Firestone Grand Prix Expected To Resemble A 'Normal' In 2022

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The starting race of the Firestone Grand Prix season will continue to call St. Petersburg "home" for the next five years following an unanimously approved extension by the St. Petersburg City Council with the Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC., June 3.

After COVID-19 adjustments in 2021 with the city moving its race dates from the March to late April, the race will rejoin the the tradition March dates in 2022. The dates through 2026 for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg races are:

• March 10-13, 2022
• March 9-12, 2023
• March 7-10, 2024
• March 6-9, 2025
• March 12-15, 2026

“I am thrilled that the Grand Prix will be in the Sunshine City through 2026. I want to thank City Council for recognizing the importance of this race in St. Pete,” Mayor Rick Kriseman said. “I also want to thank Kim (Green) and Kevin (Savoree), and everyone at the Grand Prix for not only organizing and promoting one of our city’s best events year after year, but for their dedication to our community.”

The event has also had an ongoing impact on the local community through fundraising efforts for the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg, officials said. Over a four-year span via the MBA 5K Run on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Track, more than $216,000 has been raised for the Police Athletic League and American Stage Theatre. The 5K run and walk event is planned to return in 2022 after being put on pause for 2021.

“There is no better backdrop than downtown St. Petersburg and its picturesque waterfront for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to showcase the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC (GSSP).

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, The Mahaffey Theater, the Salvador Dali Museum and extending onto the runways of Albert Whitted Airport. The set up and tear down process has become more efficient each year, city officials said. In 2021, it took 25 days to construct the circuit and the removal was done within six days with the help of Stepp’s Towing, and the development of a collaborated plan with the city's administration and events team.