Round 1: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, 25 - 27 February.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Round 1: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, 25 - 27 February.

The waiting is almost over, as the 2022 season gets underway this weekend, though it hasn't been quite as long as some off seasons, with the race being held at the end of February rather than the second week in March. After two years this weekend also sees the return of St. Petersburg as the season opener, where it belongs on the calendar.

For the last two years, the IndyCar season has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, the season opener, traditionally held at St. Petersburg since 2005, was initially canceled but was eventually reinstated as the season finale on October 25th, after successful negotions between Mayor Rick Kriseman, the race promoters Green Savoree St. Petersburg LLC and title sponsores Firestone.

Last year was no exception and it was decided that the season opener scheduled for March 7 at St. Petersburg, would once again not go ahead. However, instead of initially cancelling the race as in 2020, it would be put back, swapping places with Barber Motosports Park, which would then host the 2021 season opener on the weekend of April 16-18.

This year will be the 19th running of the event on the current course and the 18th as an IndyCar race. The race was first held as part of the SCCA Trans-Am Series, on the downtown waterfront circuit, from 1985-1990 but when local residents and businesses complained about the noise it was cancelled. It returned briefly from 1996-1997 on a new course around Tropicana Field. After a second hiatus, the event returned in 2003 but as a Champ Car race, using a modified layout of the original 1985–1990 waterfront circuit. In 2004, the event was cancelled due to a dispute between the promoters but returned in 2005, this time as part of the IRL IndyCar Series, making it the first non-oval event for the Indy Racing League.

Some trivia:
The driver with most wins: 3, Hélio Castroneves, 2006, 2007, 2012.
The team with most wins: 11, Team Penske, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020.



Track layout:


Length: 1.8 Miles (2.9 Km)
Turns: 14

Lap record:
Jordan King 1:00.0476, 107.914 Mph (173.670 km/h).
Ed Carpenter Racing,
Dallara IR18-Chevy IndyCar V6.
Verizon IndyCar Series.

Last year's race:
https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...paign=widget-6

Pole:
Colton Herta, 1:00.3210, 107.425 mph, (172.884 Km/h)
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian,
Dallara IR18-Honda HI21R Indy-V-6.

Winner:
Colton Herta,
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian,
Dallara IR18-Honda HI21R Indy-V-6.

Laps 100
Distance 180 Miles (289.681 Km)
Race Time 1:51:51.4115
Average Speed 96.552 Mph, (155.385 Km/h)
Fastest lap: Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing. Lap 67, 61.7350 sec. 105.440 mph (169.689 km/h)

Caution periods: 3
Laps: 18 - 20, 73 - 75, 80 - 82

Race Broadcast:
Sunday, Feb 27.
NBC: 12:00pm ET, 5:00pm UTC.
Sky Sports F1: 5:00pm GMT.

[rwintle]

Thanks for the now-classic bjohnsonsmith intro post! Let's gooooooo!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by rwintle

Thanks for the now-classic bjohnsonsmith intro post! Let's gooooooo!

[fieldodreams79]

great post #1 as ever, bjs!

I love this event. Unfortunately, I'll miss this live but hope to catch the replay before spoilers.

Looking forward to getting the season started!!

[BudLightJaguar]

Finally the 2022 season

This year the race is very good time slot, begins at 7PM GMT +2

[NaBUru38]

There's 26 entries, the highest since the DW12 debuted in 2012 (also 26).


There's 6 rookies: Calderón, Kirkwood, Malukas, DeFrancesco, Lundgaard and Ilott.

[rustyfan]

Looking forward to this year, should be a banger of a season.

As for the rookies... Having followed Calderón's career throughout the years I'm not expecting much. I'd love to be proven wrong though, I really do.

[broadrun96]

Some semi-retired French dude did well against Ricky Bobby this afternoon.

Missed on practice, Grosjean looks good in RHR's car, and Colton not far behind

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Looking forward to this year, should be a banger of a season.

As for the rookies... Having followed Calderón's career throughout the years I'm not expecting much. I'd love to be proven wrong though, I really do.

She's going to be eaten alive by the other rookies - which is a shame, but reality. I'm expecting Milka Duno-like race speed (i.e. they may have to black flag her).

EDIT: maybe not, she's at 104% of the leader's pace in the first practice session, which is still very slow but not black flag slow:
http://www.imscdn.com/INDYCAR/Docume...results-p1.pdf

[chunterer]

Give her a chance guys?!
She was respectable testimg a Sauber in recent years (apparently)

Really looking forward to the season! Lots of moves, some quality additions.

For anyone unaware Sky Sports F1 channel will be showing practice, qualy and race.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by rwintle

She's going to be eaten alive by the other rookies - which is a shame, but reality. I'm expecting Milka Duno-like race speed (i.e. they may have to black flag her).

She’s not as slow as Milka Duno but if she gets within a second of the next slowest it’ll be surprising.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by peebee2

She’s not as slow as Milka Duno but if she gets within a second of the next slowest it’ll be surprising.

Dalton Kellett?

[gert]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Dalton Kellett?

JJ at some tracks?

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by gert

JJ at some tracks?

Yeah, try harder for insults. Maybe Texas or Indy but he wasn't slowest last year in race or quali. There are far far slower cars than he

[NaBUru38]

At practice 2, Calderón was 2.4 seconds behind leader McLaughlin. JJ was 2.15s behind. Harvey, Sato and Rahal were 1.6s behind.

[broadrun96]

The reds are QUICK in the sun this afternoon and Colton is still Colton. Putting .5 on the field at will it seems. Kirkwood running well with reds, wasn't quite as good on blacks early. Veekay and Rahal hanging around and Rossi quick on blacks, not so much on reds. Group 1 not bad, clean. Calderon 100.9391, Harvey .4 ahead.


Romain making a bit of excuses for his practice 2 smash in to Sato, can't blame Sato for being on the line and you can see the backup on your onboard AND a giant yellow light. To me he needs a pit road start or some other penalty, that's poor driving.

[broadrun96]

Group 2 ran clean and clear, Power to overall fastest at 59.39, McLaughlin and Grosjean closer than 2-4 in Group 1. Kellet .06 off of Fast 12, .05 better than O'Ward, bent rear left toe-link cost him some laps.

JJ slowest 1:01.2, with 3 waived off/blocked laps and 2 with Malukas, penalty for the rookie blocking but far more on the team than driver there. Caught the rookie at a corner so where was he to go, but penalty for the rookie.

O'Ward starts 16, last 16th start was Detroit last year (win) and he has an extra set of clean reds.

[broadrun96]

Fast 12 includes Kirkwood in his first appearance.

Herta, Rahal, Veekay, Dixon, Kirkwood, Newgarden-Group 1
Power, McLaughlin, Grosjean, Pagenaud, Ericsson, Palou-Group 2

[mstets]

Groups One and Two

[mstets]

Good to see VeeKay in the Fast Six.

[broadrun96]

Fast 6 mostly the fastest 6 of the day. Power, 59.3, Herta, McLaughlin, Grosjean, Pagenaud and Veekay. No CGR cars make it, just outside the Fast 6

[bjohnsonsmith]

A lap time of 59.30 at 109.104 mph, gives Power the track record.

[peebee2]

McLaughlin has been very, very impressive ever since he first sat in an Indycar.

[broadrun96]

The Southern Hemisphere guy comes through, no not that one, the new(ish) kid. Will Power knocked back to 2nd by a last minute flyer.

Mclaughlin (59.4821), Power, Herta, Veekay, Grosjean, Pagenaud.

Edited, I went with the NBC guys and Aussie but I didn't think he was, my error not believing myself thinking he was Kiwi from Australian Supercar racing

[mstets]

McLaughlin takes his first pole.