Postcards from the Paddock - St Petersburg

My 2024 season may have officially started at the Formula E opener in Mexico City but only now does it feel as though racing is back in full swing. I suppose nearly two weeks in Florida and back-to-back race weekends will have that effect!

My Floridian sojourn began with a trip to Sebring for the start of the Porsche Sprint Challenge season. This is my third year working with Randy Hembrey and the rest of the PSC team and it has been impressive to see the growth in the paddock in that time. Quality teams and strong fields made for a fun weekend of racing.

In the PSC paddock, photo courtesy of Chris Green

The growth in the Cayman class in particular, stemming from the inclusion of the latest Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, was noteworthy. It marked the first time the car has been used in single-make competition anywhere in the world and, without the need to use Balance of Performance, the cars were able to run to their full potential. The fact that the fastest Cayman lap times were within a handful of seconds of the 992-variant Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars was an eye-opening indication of the kind of performance available in an uncorked GT4 car without BoP!

Although most of the driver roster in Sprint Challenge is new to me, the driver coaches in the paddock are many of the same names I'm used to covering in SRO. In previous years I had mentioned off-hand that if the driver coaches in Sprint Challenge ever put on a race, it would be an incredible show. Well someone may have heard me because USAC (the series' sanctioning body) announced an additional endurance series at Sebring that will debut at Circuit of The Americas in May which will allow coaches to drive alongside their students in longer races. I'm very curious to see how that develops this year!

The Sebring weekend was an enjoyable start to the season and provided a chance to work alongside fellow-broadcasters Joe Peak and Jeremy Scott for the first time. Joe will be the consistent voice throughout the year, while Jeremy is due to stand in for me when schedule conflicts arise. Along with USAC's Mike Burba and his small production team, it is a fun group to work with.

After the Sebring weekend I took a few days of R&R in Orlando before making the drive down to St. Petersburg for the start of the IndyCar season. The Florida sunshine and lively crowd was the perfect way to usher in the 2024 campaign. The race promoter reported record crowds and my anecdotal experience backs up those claims. It was packed — especially on Sunday — and I couldn't have been happier to see so many race fans basking in the start of a new season.

Fans snag a quick photo with IndyCar legend Mario Andretti

As usual, I spent my weekend in the pits for IndyCar Radio, however unlike previous years I had no duties covering any of the sports car support series. It was a nice change of pace! St. Pete has always been a favorite event of mine but the past few years covering IndyCar, Indy NXT, and SRO proved to be very hectic. The extra time allowed me to spend more time walking the paddock and building up my notebook, as well as an opportunity to catch up with many people in the industry I hadn't seen in months.

An extra bit of joy from the weekend came in seeing two up-and-coming broadcasters get long-awaited opportunities. Jonathan Grace joined us on the radio network coverage, while DJ Clark got his chance to work on the big screens as well as the Peacock coverage of Indy NXT. I've known and worked around both for several years and sharing the pit lane with two friends made for a special weekend.

Jonathan Grace and myself comparing notes ahead of Sunday’s Indy NXT race

As for the racing, what can you say about Team Penske that hasn't already been said? A dominant win from pole for Josef Newgarden was the highlight but putting three cars in the top four had to send a message to the rest of the paddock. Andretti Global had a reputation for having an edge in street course setups in recent years but Sunday's 1-3-4 finish for Penske drivers Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, and Will Power seems to indicate a shift in the balance of power.

Firestone Grand Prix race winner Josef Newgarden after Sunday morning’s IndyCar warm up

Outside of Penske's performance, the performance of several drivers with new teams stood out to me as noteworthy. Felix Rosenqvist had been on the pace immediately in testing with Meyer Shank Racing and that form carried over with a track record in qualifying and a front row starting position. That must be a shot in the arm for a team that struggled through a dismal 2023. Elsewhere, Romain Grosjean's qualifying pace with Juncos-Holinger Racing was noteworthy, even if an in-race penalty erased any chance for a representative result. Likewise for Marcus Ericsson who appeared to have top-five pace in his Andretti Global debut before losing power and retiring. It was nevertheless an encouraging start for all three in their new environments.

2022 Indianapolis 500 Champion Marcus Ericsson

After nearly two weeks on the road I'm pleased to be back home for about 10 days. Up next is a trip I've been looking forward to for months: Tokyo for the first Formula E race ever held in Japan. I spent three years living in Japan in my youth from 1995-1998 but I have not been back since! I have several extra days booked to go exploring and to revisit some places I have not seen in decades. Best of all, my Dad will be making the trip with me. It should make for a memorable experience. On the back end of that trip I'll be flying directly to Sonoma for the start of the SRO America season, so as I mentioned at the start, it feels as though the season is finally off and running.

Something to Chew On

This time I'm going to revisit a trusty old favorite: MacArthur's Irish Pub. I first found this spot with IndyCar Radio colleagues Michael Young and Jake Query back in 2021 and I think I've been back every year since. I've tried everything from sandwiches and burgers to wings and traditional Irish fare and I've never left dissapointed. As a bonus on this trip, there was live music to accompany the good food and great conversation with friends.

The location is not central to downtown St. Pete, but the trip out is worth it. You can find them on your next trip at the address below and online here: https://www.mcarthursirishpub.com/

9246 4th Street N
St. Petersburg, FL 33702