Successful St. Pete Grand Prix Gets Four-Year Extension

Tony George Calls Grand Prix Of St. Petersburg Signature Event For IRL

GLASS HALF FULL: Oreovicz noted Friday's crowd alone "appeared larger than the combined total for the two-day IndyCar opening weekend at Homestead, which was estimated as the largest ever for an IRL race" at the track. Improved attendance and an IRL record TV rating for ESPN2's broadcast of the Homestead race have George "feeling optimistic about the post-unification era" of open-wheel racing. George: "So far it's meeting my expectations." Meanwhile, an IndyCar insider said that the league is "close to reaching an agreement to extend Honda's involvement, which significantly leaves the door open for competing engine manufacturers to join" (ESPN.com, 4/7).

NEXT GREAT HOPE? In L.A., Jim Peltz writes after one race the IRL "achieved what it sought by reunifying the U.S. open-wheel racing circuit." Nineteen-year-old driver Graham Rahal won Sunday's race, and a successful Rahal "might further help restore the sport's popularity with the type of name recognition for an American driver that NASCAR stock car racing exploits so successfully" (L.A. TIMES, 4/8).

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