ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will make history this weekend competing on its first ever street course in downtown St. Petersburg — a new challenge and a new market.
More than 100,000 fans typically fill the grandstands and high rises above the 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront course, used by the NTT IndyCar Series for more than two decades and set alongside historic Vinoy Park and the famed St. Petersburg Pier.
Saturday’s 80-lap OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg marks the first time the series has raced on a street circuit. The drivers say they are excited, even if they don’t know exactly what to expect on this new type of course.
“The first time I got to be on a street course was only about eight months ago (racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) in Chicago, but it was a whole different experience and super unique and I really enjoyed it,” said Kaulig Racing’s RAM Truck driver Daniel Dye, who came to St. Pete earlier this month to help mark the track-build.
“So, to get to do it in my home state of Florida in such a cool place as St. Petersburg, I’m pumped. I love coming to Florida as much as I can—start in Daytona and end in Miami (Homestead) and be here in St. Pete for the third race of the season is pretty cool.
“I’m looking forward to it and been talking to my teammate A.J. Allmendinger,” he said of his team’s NASCAR Cup Series driver, who is considered one of NASCAR’s best-ever road racers.
Another driver to lean on is sports car star Colin Braun, who will be in the RAM team’s No. 25 RAM 1500 “free agent truck” — used throughout the season to feature different star drivers from other series. NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart drove it in the Daytona season-opener, and current NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Dillon raced it in Atlanta last weekend.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and multi-time IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti will be making his first start in the Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota. He won the St. Pete IndyCar race in 2011.
He’ll be joined by another famed IndyCar star, former Indianapolis 500 polesitter James Hinchcliffe, who will drive the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Adam Andretti, brother of the late NASCAR star John Andretti and nephew of the legendary Mario Andretti, will be competing in the No. 5 TRICON Garage Toyota after finishing 12th in his NASCAR debut last week at Atlanta.
These drivers will have their hands full competing against a highly-motivated group of championship contenders. Front Row Motorsports’ Chandler Smith, this year’s Daytona winner, leads the standings by 28 points over TRICON Garage driver Gio Ruggiero.
