IZOD IndyCar Series points leader Will Power, who won the season opener two weeks ago in Brazil, topped the lap time chart on another temporary street circuit March 26 at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a best of 1 minute, 2.3200 seconds (103.979 mph) in a Team Penske machine.
Qualifying starts at 1:20 p.m. (ET) Saturday on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn course on the streets of St. Petersburg.
Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon also was quick - second on the lap chart with a best of 1:03.0299 (102.808). Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Justin Wilson, who finished third in last year’s race, was third overall (1:03.0576) and Andretti Autosport’s Tony Kanaan (1:03.0615) was fourth. Teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay, who was runner-up in both the Brazil and ‘09 St. Pete races, was fifth overall (1:03.0763).
KV Racing Technology teammates E.J. Viso (1:03.0890) and Takuma Sato (1:03.0930) were sixth and seventh, respectively, while Marco Andretti (1:03.2866) was eighth. Two-time St. Pete winner Helio Castroneves (1:03.2884) was ninth and Graham Rahal, who is competing for Sarah Fisher Racing this weekend, was 10th (1:03.3220).
HONDA GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG NOTEBOOK:
St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster will wave the green flag to start the sixth Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Foster, 46, a longtime local attorney, was elected in 2009 to lead Florida’s fourth-largest city. He succeeded Rick Baker, a former Indianapolis resident, who was instrumental in bringing the IZOD IndyCar Series race to the city streets.
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