Construction Begins for 2025 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Street Circuit

Work crews began setting up today for the 2025 Firestone Grand Prix course, with just two weeks to get everything ready. Teams need to set up hundreds of concrete blocks each day to finish on time.

People can still get to the Dali Museum and Mahaffey Theater until three days before race events begin. The last road to close will be First Street when race week kicks off Tuesday.

This track is different from other street circuits. Its combination of wide airport runways and tight city streets makes it especially challenging for drivers. The initial setup involves placing concrete walls before teams add safety barriers along Bay Shore Drive Northeast. The track starts near Albert Whitted Airport and weaves through downtown streets. Turn 3 got upgraded curbs in 2017, one of several improvements made to the track. Firestone became the main sponsor in 2014.

"The St. Petersburg race stands out because it uses an airport runway, giving it a road course feel," said IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood to baynews9.com. He noted that turn 3's sharp angle could be risky for drivers who might slam into the walls.

Race week adds new events including a 5K run and INDYCAR Party, set for Feb. 27, 2025. Both events will take place at North Straub Park from 4 to 7 p.m.

Racing first came to these streets in 1985 with Trans-Am and Can-Am races. The sport disappeared for a while until CART Champ Cars brought it back in 2003. IndyCar took over two years later.

Marcus Ericsson won in 2023 after Pato O'Ward's car broke down. The next year sparked drama when officials stripped Josef Newgarden's win after discovering Team Penske used illegal software.

For more information about attending this event, check out Firestone Grand Prix website