators USA Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet July 4, 2020 - GMR Grand Prix

FIRST WIN

N/A

FIRST POLE

N/A

This is Dalton Kellett's second year in NTT INDYCAR SERIES. In 2020 he ran a partial season with A.J. Foyt Enterprises with eight starts. He is a graduate of the Road to Indy program, where he competed at all three levels.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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PATRICIO O'WARD ARROW MCLAREN SP

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

May 6, 1999

Monterrey, Mexico

San Antonio, TX

PATRICIOOWARD.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

PATRICIOOWARD

@PATRICIOOWARD

Arrow McLaren SP Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet September 16, 2018 - Grand Prix of Sonoma N/A

For 2020 Pato O'Ward joined the newly formed Arrow McLaren SP team. In 2018 he was crowned Indy Lights Champion and in 2019 O'Ward made seven INDYCAR starts with Carlin. In 2020 he was the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. His 2021 season got off to a great start with a pole at the season opener and a fourth place finish.

July 12, 2020 - Road America

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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FELIX ROSENQVIST ARROW MCLAREN SP

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

November 7, 1991

Värnamo, Sweden

Indianapolis, IN

FELIXRACING.SE CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

FELIXROSENQVISTOFFICIAL

@FROSENQVIST

Arrow McLaren SP Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet March 10, 2019 - Streets of St. Petersburg

FIRST WIN

July 12, 2020 - Rev Group Grand Prix

FIRST POLE

May 10, 2019 - INDYCAR Grand Prix

In 2019, Rosenqvist joined Chip Ganassi Racing after two years in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Rosenqvist won the Rookie of the Year award in 2019 and raced to two podium finishes. In 2020 he achieved his first race win. For 2021 he has moved to the Arrow McLaren SP team.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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2021-04-15 3:57 PM

MARCUS ERICSSON CHIP GANASSI RACING

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

September 2, 1990

Kumla, Sweden

Indianapolis, IN

MARCUSERICSSON.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

MARCUSERICSSON

@ERICSSON_MARCUS

Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara IR-18 Honda March 10, 2019 - Streets of St. Petersburg

FIRST WIN

N/A

FIRST POLE

N/A

In 2019 Ericsson moved to INDYCAR from Formula One, where he had competed for five years with 97 starts. He made sixteen starts in the 2019 season, with a best finish of third at Belle Isle #2. For the 2020 season he has joined Chip Ganassi racing, with a new premier partner - Huski Chocolate. He had a strong 2020 season with top-ten finishes at nine of the fourteen starts.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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SCOTT DIXON CHIP GANASSI RACING

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

July 22, 1980

Auckland, New Zealand

Indianapolis, IN

SCOT TDIXON.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

SCOT TDIXON

@SCOT TDIXON9

PNC Bank Grow Up Great Dallara IR-18 Honda March 11, 2001 - Monterrey, Mexico

FIRST WIN

May 6, 2001 - Nazareth Speedway

FIRST POLE

April 13, 2003 - Twin Ring Motegi

A six-time INDYCAR Champion (2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020), Scott Dixon holds the record for most wins of any active INDYCAR driver (and is third in overall wins, behind Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt). The 2020 season marked his 19th year with Chip Ganassi Racing, the longest tenure for any driver with the team.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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olSKMS_8.5X11_4CAd_notrack.pdf

3/11/14

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ALEX PALOU CHIP GANASSI RACING

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

April 1, 1997

Barcelona, Spain

Indianapolis, IN

ALE XPALOU.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

ALE XPALOUMONTALBO

NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara IR-18 Honda

@ALE XPALOU

For the 2021 NNT INDYCAR SERIES season, Alex Palou has moved to Chip Ganassi Racing. In 2019 he made his series debut with Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh. In 2019, Palou was the top rookie in Japan’s Super Formula after finishing

Genesys 300 -June 6, 2020

third in the championship with a win in the wet at Fuji. Prior

April 18, 2021 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

to racing in Asia, he competed in Formula 3 in Europe. Palou

N/A

win at the season opener last weekend.

started the 2021 season off with a bang, securing his first race

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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WILL POWER

Race

2010

Winner Race

2014

Winner

TEAM PENSKE

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

March 1, 1981

Toowoomba, Australia

Charlotte, NC

WILLPOWER12.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

12WILLPOWER

@12WILLPOWER

Verizon 5G Team Penske Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet October 23, 2005 - Surfers Paradise April 8, 2007 - Las Vegas Street Circuit

In 2020 Power achieved five poles and two first-place finishes, extending his streak of having at least one race win per season which dates back all the way to 2007. Power is also the 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner and 2014 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion.

October 21, 2006 - Surfers Paradise

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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SÉBASTIEN BOURDAIS

Race

2017

Winner Race

2018

Winner

A.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

February 28, 1979

Le Mans, France

St. Petersburg, Florida

SBOURDAIS.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

SBOURDAIS

ROKiT Chevrolet Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet February 23, 2003 - Streets of St. Petersburg May 5, 2003 - Brands Hatch, England February 22, 2003 - Streets of St. Petersburg

@BOURDAISONTRACK

@SBOURDAIS

Sebastien Bourdais is the only NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver to win four consecutive championships (2004-2007). He ranks sixth on the all-time win list with 37 victories and seventh in career poles with 34. In his first race back after a severe injury in 2017, he won the 2018 Firestone Grand Prix for the second straight year. In 2020, he drove four races in the No. 14 Sexton Companies Chevrolet, including the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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GRAHAM RAHAL

Race

2008

Winner

RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

January 4, 1989

New Albany, OH

Indianapolis, IN

GRAHAMRAHAL .COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

GRAHAMRAHAL

@GRAHAMRAHAL

United Rentals Dallara IR-18 Honda April 8, 2007 - Streets of Las Vegas

FIRST WIN

April 6, 2008 - Streets of St. Petersburg

FIRST POLE

April 5, 2009 - Streets of St. Petersburg

Rahal had a successful 2020 season with three podiums, including third at the Indy 500, and four top-ten finishes. In 2019, Rahal had four top-five finishes and a front row start. His 2021 season is offto a good start thanks to a strong race at Alabama.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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ED JONES

DALE COYNE RACING WITH VASSER SULLIVAN

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

February 12, 1995

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Miami, FL

EDJONESRACING.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

EDJONESRACING

@EDJONESRACING

@_EDWARDJONES

SealMaster Dallara IR-18 Honda March 12, 2017 - Streets of St. Petersburg

FIRST WIN

N/A

FIRST POLE

N/A

Ed Jones is making his return to the INDYCAR Series in 2021 with Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan. The 2019 season saw Jones compete in all road and street course events in the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, finishing the season with one top-ten finish. In 2017, Jones won the INDYCAR Rookie of the Year award.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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20 CONOR DALY ED CARPENTER RACING

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

December 15, 1991

Noblesville, IN

Indianapolis, IN

CONORDALY.NET

CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

CONORDALYOFFICIAL

@CONORDALY2 2

U.S. Air Force Chevrolet Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet May 26, 2013 - Indianapolis 500 N/A

In 2020 Conor Daly joined Ed Carpenter Racing for the twelve road and street course events and Indianapolis 500. He achieved his first pole in 2020 at Race 1 of the Iowa INDYCAR 250s and had four top-ten finishes. For the 2021 season he is returning as the pilot of the No. 20 U.S. Air Force entry at road and street course events.

Iowa INDYCAR 250s - July 17, 2020

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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RINUS VEEKAY ED CARPENTER RACING

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

September 11, 2000

Hoofddorp, Netherlands

RINUSVEEKAY.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

RINUSVEEKAY

@RINUSVEEKAY

Autogeek Chevrolet Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet June 6, 2020 - Genesys 300 N/A

Rinus VeeKay is beginning his second season with Ed Carpenter Racing as the full-time pilot of the No. 21 Chevrolet in 2021. He is a graduate of the Road to Indy program, with wins at all levels of the program. He had a strong rookie NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with five top-ten finishes.

October 1, 2020 Harvest GP

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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SIMON PAGENAUD TEAM PENSKE

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

May 18, 1984

Montmorillon, France

Charlotte, NC

SIMON-PAGENAUD.RACING CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

SIMONPAGENAUD

@SIMONPAGENAUD

Menards/Australian Gold Team Penske Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet April 8, 2007 - Las Vegas Street Circuit June 2, 2013 - The Raceway at Belle Isle

In 2019, Simon Pagenaud won the Indianapolis 500 for the first time – making him the first Frenchman to win the iconic race in nearly a century. In 2020 Pagenaud achieved three podium and four top-ten finishes.

June 28, 2014 - NRG Park Stadium Circuit

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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26 COLTON HERTA ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

March 30, 2000

Valencia, CA

Belleair, FL

ANDRETTIAUTOSPORT.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

COLTONHERTARACING

@COLTONHERTA

Gainbridge Honda Dallara IR-18 Honda September 16, 2018 - Sonoma March 24, 2019 - Circuit of The Americas

Colton Herta took INDYCAR by storm in 2019, setting two impressive records -- the youngest winner in series history and the youngest pole sitter. In 2020, he won one race and was a consistent presence in the top-tens, with top-ten finishes at eleven out of the fourteen races.

June 23, 2019 - Road America

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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27 ALEXANDER ROSSI ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

September 25, 1991

Nevada City, CA

Indianapolis, IN

ALE XANDERROSSI.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

ALE XANDERROSSI

@ALE XANDERROSSI

AutoNation / NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda Dallara IR-18 Honda March 13, 2016 - Streets of St. Petersburg

Rossi fnished the 2019 season in third place, making it the second year in a row he was in championship contention until the final flag. In 2020, he had five podium finishes.

Indianapolis 500 (2016) September 2, 2017 - Watkins Glen

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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28 RYAN HUNTER-REAY ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

December 17, 1980

Dallas, TX

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

RYANRACING.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

RYANHUNTER-REAY

@RYANHUNTERREAY

DHL Honda Dallara IR-18 Honda February 23, 2003 - Streets of St. Petersburg

FIRST WIN

October 26, 2003 - Surfers Paradise

FIRST POLE

June 4, 2004 - The Milwaukee Mile

Hunter-Reay won the INDYCAR Championship in 2012 and he is the only American driver to record wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, CART, Champ Car, American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. In 2020 he achieved four top-five finishes.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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29 JAMES HINCHCLIFFE 2013 Race

Winner

ANDRETTI STEINBRENNER AUTOSPORT

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

Dec. 5, 1986

Toronto, Canada

Indianapolis, IN

HINCHTOWN.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START FIRST WIN FIRST POLE

HINCHTOWN

Genesys Honda Dallara IR-18 Honda April 10, 2011 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama March 24, 2013 Streets of St. Petersburg

James Hinchcliffe is making his full-time INDYCAR return in 2021 with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport. In 2020, Hinchcliffe contested a part-time season with six starts and a season's best finish of seventh at the 2020 Indianapolis 500.

May 21, 2016 Indianapolis 500

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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30 TAKUMA SATO

RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

January 28, 1977

Toyko, Japan

Indianapolis, IN

TAKUMASATO.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE

Panasonic / Shield Cleansers Dallara IR-18 Honda

FIRST START

March 14, 2010 - Streets of Sao Paulo

FIRST WIN

April 21, 2013 - Streets of Long Beach

FIRST POLE

@TAKUMASATORACER

2020 saw Sato win his second Indianapolis 500. In 2019, he had two wins (Alabama, Gateway), two poles (Alabama, Texas) and led 200 laps. For 2021 Sato is remaining with the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team with a new sponsor, Shield Cleansers.

June 24, 2011 - Iowa Speedway

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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48 JIMMIE JOHNSON CHIP GANASSI RACING

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

Sept. 17, 1975

El Cajon, CA

Charlotte, NC

JIMMIE JOHNSON.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

ROOKIE YEAR

JIMMIE JOHNSON

Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara IR-18 Honda Honda Grand Prix - April 18, 2021

FIRST WIN

N/A

FIRST POLE

N/A

Jimmie Johnson shares the record for NASCAR Cup Series championships with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. This year, Johnson is making the switch to INDYCAR, where he will pilot the No. 48 entry at all road courses and street circuits. Dario Franchitti is acting as his team advisor and fans are excited to see how this NASCAR Cup Series legend will transition to INDYCAR.

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

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51 ROMAIN GROSJEAN DALE COYNE RACING WITH RWR

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

April 17, 1986

Geneva, Switzerland

ROMAINGROSJEAN.COM CAR NAME

Nurtec ODT

CHASSIS

Dallara IR-18

AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

ROOKIE YEAR

GROSJEANROMAIN

Honda April 18, 2021 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

FIRST WIN

N/A

FIRST POLE

N/A

RGROSJEAN

GROSJEANROMAIN

Grosjean is making his NTT INDYCAR Series debut in 2021 after 180 Formula 1 starts. In his Formula 1 career he scored ten podium finishes. His NTT INDYCAR Series debut is off to a strong start, with a top-ten finish at the season opener.

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59 MAX CHILTON CARLIN

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

April 21, 1991

Reigate, England

MAXCHILTON.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

MAXCHILTONOFICIAL

Carlin Chevrolet Dallara IR-18 Chevrolet March 13, 2016 - Streets of St. Petersburg

FIRST WIN

N/A

FIRST POLE

N/A

@MAXCHILTON

In 2018 Chilton joined the newly formed Carlin team, after spending his first two seasons in the series with another team. His best result to date came at the 2017 Indianapolis 500 where he finished 4th, after leading a race-high 50 laps. Chilton is the first British driver in more than a decade and just the fourth in the last 24 years (Nigel Mansell - 1994, Mark Blundell - 1996, Justin Wilson - 2004) to have driven full-time in Formula 1 prior to joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

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60 JACK HARVEY MEYER SHANK RACING

2021 POINTS

2021 RANK

DATE OF BIRTH

HOMETOWN

RESIDENCE

April 15, 1993

Lincoln, England

Indianapolis, IN

JACKHARVEY.COM CAR NAME CHASSIS AERO/ENGINE FIRST START

YEARS IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

JACKHARVEYRACING

@JACK_HARVEY42

AutoNation / SiriusXM Dallara IR-18 Honda May 28, 2017 - Indianapolis 500

FIRST WIN

N/A

FIRST POLE

N/A

2020 marked the first full-season NTT INDYCAR series effort for Meyer Shank Racing after three partial seasons of competition. MSR began its INDYCAR series journey in 2017 with an Indianapolis 500 start and the team grew to compete in six races in 2018 and then 10 events in 2019. Harvey earned his first INDYCAR podium at the 2019 INDYCAR Grand Prix, where he finished third.

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2021-04-15 12:05 PM 4/13/21 9:17 AM

ANDRETTI, KIRKWOOD CHASE

THE HAT-TRICK

ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT HAS HAD TO WAIT MORE THAN A YEAR DUE TO A HIATUS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, BUT IS NOW BACK ON THE TRAIL OF TRYING WIN A THIRD CONSECUTIVE INDY LIGHTS PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES TITLE.

BY JEREMY SHAW

he feat has been achieved only once before in the series’ 34-year history dating back to 1986 – when Sam Schmidt Motorsports secured back-to-back-toback championships from 2010 through 2012 with Jean-Karl Vernay, Josef Newgarden and Tristan Vautier. Team principal Schmidt, now one of the guiding lights in the Arrow McLaren SP NTT INDYCAR SERIES team, also secured a fourth straight crown in 2013 when Sage Karam took top honors in the first year of a productive partnership between Schmidt and Ric Peterson. Jupiter, Fla., native Kyle Kirkwood, also is chasing a hat-trick as he aims to become the first driver to win scholarships on all three levels of the globally acclaimed Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires openwheel driver development ladder. Kirkwood, 22, secured his first Road to Indy crown in 2018 when he dominated the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship by winning 12 of the 14 races. One year later, he added the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires following a remarkable late surge which brought victory in nine of the final 11 races. Unsurprisingly Kirkwood, who won on his USF2000 debut on the streets of St. Petersburg in 2018, has joined the Andretti juggernaut for his attempt at the unprecedented three-peat. He will be joined on the team which claimed the champion-

ship in 2018 (with Patricio O’Ward, who of course now drives for Arrow McLaren SP) and 2019 (with Kirkwood’s childhood karting buddy Oliver Askew) by fellow rookie Danial Frost and series veteran Robert Megennis. In addition, Devlin DeFrancesco will drive a fourth car under the Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport banner. Megennis also has a USF2000 victory at St. Petersburg under his belt, in 2017, and is seeking to build upon a solid rookie Indy Lights campaign in 2019 which netted one race win, on the Indianapolis Grand Prix road course, and fifth place in the final standings. Italian-Canadian DeFrancesco and Frost, from Singapore, are stepping up to Indy Lights after finishing second and third, respectively, in last year’s Indy Pro 2000 series. While the Andretti team undoubtedly has begun the year as a strong favorite to extend its stranglehold on Indy Lights, already a serious new challenger has emerged in the form of a partnership between Global Racing Group and HMD Motorsports, which led the way convincingly during the traditional Spring Training open test earlier this month at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Series veteran David Malukas was fastest for HMD Motorsports, but hot on his heels were newcomers Linus Lundqvist, from Stockholm, Sweden, and Danishborn Benjamin Pedersen, who now hails

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Kyle Kirkwood in action during last year’s lone official practice session. Photo: Chris Bucher/Road to Indy.

David Malukas looks to build on a promising Indy Lights rookie season in 2019. Photo: Gavin Baker/Road to Indy.

Sweden’s Linus Lundqvist has shone in preseason testing. Photo: Mattias Persson/Motorsport Publication.

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Toby Sowery scored two podium finishes here in 2019, and now has joined Juncos Racing. Gavin Baker/Road to Indy.

from Seattle, Wash., who will run under the Global Motorsports Group with HMD Motorsports banner. Malukas, 18, from Chicago, Ill., has a point to prove after finishing on the Indy Pro 2000 podium at St. Petersburg in 2018 and then posting the fastest time in practice one year ago before the race event – and, indeed, the Indy Lights season – was brought to a premature conclusion by the pandemic. That experience could prove invaluable for this weekend’s pair of races, supported by Foundation Building Materials (Race One) and Andersen Interior Contracting (Race Two), although great things also are expected from Lundqvist, 22, whose pedigree includes winning the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship in 2018 and a dominant romp to last year’s Formula Regional Americas Championship powered by Honda. Road to Indy veteran Nikita Lastochkin, will drive a second HMD Dallara IL-15. The list of potential winners this weekend also includes the Juncos Racing pair of Toby Sowery and Sting Ray Robb. Sowery, from Cambridge, England, scored a couple of sensational podium finishes on his Indy Lights debut here in 2019, while Robb, from Payette, Idaho, earned his place on the two-time championship-

winning team as result of claiming last year’s Indy Pro 2000 Championship in fine style. Robb, 19, won seven races last term, including one right here in St. Pete, where he posted new lap records both in qualifying and the race. The 13-car field will be completed by a singleton, family-run entry for Canadian Antonio Serravalle, who is also stepping up from Indy Pro 2000, and, making its return to the series or the first time since 2017, global open-wheel powerhouse Carlin which won the title in 2016 with Ed Jones. Carlin will field a pair of cars for Australian Alex Peroni and USF2000 veteran Christian Bogle, from Covington, La. Tasmanian Peroni might be best known for his infamous – and terrifying – accident during an FIA Formula 3 Championship race in support of the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Monza in 2019, although he also marked his credentials by securing three podium finishes and two fastest race laps during his return to F3 in 2020. So another super-competitive season in store for Indy Lights, from which the champion will emerge with a scholarship valued at almost $1.3 million to guarantee entry into a minimum of three NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in 2022, including the Indianapolis 500. It’s been worth the wait.

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HIGH INTENSITY

THE INDY PRO 2000 CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES SEEMS DESTINED FOR ANOTHER EXCITING SEASON.

BY JEREMY SHAW

he middle rung on the Road to Indy ladder witnessed a gripping contest through much of 2020 – or at least until Sting Ray Robb hit his stride after the halfway mark – and the level of intensity might even step up a notch this year as a strong field of 17 drivers chase a scholarship valued at over $718,000 to ensure graduation to Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires in 2022. With the top-three finishers from 2020 – Robb, Devlin DeFrancesco and Danial Frost – all making the move up this year, Russian Artem Petrov, who finished fourth in the standings with two wins to his credit, is hoping to fill the void after jumping across to the Exclusive Autosport enclave. But Petrov, who, coincidentally, hails from the “other” Saint Petersburg – in Russia – will likely have his hands full with 2019 USF2000 champion Braden Eves, from New Albany, Ohio, who returns to the team after scoring a win and two poles before a heavy crash at Indianapolis caused him to miss the second half of the season. Defending champion team Juncos Racing also boasts a strong lineup with Mexican Manuel Sulaiman, who scored two wins in 2020, joining the squad alongside Reece Gold, from Miami, Fla., who

Mexico’s Manuel Sulaiman has joined defending champion team Juncos Racing. Photo: Gavin Baker/Road to Indy.

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USF2000 champion Christian Rasmussen carries the Road to Indy scholarship colors as he steps up to Indy Pro 2000. Photo: Gavin Baker/Road to Indy.

Braden Eves is back with a vengeance after injury forced him to the sidelines in 2020. Photo: Gavin Baker/Road to Indy.

Emerson Fittipaldi’s grandson, Enzo, has joined the Road to Indy this year. Photo: Gavin Baker/Road to Indy.

finished third in the USF2000 series, and Barbados-born American Kyffin Simpson. Sulaiman, 20, topped the timing charts during the traditional Spring Training preseason test a couple of weeks ago at Barber Motorsports Park, while Gold achieved some success here in St. Pete last year by claiming a podium finish in USF2000. Simpson, 16, will be making his debut on a street circuit but already has made a winning start to his season by claiming all three races in the FR Americas series at Road Atlanta. New Zealander Hunter McElrea has similarly high expectations after scoring his maiden Indy Pro 2000 victory in the final round of the 2020 season right here in St. Petersburg. McElrea also scored two podium finishes during an impressive North American debut here two years ago in USF2000. He will again be joined at Pabst Racing by Colin Kaminsky, from Homer Glen, Ill., who twice finished on the podium in 2020, including a glorious onetwo with McElrea in the season finale. Denmark’s Christian Rasmussen also must be considered a potential championship favorite after convincingly winning the 2020 USF2000 championship – and a scholarship valued at over $328,000 to make the step up with the Jay Howard Driver Development team. Wyatt Brichacek, from Johnstown, Colo., also will graduate from USF2000 with the team run by former USF2000 and Indy Lights champion Jay Howard. Also from Europe, rapid Englishman Enaam Ahmed, the 2017 BRDC British Formula 3 champion, and third-generation racer Enzo Fittipaldi, the 2018 Italian Formula 4 champion, will represent Italianbased RP Motorsport USA, which returns to the fray after winning the title with Kirkwood in 2019 but was unable to defend its crown last year due to travel restrictions brought about by the pandemic. A stout field also will include singleton entries from Turn 3 Motorsport for Irishman James Roe; DEForce Racing for Australian USF2000 grad Cameron Shields; Legacy Autosport for third-generation racer Flinn Lazier, from Vail, Colo.; Miller Vinatieri Motorsports for another USF2000 graduate, Jack William Miller , from Carmel, Ind.; Abel Motorsports for returning veteran Jacob Abel, from Louisville, Ky.; and last but certainly not least, Velocity Racing Development which is making its debut in Indy Pro 2000 with Hunter Yeany, from Virginia Beach, Va., who dominated last year’s F4 United States Championship powered by Honda.

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WIDE-OPEN USF2000 BY JEREMY SHAW

he big question around the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship paddock prior to the start of the new season was: Can Cape Motorsports return to its championship winning ways? After securing nine consecutive driver championships – and an astonishing 80 race wins – between 2011 and 2019, brothers Dominic and Nicholas Cape had to be content with “only” third place in the points tally and three race wins last term, although it did have the admirable consolation of claiming the coveted Team Championship which had fallen the way of Pabst Racing for the previous three seasons. Instead it was relative upstart Jay Howard Driver Development which scooped top honors in 2020 through the efforts of rapid Dane Christian Rasmussen. Howard, formerly a champion himself in both USF2000 and Indy Lights, returns in 2021 with a three-car effort for Bijoy Garg, from Atherton, Calif., who completed a partial campaign last year, alongside rookies

Christian Brooks earned a breakthrough victory last year in St. Petersburg. Photo: Chris Bucher/Road to Indy.

Jackson Lee, from Avon, Ind., who marked his quality by securing a Team USA Scholarship, and New Zealander Peter Vodanovich, who won last year’s Toyota 86 sedan championship in his homeland before making his open-wheel debut earlier this year in the Toyota Racing Series. The Capes, meanwhile, having relocated from St. Petersburg to Brownsburg, Ind., since they last competed on the streets, have four arrows in their quiver, including Michael d’Orlando, from Hartsdale, N.Y., who won once in 2020 on his way to fourth place in the points table. As the highest-placed returning driver from 2021, he will be joined by a trio of rookies in Spike Kohlbecker, from St. Louis, Mo., a two-time race winner last year in the United States F4 Championship, Evan Stamer, from Glen Carbon, Ill., and Canadian Thomas Nepveu. Still in search of that elusive first driver championship, Wisconsin team owner Augie Pabst fields cars for 15-year-old Josh Pierson, from Wilsonville, Ore., who showed promise during his rookie season

in 2020, series veteran Yuven Sundaramoorthy, who hails from the same town, Oconomowoc, Wis., as the team, and former karter Jace Denmark, a 16-yearold rookie from Scottsdale, Ariz., who displayed impressive pace in the Spring Training preseason test. Canadian-owned Exclusive Autosport also has high hopes for its four-car team. Californian Christian Brooks claimed a breakthrough victory last fall at St. Petersburg on his way to clinching Hyperco Rookie of the Year honors, while Matt Round-Garrido, from Stourbridge, England, also has plenty of experience after a year and a half at this level. They will be joined by a pair of rookies in young New Zealander Billy Frazier, who won his homeland’s Formula Ford 1600 Championship in 2020, and Grant Palmer, from St. Charles, Mo., who steps up to USF2000 after gaining valuable experience in last year’s British Formula Ford 1600 Championship. The other powerhouse team is Texasbased DEForce Racing, which fields Brazil-

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Thomas Nepveu (2) and Evan Stamer form half of Cape Motorsports’ four-pronged attack. Photo: Gavin Baker/Road to Indy.

Kiko Porto led fellow Brazilian and good friend Eduardo Barrichello to a 1-2 finish here in 2020. Photo: Chris Bucher/Road to Indy.

Jace Denmark enters his rookie season with Pabst Racing. Photo: Gavin Baker/Road to Indy.

Josh Green is back in USF2000 with a new team, Turn 3 Motorsport. Photo: Gavin Baker/Road to Indy.

ian Kiko Porto, also a first-time race winner last year at St. Petersburg, Nolan Siegel, from Palo Alto, Calif., who claimed a pair of podium finishes, and the past two champions from the Lucas Oil Formula Car Series, Prescott Campbell, from Newport Beach, Calif., and Ely Navarro, from Fishers, Ind. After a strong season in Indy Pro 2000, former racer Peter Dempsey’s Turn 3 Motorsport team has spread its wings a little wider in order to run a pair of Tatuus USF17s for former Team USA Scholarship winner Josh Green, from Mount Kisco, N.Y., who joins Turn 3 Motorsport after earning three podium finishes in 2020, and rookie teammate Dylan Christie, from Princeton, N.J., who finished second in last year’s hardfought FRP Formula 1600 Championship. Three other new teams have joined the ultra-competitive USF2000 field in 2021: Force Indy, Joe Dooling Autosports and Velocity Racing Development, each with rookie drivers. Force Indy and University student Myles Rowe, from New York, N.Y., will surely benefit from the tutelage of the legendary Team Penske, winners of a record 18 Indianapolis 500s and 16 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships, as part of the Race for Equality & Change initiative, while teenaged Texan Trey Burke, a fourthgeneration racer. has a much steeper hill to climb as he makes the transition from dirt track ovals to road racing with longtime mentor Joe Dooling. In contrast, the Velocity team’s charge, Erik Evans, from Johns Creek, Ga., is taking a more traditional route in graduating from F4. Rounding out the field will be another F4 graduate, Kent Vaccaro, from Burlington, Vt., who has joined the Miller Vinatieri team, and a pair of Legacy Autosport/ Marotti Autosport entries for another Team USA Scholarship winner, Simon Sikes, from Augusta, Ga., who won last year’s FRP F1600 Championship as well as the SCCA Formula F National Championship, and New York native Andre Castro, who finally has an opportunity to return to USF2000 after taking part in the opening four races way back in 2017. The prospects for this season are extensive, and picking potential winners of this weekend’s pair of races, presented by Andersen RacePark and Andersen Interior Contracting, is a near-impossible task. But one thing’s for sure: The racing will be intense with so many talented youngsters all focused on one goal – the champion’s scholarship prize worth over $400,000 to make the step up to Indy Pro 2000.

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MAZDA MX-5 CUP RETURNS TO THE

STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG

THE IDEMITSU MAZDA MX-5 CUP PRESENTED BY BFGOODRICH IS MAKING ITS SECOND APPEARANCE AT THE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG AFTER DEBUTING AT THE EVENT IN 2020.

t will be an intense race day for the drivers and teams, as Saturday will feature two races, Rounds Five and Six of the Championship. The return to the street circuit marks the final leg of the series’ Florida tour after trips to Daytona International Raceway and Sebring International Raceway. If the two races on the streets of St. Petersburg are anything like the last four, fans are in for quite a show. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup is known for close racing, lots of drafting and incredible finishes. The catalyst for these amazing 45-minute races is the MX-5 Cup car. It’s the same road-going Mazda Miata you can buy at a dealership, only after these leave the assembly line in Japan, they head to Flis Performance in Daytona Beach, Florida, to be converted into a true race car. Several components on the car are sealed to ensure even competition and a cost-saving platform. Since the series began in 2006, the goal has been to provide a true spec series that showcases driver talent and is cost-effective. Today, it’s still the best value in racing. It wasn’t so long ago that the Mazda MX-5 Cup was in St. Petersburg; the 2020 season finale took place here in October. Many of those same competitors have

returned for another shot at the $250,000 Championship prize. That includes Michael Carter, the 2020 MX-5 Cup Champion. A win in Race One here helped him collect that Championship by a slim four points. Carter is back for a third season of MX-5 Cup, still in the No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises entry. He comes into the St. Petersburg weekend chasing Gresham Wagner in the point standings. Wagner is the only repeat winner of the year so far and has a score to settle with the streets of St. Pete. Last year, his engine expired on the formation lap of the first race and thus prevented him from taking part in the second. Though the driver of the No. 5 Spark Performance car qualified on pole for both races, he never turned a race lap. Florida native and University of Central Florida graduate Selin Rollan is another MX-5 Cup podium performer from last year’s St. Petersburg event. Rollan loves this circuit, partly because he regularly flies into Albert Whitted Airport and gets a bite to eat at The Hangar restaurant. The only flying Rollan will be doing this weekend is behind the wheel of his No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports car. These three racers (Carter, Wagner and Rollan) were recently part of an epic finish in the series visit to Sebring last month.

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The three were nose-to-tail the entire race and when they came out of the final turn they fanned out three-wide and crossed the finish line that way in a textbook photo finish. Rollan ended up with the win by just 0.001-second over Carter. The MX-5 Cup has seen a surge in female drivers this season due in part to Mazda’s Women’s Initiative. Since 2008, Mazda has hosted the MX-5 Cup Shootout for amateur Mazda drivers to win a $110,000 scholarship to race in MX-5 Cup. In the most recent Shootout, a $75,000 scholarship was added for the highest performing female driver entered. The inaugural winner of that scholarship is Savanna Little, who drives the No. 63 Hixon Motor Sports car. Little’s teammate at Hixon Motor Sports is Loni Unser, yes, of that Unser family. She took part in a handful of MX-5 Cup races last year and has returned with hopes of completing a full season in the No. 92 Hixon Motor Sports car. These two races in St. Petersburg are the ones she is looking forward to the most, because it is her first time racing on a street course. The current Mazda Shootout Scholarship winner is Aaron Jeansonne. The Louisiana driver began his career racing go-karts on dirt ovals at 17. Only two years later, he won the Team USA Scholarship, which funds an American driver to compete in the prestigious Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and the Walter Hayes Trophy race at Silverstone, both in England. The No. 24 Provision Motorsports driver is hoping to claim MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year honors and the $80,000 prize that goes with it. The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is the only street course on the 2021 MX-5 Cup schedule. The remaining venues are Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (May 14 – 16), Road America (August 6 – 8), WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (September 10 – 12) and Road Atlanta (November 10 – 12). All races are streamed live on IMSA. com and available later on IMSA’s YouTube channel.

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STADIUM SUPER TRUCKS

RETURN TO THE FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX! AFTER A 4 YEAR HIATUS, THE STADIUM SUPER TRUCKS HAVE RETURNED TO THE STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG!

he popular series features drivers from all types of racing backgrounds, including NASCAR, INDYCAR, Sports Car

& Off Road. Always a crowd favorite, you'll want to run to the fences to get the best view of the high flying, identically prepared highhorsepower trucks. Races feature man-made ramps set up in strategic locations throughout the track, which allow the trucks to fly through the air nearly 20 feet off the ground and hundreds of feet down course. The Stadium SUPER Trucks offer some of the best racing throughout the weekend. As always, fans are encouraged to visit the Stadium SUPER Trucks pit area to get an up close look at the trucks.

SPEED ENERGY STADIUM SUPER TRUCKS ENTRY LIST #

DRIVER

HOMETOWN