INDYCAR News and Notes – Nov. 13, 2015
1. St. Petersburg Race Agreement Extended with City through 2020: The St. Petersburg (Fla.) City Council voted Nov. 12 to extend Green Savoree Racing Promotions’ license to organize the annual race event that features the Verizon IndyCar Series through 2020.
Under the amendment, the dates for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg have also been confirmed through 2018. The March 11-13 race weekend will be the 2016 season opener for the Verizon IndyCar Series and all three rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder series. The event will be held March 9-12 in 2017 and March 8-11 in 2018.
“We would like to express our sincere thanks to Mayor Rick Kriseman, members of city council and all city staff for their support and approval of this extension,” said Kim Green, chairman and CEO, Green Savoree Racing Promotions. “The City of St. Petersburg has a special place in the history of racing, and we look forward to running the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg here for years to come.”
Tickets to the 2016 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg are available at gpstpete.com.
In its 12th year, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is contested on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn circuit that includes a combination of streets and a runway of Albert Whitted Airport – all overlooking Tampa Bay.
The city’s managing director of development said the race had an economic impact of $48.3 million and generates an estimated $5 million in marketing value to the city. TheMarch 13 race will be telecast live on ABC (12:30 p.m. ET).
2. Hulman Family Marks 70th Anniversary of IMS Acquisition: Indianapolis Motor Speedway had fallen into disrepair while sitting idle during World War II, but the actions of Indiana-born three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Wilbur Shaw and Anton “Tony” Hulman Jr. brought the grand facility back to life.
Hulman purchased the venue from Eddie Rickenbacker, with the deal brokered 70 years ago on Nov. 14, 1945.
Next May, IMS will host the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. It has been undergoing rejuvenation this fall, with massive upgrades to spectator amenities and infrastructure that will be in place for the historic running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Read the entire fascinating story written by IMS historian Donald Davidson of how Hulman and Shaw saved the great racetrack at: http://www.
3. Castroneves Honored with Golden Helmet Award in Brazil: Verizon IndyCar Series driver Helio Castroneves, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, won his seventh Capacete de Ouro (Golden Helmet), one of the highest honors given to Brazilian racing drivers by the magazine Racing.
Castroneves, who last won the honor in 2012, earned the award in the TOP category, which is given to the top driver racing in INDYCAR. He has also won the award in 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Created in 1997 for Racing, the primary auto racing magazine in Brazil, the Capacete de Ouro is selected by a vote of Brazilian journalists. The award ceremony took place Nov. 11 in São Paulo.
4. Hawksworth Headed to Karting SuperNats: Jack Hawksworth is returning to his racing roots, trading in the cockpit of his AJ Foyt Racing Honda Indy car for a KZ2 class shifter kart at the SKUSA Supernationals in Las Vegas from Nov. 20-22.
Hawksworth will be running a factory Formula K racing kart out of the RaceLab stable powered by a factory-prepared IAME powerplant. He said he couldn’t be joining a better team than the FK squad.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be joining the RaceLab Formula K team for the 19th edition of the Supernats,” Hawksworth said. “I’m looking forward to joining the team and also working with some old friends from IAME, who I drove for in the 2010 season when they first debuted their KZ engine. I feel prepared and know that I will have some good material at my disposal. I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Hawksworth, a graduate of the Mazda Road to Indy and two-year veteran of the Verizon IndyCar Series, is no stranger to karting. He was a mainstay at the forefront of European karting for several years and has been spending time training by competing in several British karting championships in preparation for the race in Las Vegas.
5. Damien Power Video Series Features Ryan Briscoe: Episode 8 of “Exclusive Look Behind the Scenes of INDYCAR,” hosted by comedian Damien Power (brother of 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power), features veteran driver and fellow Australian Ryan Briscoe as the guest. The video interview will be available Nov. 14 on IndyCar.com.
Sources: Mike Kitchel/Verizon IndyCar Series PR