Mark your calendar. In just over two weeks, March 13-15, 2020, the 16th Annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will come roaring into town. Be prepared to witness jaw-dropping, ear-popping racing action on our downtown streets.

Firestone Grand Prix St. Petersburg is the season opening event for the NTT INDYCAR series (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp) for the 10th straight year. The Series is the premier open-wheel racing series in North America. It’s become a motorsports tradition in St. Petersburg and offers locals and visitors alike a festival atmosphere of fun, food and plenty of off-track attractions.

Downtown Streets

The race is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets that circle Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extend onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport. Drivers frequently hit speeds in excess of 170mph.

The Grand Prix is a week-end long event featuring 3 days packed with 13 different races, non-stop action and family fun. Whether you are a racing fan or just enjoy having a good time, there is a little something for everyone during this festival. For more information about the race, schedules, tickets and volunteer opportunities, go to http://www.gpstpete.com/

Best Places to Watch the Race

Pinching pennies? Can’t get a ticket? Here are four of the best locations to take in the action.

• Mahaffey Theater is probably the prime spot. You get the stretch of fairly straight track between Turns 9 and 10, plus the view of the parties on the Yacht Club and the view of downtown St. Petersburg in all its grandeur.
• Albert Whitted Park & The Dali Museum. These locations give you Turn 10 and the action on Pit Road. Unfortunately ESPN takes up the prime space at Hangar Restaurant and Flight Lounge but it’s a nice place to go any morning for the view and to see the private planes take off and land.
• Pioneer Park. It’s a great place to relax and soak in the sun while catching the wild action around the L-shaped area in Turns 7, 8 and 9.
• Al Lang Stadium. This spot just might give you the best of both worlds as you can watch half the race down the straight away between Turns 3 and 4 as the cars zip down 1stStreet SE and watch the other half at the short angle on the stretch between turns 9 and 10.

Condos in Downtown St. Petersburg

Downtown luxury condo living in St. Petersburg is the place to be in this walkable city. Estelia Mesimer, a St. Pete realtor for over twenty years, says these are a few of her favorite communities – The Vinoy (555 5th Ave NE); The Parkshore (300 Beach Drive NE); Bayfront Tower (1 Beach Drive, SE); Signature Place (175 1st Street, S) and 400 Beach Drive (400 Beach Dive NE). According to Estelia, “the downtown condo market in St. Petersburg is hot! One day listings are available, the next day they’re sold.” For a list of downtown condos for sale, call or text Estelia at 727.686.2859 or E-mail her at Estelia@estelia.com

St. Petersburg Communities

If you’re interested in any of these of communities or live in one of them and are thinking of selling, call Estelia today!

Allendale Terrace
Bahama Shores
Bayway Isles
Coquina Key
Crescent Heights
Crescent Lake
Downtown
Greater Pinellas Point
Historic Kenwood
Historic Old Northeast
Historic Roser Park
Historic Uptown
Isla del Sol
Old Southeast
Placida Bayou
Snell Isle