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Image Courtesy Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is one of the ‘Burg’s yearly chances to shine to the rest of the world. This year, organizers have added several features to help the ‘Burg’s growl-fest shine a little brighter. Our round up of the year’s changes, though, wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t start on a sad note.
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| Dan Wheldon. Image courtesy Wikipedia |
An Ode to Dan
Dan Wheldon, St. Petersburg favorite son and victim of his highly dangerous occupation, will be missed at this year’s Grand Prix. The oranizers of the event, as well as the rest of the ‘Burg, will be mourning his passing. We’ll share the details as soon as we know more.
Ferraris Join the Pack
For most of us, the experience of seeing a Ferrari on the street is akin to finding a wild animal at the park. For the first time this year, Grand Prix fans will see these cars in their natural environment. The F458 Challenge is geared to Ferrari owners who want to put their finely engineered machines through their paces on a professional track.
Shorter Set up and Breakdown
Vice President & General Manager Tim Ramsberger says the Grand Prix planners have reduced the build by 10 days.
"There’s a delicate balance between the safety of racers and spectators, and being sensitive to the needs of the community," Rambsberger says.
Car Honors Dan
The Dallara DW12, designed by IndyCar, bears the intitials of Dan Wheldon, in honor of driver who was killed in the final race of the IndyCar season. Dan was instrumental in the car’s design, as the racer who put the most time into testing the chassis. The DW12 was designed, in part, to optimize the safety of the driver.
The Honda Grand Prix is scheduled for March 23-25, 2012 in downtown St. Pete.
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