The 2026 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg kicks off IndyCar season in downtown St. Pete

North America’s premier open-wheel race series will hold its inaugural 2026 contest in St. Petersburg, Florida, from February 27 through March 1, 2026.

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will transform downtown streets and the runway of Albert Whitted Airport into a 1.8-mile, 14-turn street-racing circuit, from February 27 through March 1, 2026.

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is annually one of the premier events on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar, and the 2026 race will serve as the series’ season-opener for the 16th time.

For the first time in its history, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will battle on a street course as part of Saturday’s racing lineup.

The full weekend slate also features the rising stars of INDYCAR in INDY NXT by Firestone, more open-wheel action from USF2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tire and thrilling sports car competition from the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin.

The 22nd annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location.

The 2026 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg airs live on a national broadcast on FOX on March 1. NASCAR will also conduct its very first street race for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in its history on the streets of St. Petersburg in 2026.

The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration that uses the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runway at Albert Whitted Airport, and borders the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina.

St. Pete Grand Prix Race Schedule & Related Events

The festival of speed has a jam-packed schedule both on and off the track. When not filled with the top-level, NTT IndyCar series contestants, the circuit will entertain race fans with competition by four other motorsports series.

Thursday, February 27

The fun starts on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, with an IndyCar Party in the Park in North Straub Park which is free and open to the public. The party will be attended by drivers and will include music, giveaways, food and drink. It also offers a chance for fans to see race cars from each series up close. In addition, at 5 p.m., a 5K walk and run will be held on the racetrack.

Throughout the Weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

During the three days of racing, spectators can visit an IndyCar Series Fan Village, beer gardens, and a Speed Zone with interactive games and exhibits.

Friday, Feb. 27

On Friday, Feb. 27, the track will be busy with all the race series, starting with single-model production sportscar racing, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, followed by the two open-wheel feeder series that are steps toward IndyCar, the  Indy NXT presented by Firestone and USF2000 presented by Continental Tire. The day will end with the NTT IndyCar series carson the track and a driver’s autograph session.

Saturday, Feb. 28

Saturday, Feb. 28, will again have the Mazda MX-5 Cup and the USF2000  on the track. The Indy NXT cars will then have qualifying and an autograph session with these future stars. The day will conclude with practice and qualifying for the IndyCar racers.

Sunday, March 1

The action on Sunday, March 1, will start with a race for one of the feeder series. A 45-lap race of the Indy NXT cars will be held, followed by the grand finale, the 100-lap IndyCar race. 

Ticket Information

Prices range from $185 for three days of grandstand seats in Turns 1 and 10, which have the best views, to $30 for general admission on Friday.

Three-day general admission tickets cost $80 for adults, $70 for children 12 and younger. Passes are available at additional cost for ticket holders who want access to the paddock ( IndyCar garage) and pits (service areas during races). 

If you aren’t interested in sitting in the grandstands, buy a general admission ticket. It will cost less and will allow you to roam around the course’s infield area, getting close to various turns and almost all areas of the racecourse except for the airport straight.

For all ticket and event information, visit gpstpete.com

Details on the Grand Prix Course

St. Pete’s street course offers spectators up-close views as cars roar past just feet away and drivers jockey for the lead at speeds of more than 100 mph, braking hard for the tight turns and flying through the straight sections. The temporary track is narrow (26 feet at its narrowest) but the course’s long straight sections (the front straight is 2,350 feet) and big braking zones allow drivers an average of almost 185 thrilling passes per race.

Passing opportunities involve risks. The narrow, open-wheel racecars’ design with wheels sticking out means that even the slightest brush with another car or the temporary concrete walls lining the course can be disastrous. The drivers’ skill and willingness to take chances grip spectators. 

St. Pete’s nearby restaurants, bars and shops lend a festive and fun atmosphere to the event, which circles Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts - Mahaffey Theater and the Dalí Museum. It’s a far cry from other racetracks that are often in remote locations and offer fewer (and less luxurious) food and entertainment options. 

The great racing, the beautiful setting on the St. Petersburg waterfront and the many amenities attract a stream of well-heeled fans, race drivers and teams to Florida’s only IndyCar race. Luxury yachts fill downtown marinas, and hotels and bars are busy.

The Engineering Feat to Get St. Petersburg Ready for the Race

Staging the St. Pete Grand Prix requires something of an engineering marvel. Transforming public streets into a track on which cars will race safely at an average of about 100 mph requires 8,000 feet of steel-reinforced concrete blocks, totaling 20 million pounds of concrete, being placed along the track; 25,000 feet of chain-link spectator fencing; and 18,000 feet of panel fencing securing the steel-reinforced concrete barriers. 

Other safety measures include trackside walls of more than 12,000 tires wrapped with 1,500 feet of 40-inch-wide, half-inch-thick reinforced rubber.

Despite the enormity of the task, the 300-person track-build team will complete installation and teardown in 27 days. Track construction will take 18 days; teardown and removal will be completed within one week.

Check out the latest entertainment news and things to do in Tampa Bay here!

Before attending any of the events listed on Gotta Go Orlando, you should contact the organizer or venue to confirm that the event is taking place as information, changes, and cancellations can occur.

Contact Us:

You can contact us here. To advertise with us, click here. To list your upcoming event, submit it here.

Newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter and stay in the loop with all the latest news from Central Florida delivered daily to your mailbox.

Social Media:

Join the local conversation on X, Facebook, and Instagram, plus, for extended coverage, catch the latest on our YouTube channel.