Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

The race takes place on a temporary course, utilizing downtown streets, and one runway of Albert Whitted Airport.

The inaugural 1985 event was organized by William T. McVey, president of the McBri Corporation in Tampa and a member of IMSA and the SCCA.

[2] The SCCA Trans-Am Series held a race on a St. Petersburg downtown waterfront circuit from 1985 to 1990.

[4][5] From 1996 to 1997, the St. Petersburg race was revived on a different course around Tropicana Field (about one mile west of the original waterfront course).

Along with the Trans-Am Series, support races included U.S. FF2000, World Challenge, Pro SRF and Barber Dodge.

The pits and main straight were moved to the airport, and a purpose-built paddock area was paved next to the runway.

After the crash at the 2011 Izod IndyCar World Championship that killed Snell Isle resident Dan Wheldon, who won the 2005 race and two Indianapolis 500 titles, the straight following Turn 10 (the turn from Bayshore Drive to Albert Whitted Park) was renamed "Dan Wheldon Way" in his memory.

[18] As of March 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg are listed as:

Stefan Wilson driving along the Bay Shore Drive Southeast section during the qualifying race of the Indy Lights 2011.
Dan Wheldon memorial plaque located adjacent to the course layout.
The section of the 2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg that curves through the Al Lang Stadium parking lot
Helio Castroneves approaches Dan Wheldon Way (Turn 10) on the final lap of the 2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg