IRL To Replace CART In Staging St. Pete Open Wheel Race

IRL Takes Champ Car’s Place At Grand Prix Of St. Pete

The first IRL edition of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg has been set for April 3, 2005, “with title sponsorship from Honda,” according to Tony Fabrizio of the TAMPA TRIBUNE. IRL VP/PR John Griffin “would only confirm a news conference will be called, but several other sources said the race is a done deal.” A Honda Racing truck “was seen parked near the” Bayfront Center Arena in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. Former IRL and CART team owner Barry Green “heads a group that will promote the race,” which includes Andretti Green Racing owners Michael Andretti, Kim Green and Kevin Savoree. The first St. Petersburg race was run as a CART Champ Car event in ’03, but “did not return this year after CART went bankrupt and fell to new ownership. The inaugural race did not have a title sponsor and lost money” (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 9/1). In St. Pete, James & Johnson note negotiations to run a Champ Car race in St. Pete in ’05 “broke off and IRL officials, seeking to expand beyond their league’s traditional oval schedule, began talks with the city.” St. Pete City Council member Bill Foster: “Champ Car bailed out. We were ready to hold another race and they decided not to have one here” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 9/1).