Five Awesome Things About the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
One weekend each year, the streets of downtown St. Pete transform from regular roads into a high-speed race track.
Drivers and cars from the NTT IndyCar Series weave between concrete barriers, cranking their roaring machines to staggering speeds as they zip past the glittering waters of Tampa Bay. It’s a must-experience with the kids and back in action this year from Friday, Feb. 27 to Sunday, March 1!
Here are five awesome things that make the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg a memorable family trip.
It’s more than one race
The high-profile main race is on the afternoon of Sunday, March 1, but many more races and time trials keep the track humming with action during most of the day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
My favorite day is Saturday, and it’s when I go with my 11-year-old son.
You’ll spot muscular IndyCars from the famous Indianapolis 500, racing pickups from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, zippy Mazda Miatas and drivers as young as 15 years old competing in the USF2000 Championship.
It’s a family-friendly festival
As cars zoom along the track, the area around the grandstands feels like a welcoming mixture of glitzy auto show and county fair.
Car makers offer free photo ops with real race cars and show off the latest tech, while carnival-style food stands sell fair favorites like funnel cakes (and fancier stuff, too).
Some years, a Ferris wheel even towers above the track.
These cars fly!
IndyCars top 170 miles an hour as they rocket around the track!
To help them stay in control, each car has two distinctive wings— one just ahead of its front tires and the other above its back tires.
They really do act like airplane wings. But, instead of lifting the car up as air passes over the wings like a plane, these wings work the other way, pushing the car down onto the track to give it more grip.
Get up close with the cars and stars
Before and after each IndyCar time trial or race, stand near the crossing where the cars are rolled to and from the racetrack (it’s between the “pits” and the “paddock” — ask a race volunteer for directions).
Crews will roll the gleaming race cars right past you, just feet away, while cool drivers in fireproof racing suits stroll by.
To get even closer, add a “paddock pass” to your ticket, and you can walk right into the garage area to explore (the garage area is open with no extra pass needed on Friday).
Where the speedway sleeps
The barriers and fences that turn Downtown St. Pete’s streets (and one runway from Albert Whitted Airport) into a racetrack are only in use for a few weeks each year.
So, where does it all go between races? Workers carefully store most of the pieces just west of Tropicana Field, under a highway overpass. When you drive on I-275 through St. Pete, you’re passing above those racetrack parts as they patiently wait for next year’s action.
My 11-year-old son and I had a blast exploring the sights and sounds together. You’ll want sunscreen and hearing protection, which you can bring or buy at the track. For tickets and the weekend’s racing schedule, visit gpstpete.com.
Originally published in the February 2026 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.
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