More and more cars are set to zoom around the downtown St. Petersburg area over the weekend.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If you happened to miss Friday’s jammed-packed day with Firestone Grand Prix races, don’t worry — there are two more days to go.
The 2022 Firestone Grand Prix is in full gear heading into the weekend with Saturday and Sunday filled with back-to-back races.
The weekend of racing began early in the morning Friday with the first qualifying event for the Indy Pro 2000 series that started at 7:45 am The series’ first race set off just before noon.
The USF2000 series race that was scheduled for 12:50 pm was followed by the SRO GT America race at 2:35 pm and the Mazda MX-5 Cup race at 4:50 pm
Now what can you look forward to? More and more cars zooming around the downtown St. Petersburg area.
Saturday’s events
Indy Pro 2000 Race 2: 8-8:45 a.m.
Mazda MX-5 Cup Race 2: 10-10:45 a.m.
SRO GT America Race 2: 11 a.m. to noon
INDYCAR Party in the Park: 4-6pm
There will also be an autograph session in Fan Village from 2-2:30 pm for Indy Lights and 3-4 pm for NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Sunday’s events
Indy Lights Race: 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
USF2000 Race 2: 10:45 a.m. to 11:25 a.m.
100 Lap Firestone Grand Prix: 12:30 pm
Keep in mind the schedule for both days is subject to change without notice.
Click here for a full in-depth schedule of events to look forward to.
Another thing to keep in mind is the road closures in downtown St. Pete as the races go on.
- Beach Dr. from Central Avenue to First Avenue S.
- 1st Street from 1st Avenue S. to 5th Avenue S.
- Albert Whitted Park will be closed as well
The following three streets will be open with limited access:
- 2nd, Avenue S. from 1st to 2nd Street S.
- 1st Street S. from 5th Avenue S to 8th Avenue S.
- 6th Avenue S. from 2nd St to 1st Street
If you want to avoid parking in downtown St. Petersburg altogether, you can park in Tropicana Field for $15. Buses and trolleys are offering free shuttles. But if you plan on using that service you have to wear a face mask. The rides start at 7 am
If you want to park downtown, some of the best places to grab a spot include a metered parking spot along the side of the road. If you can’t find one of those, take advantage of one of the city-owned parking garages.
City parking garages have a $20-all-day event rate on Saturday and Sunday.
Check out a list of parking garages here.
RELATED: Olympic gold medalist Erin Jackson to ride with IndyCar legend at Firestone Grand Prix pre-race event
Race cars line up in front of the grandstands on the airport’s main runway, zoom onto Dali Boulevard adjacent to The Dalí and onto 1st Street S. They’ll head north into the Progress Energy Parking Lot, where the St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market typically is held, and around Pioneer Park.
Watch for speeds to pick up on Bayshore Drive SE. before drivers turn into Albert Whitted Park and back onto airport grounds.
Click here for a full map of where the racing will take place.
Still looking for some last-minute tickets? 10 Tampa Bay has a full list of race tickets fans can buy to make sure they secure a spot at the event.
We also have a full guide to help break down what to expect and what you need to know about the 2022 Firestone Grand Prix.
www.wtsp.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism