IndyCar cancels Firestone Grand Prix in St. Pete

There will be no Firestone Grand Prix race in St. Petersburg this year.

IndyCar, the organization behind the event, said Friday morning it decided to cancel all NTT IndyCar Series events through April, beginning with the St. Petersburg race that was scheduled to start today and take place over the weekend.

“Although we are disappointed to delay the start to this IndyCar season and will miss our incredible fans who support us each year in St. Petersburg, Birmingham, Long Beach, and Austin, the safety of our fans, participants, staff, partners, and media will always remain our top priority.  We will continue to coordinate with public health experts and government officials as we determine the appropriate plans for resuming our schedule,” a statement posted on the Firestone Grand Prix website said.

The announcement came one day after Mayor Rick Kriseman said he was cancelling general attendance at the Grand Prix due to concerns over coronavirus, although he had hoped the race would be able to continue without spectators. All public race activities also were cancelled.

The mayor reacted on Twitter shortly after IndyCar’s announcement.

We respect this decision. As I’ve said all week, this virus and the strategies to mitigate exposure have created a very fluid situation. We are appreciative of our outstanding partnership with @IndyCar & @GPSTPETE and look forward to the race returning to St. Pete in 2021. https://t.co/R0MJ96h4GE

— Rick Kriseman (@Kriseman) March 13, 2020

The race, which turns downtown city streets into a temporary race circuit, attracted about 160,000 people in March 2019. Organizers have a revenue participation agreement with the city, with the city receiving $1 for every ticket sold. Other activities associated with the race raise money for charitable causes, including Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and the Police Athletic League.