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Race fans will have their choice of fast cars

For the first time ever, American Le Mans and Indy cars will share a venue this spring in St. Petersburg.

By CURTIS KRUEGER
Published September 29, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - A new form of auto racing is about to zoom into St. Petersburg: an American Le Mans competition that would add cars and fans to the city's Grand Prix weekend.

The new event, to be officially announced today in Atlanta, means St. Petersburg will host two major auto races next year on the same weekend in the third annual Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, March 30 to April 1.

It will mark the first time that the American Le Mans Series and the Indy Racing League will run races together, said Tim Ramsberger, vice president and general manager for Andretti Green Promotions.

In the new Le Mans competition, drivers will speed around the streets of downtown St. Petersburg in modified versions of cars such as Audis, Acuras, Porsches and Corvettes, as well as specially built race cars. In the Indy race, drivers compete in the same open-wheel race cars that zoom around the oval at the Indianapolis 500.

"We just kicked it up a notch," said City Council Chairman Bill Foster. The existing Indy Racing League competition "is an event all unto itself. But now we're attracting a different international racing fan."

Mayor Rick Baker said the nationally broadcast Grand Prix provided "a two-hour commercial for the city" during the past two years and brought in tens of thousands of fans. The new race on the same weekend will create "all of that twice," he said, with a broadcast on the cable Speed Channel to 180 countries.

Le Mans racing takes its name from the grueling 24-hour race held annually in Le Mans, France. Another major Le Mans race is the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida. Ramsberger said the St. Petersburg event would likely be a three-hour race.

Baker said he's excited about the upcoming race, and not just because he's a race fan who attended the Indianapolis 500 at age 9. He said each race team typically has 20 or more people who spend as many as 10 days in the city, staying in hotels and patronizing local restaurants. Bringing in a new top-flight event with as many as 30 teams will add to that effect, he said. And it could bring in a whole new set of fans.

Baker said the overall race provides "a direct economic input, in addition to the marketing opportunity, and in addition to the fact that the people in the city love it. I go around the city and a week doesn't go by without people asking me about the race."

But not everyone loves the race. Some downtown residents have complained about the noise that fills city streets during race weekend.

"I think it's horrible," said Rex Brasell, president of the Bayfront Towers Association, where many residents have a view of the course. It also complicates parking, he said. His solution: leave town for the weekend. But he acknowledged that some residents of the complex like the race.

Asked if he expected to hear complaints about increased noise from the new race, Baker said, "I don't know if it's more noise, it's just different noise."

Ramsberger said the Grand Prix schedule would cancel two Sports Car Club of America races that were part of the weekend's races this year. He also said it was likely that there would be at least one Indy Pro Series race during next year's race; this year there were two.

Times staff writer Brant James contributed to this report. Curtis Krueger can be reached at krueger@sptimes.com or 727 893-8232.

[Last modified September 29, 2006, 01:45:19]