Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

• Race 1 of 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season (March 28-30)

• Eleventh Indy car race in St. Petersburg, Fla.; 10th under INDYCAR sanction … Was first non-oval race in series history (April 3, 2005)

• Tickets and information: www.gpstpete.com

• Twitter: @GPSTPETE, #FirestoneGP; @IndyCar, #IndyCar

• Weather forecast: Partly sunny each day with highs in the mid-70s (F)

• TV: ABC coverage starts at 3 p.m. (ET) March 30. Allen Bestwick is chief announcer, with Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever Jr. the analysts. ESPN also distributes Verizon IndyCar Series race telecasts through a combination of ESPN networks and syndication to more than 197 countries and 96 million homes. In addition, U.S. troops serving overseas and on Navy vessels around the world can watch live via a broadcast agreement between ESPN and the American Forces Network.

• Web/radio: All sessions and the race are broadcast by IMS Radio Network in conjunction with real-time Timing & Scoring on www.indycar.com and INDYCAR 14 app. The IMS Radio Network race broadcast also is on member stations, Sirius 209 and XM 209.

Click it: Entry list || Pit lane assignments || Current driver performances at St. Petersburg

Circuit: 1.8 miles, 14 turns (CIRCUIT MAP)
Race laps: 110 (198 miles)
Pit box dimensions: 44 x 16 feet
Race day fuel: 70 U.S. gallons of E85 (70 gallons for practice/qualifying)

Verizon IndyCar Series on-track times (all times Eastern):
Friday, March 28: 10-10:45 a.m. (Practice 1)
                            2-2:45 p.m. (Practice 2)

Saturday, March 29: 10-10:45 a.m. (Practice 3)
                                 2-3:10 p.m. (Qualifications, including Firestone Fast Six)

Sunday, March 30: 9:45-10:15 a.m. (Warm-up)
                              2:30 p.m. IMS Radio Network on air. ... 2:35 p.m. pre-race ... 3 p.m. ABC on air ... 3:27 p.m. green flag

Qualifications: Three rounds of knockout qualifying to determine the Verizon P1 Award winner and set grid. Twelve cars from Segment 1 (six quickest from Groups 1 and 2 of 10 minutes of track time) advance to 10-minute Segment 2. Top six from Segment 2 advance to 10-minute Firestone Fast Six session.

Points: Driver, entrant and engine manufacturer receive points corresponding to their finish in the race (manufacturer points awarded to the top five race finishers). Bonus points also awarded for Verizon P1 Award (1 point), leading the most laps (2 points) and leading a lap (1 point).

2013 winner: James Hinchcliffe of Andretti Autosport by 1.0982 seconds over Helio Castroneves. It was Hinchcliffe’s first Verizon IndyCar Series victory. … Will Power of Team Penske was pole sitter (1:01.2070) for the fourth consecutive year. 

Of note: Sunoco will award $5,000 to the entrant of the driver who completes the fastest lap of the race. ... Castroneves is the only multiple winner at St. Petersburg (2012, 2007, 2006). … Power has started from the pole each of the past four years, going quicker each year. He won in 2010. … Team Penske has won five of the races. … The INDYCAR Fan Village is located next to Al Lang Field. A Verizon IndyCar Series autograph session is scheduled from 4:30-5:30 p.m. March 29 (following qualifications) at the INDYCAR Fan Village. … All three rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy open their seasons during the weekend (Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires 45-lap race is 12:47 p.m. March 30; Pro Mazda and USF2000 have races both March 29 and March 30). … The annual Illuminated Night Parade through downtown St. Petersburg, featuring Verizon IndyCar Series drivers, kicks off at 7:30 p.m. March 27, followed by fireworks.