SPOTLIGHT
15th Annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
downtown St. Petersburg March 8-10, and the excitement could not
be higher. With hometown driver Sebastien Bourdais again at the
will be cheering him on after winning both the 2017 and 2018 St.
The St. Pete race is the 2019 season opener and the ninth
lends a sense of anticipation and excitement to the event. “With the
start of a new season, anything could happen. We may have some
new sponsors and new drivers. The teams feel it can be anybody’s
Racing Promotions, organizers of the St. Pete race.
spectacular waterfront track winding through downtown, past
yachts and the eye-catching Dali Museum. The race annually
10 StPeteLifeMag.com January/February 2019
including a global audience thanks to the magic of TV broadcasting.
Hundreds of sports writers and photographers converge here,
posting stories and images on web sites, social media, and to
newspapers around the world.
helicopter views of the picture-postcard waterfront, lined with palm
“Florida is a lot more than beaches and amusement parks,” says
Steinocher. “When people see those images, they come to St. Pete
for the race or for the museums or because it’s a beautiful city. We
weekend brings in close to 150,000 people and has close to $48
million in economic impact … it’s a huge impact.”
Indeed, it appears after 14 years, downtown residents and
businesses are coming to terms with having a major race event
Taking It To The Streets
PHOTO /FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG
/StPeteLifeMag.com