ST. PETERSBURG, FL. (WSVN) — Just days before the official start of a new season of the NTT IndyCar Series, fans flocked to St. Petersburg for a rainy afternoon of fun.
While the season begins in the Sunshine State, Friday’s planned practice run for drivers was canceled due to rainy conditions.
The rainfall didn’t deter fans; they were seen enjoying the first day of what’s expected to be a busy weekend of excitement.
On Saturday, fans will be able to catch the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and enjoy a whole host of food vendors and activities, including the opportunity to meet their favorite drivers.
Sunday is when drivers will kick it into high gear, beginning with IndyNXT by Firestone at 10 a.m. IndyNXT serves as a developmental racing brand for the main IndyCar series.
Several IndyNXT drivers who spoke with 7News throughout the day said they’re soaking in the moment.
“I think the whole event in general is great. The atmosphere, racing on the streets of downtown St. Pete is special, it’s such a good place and it’s close to home so I really love racing here,” said Alessandro de Tullio, a driver for AJ Foyt Racing.
“To call myself an IndyNXT driver is pretty surreal and I’m just trying to take it all in,” said Max Garcia, a driver for Abel Motorsports.
Some of those drivers competing over the weekend are from South Florida, like Garcia.
Garcia is currently a junior at Christopher Columbus High School.
“Not too many people think it’s a racing community, but it is — it’s really big down there and I’m proud to represent South Florida,” said Garcia.
Juan Manuel Correa, who drives for Cusick Morgan Motorsports, is a former Formula-3 and Formula-2 driver. He said IndyNXT will help catapult his career and achieve his dream.
“It’s actually my first time racing here and racing so close to home so this is amazing for me,” said Correa. “That’s why I’m here. I want to go into IndyCar the next couple of years.”
Alessandro de Tullio is another South Florida native finding his strides through IndyNXT.
“A lot of hard work and, yeah, that’s what got me to where I am today, and the hard work doesn’t stop; it just gets harder,” said de Tullio.
When de Tullio isn’t training on the race track, he’s taking classes as a freshman at Miami-Dade College.
Through the IndyNXT developmental series and training on the same tracks as the main series drivers, each driver aspires to get behind the wheel of an IndyCar.
“That’s definitely the ultimate dream, just to be at the top, win the Indy 500, win IndyCar championships; that’s the main goal,” said de Tullio.
“I feel like IndyCar and IndyNXT do a great job in combining the two series and you feel included as part of the show, that’s really cool,” said Correa.
The main event begins at noon on Sunday, featuring a 1.8-mile circuit with 14 turns and 100 laps that incorporates some downtown St. Petersburg streets and sections of a runway at Albert Whitted Airport.
“We race part on an airstrip and then part on streets, so it’s two very different parts of the track and each have their own unique challenges,” said Kyffin Simpson, a driver for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Each of the 25 drivers is eager to take home the season’s first victory at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
“What’s not to love about this? Really, it’s the speed, it’s the competition,” said Simpson.
“If you’re not watching IndyCar, you’re missing out. It’s the greatest form of motor sports in the world in my opinion,” said Sting Ray Robb, a driver for Juncos Hollinger Racing.
Speaking with 7News, Sting Ray Robb said he hopes to make a strong impression on his team this weekend.
“The name helps. Obviously, with a name like Sting Ray, that’s hard not to want to be a race car driver. It was gonna be really hard to be an accountant or a lawyer, something like that. Not very many people are trusting a kid named Sting Ray Robb,” he said.
“I’m very fortunate I get to live my dream,” said Christian Rasmussen, a driver for Ed Carpenter Racing. “I’m looking to stay in IndyCar for a long time and build my career here and see where it takes me.”
Doug Boles, the president of the IndyCar series, said Florida is the perfect home for the competition.
“What we love about coming to Florida, the weather’s good and this community makes it more than a race; they make it an event. That’s why I think this will always be the opener for us here in the U.S.,” said Boles.
As for the South Florida IndyNXT drivers, they said they’re grateful for all the support they’ve gotten from home.
“Some of them got here last night, some are getting here this morning. It’s going to be pretty cool to have all of them here supporting,” said Garcia.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun and I think for the region, in general, this event is amazing. Everybody that has an opportunity to come here from Miami, they should,” said Correa.
The race is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. on Sunday. You can watch it all on Channel 7.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.