Will Power’s drive to his first Verizon IndyCar Series championship started with a victory in the 2014 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

He’s looking forward to successfully defending his victory March 27-29 on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit.

"I love the track, love the area," said Power, who also won in 2010 and has started on the pole in 2010-13. "It's a track I like and I'm fast at, and the team's very successful, too."

Power, who tested in the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske car the day before at Sebring International Raceway, was on hand Feb. 24 for the ceremonial start of the course construction. St. Petersburg will host the season opener for the fifth consecutive year.

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The race weekend will mark the introduction of aerodynamic bodywork kits supplied by Chevrolet and Honda. Power said the difference between the manufacturers will be noticeable. March 27 is designated as a Promoter Day – on-track opportunities for teams and drivers to fine-tune their car set-ups to the fast circuit. Practice and qualifications are March 28, and the 110-lap race is March 29 (3 p.m., ABC).

"You're going to see a new lap record for sure here," Power said. "We have more horsepower, the cars will be faster in the corners, faster on the straights. They're going to look very different. They're going to look pretty cool, a lot of little winglets and so on."