St. Pete: Rounds two, three preview

Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Date & Time
Race 1: Saturday, April 5,
4:45 p.m. (EDT)

Race 2: Sunday, April 6,
10:45 a.m. (EDT)

Track
Streets of St. Petersburg

Distance
40 laps/72 miles

TV
ESPN2 (Taped). Airs 2 p.m. (EDT) April 10

2007 Winner
Alex Lloyd (Both Races)

2007 Polesitter
Alex Lloyd

Race Notes:

Rafa returns
Raphael Matos, who won his Firestone Indy Lights debut at St. Petersburg in 2006, returns to the track in hopes of adding to his win total. Matos is the only former St. Petersburg winner entered in the race.

Another first-time winner?
In two of the last three event weekends at St. Petersburg, the winning driver won his first career race. Can a new winner join Marco Andretti and Raphael Matos as a first-time winner at St. Pete?

Late Joining Kiwis
A pair of drivers from New Zealand will make their season debut at St. Petersburg. Marc Williams, who contested six races with Michael Crawford Motorsports in 2007, debuts with Integra Motorsports, which is affiliated with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, while Mitchell Cunningham, the younger brother of 2005 Firestone Indy Lights champion Wade Cunningham, debuts with Brian Stewart Racing.

Local Lights
A pair of Firestone Indy Lights teams will be racing in what is virtually a home game this weekend. Team E, which is based in Odessa, Fla., fields the entry for Bobby Wilson, who makes his home in Ocala, Fla. RLR/Andersen Racing, which is based in Palmetto, Fla., fields cars for Andrew Prendeville and J.R. Hildebrand.

Milestones:

* Arie Luyendyk Jr. will attempt to make his 48th and 49th Firestone Indy Lights start on the Streets of St. Petersburg, which would extend his series record.

* Bobby Wilson can tie Wade Cunningham's series record for consecutive seasons with a win should he win during the Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Wilson has won in each of the last two seasons.

* Bobby Wilson will attempt to make his 30th and 31st consecutive start, which would tie Arie Luyendyk Jr for second on the all-time list. Dillon Battistini became the sixth driver to win his Firestone Indy Lights debutwhen he won the Miami 100 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Battistini joined A.J. Foyt IV, Mark Taylor, Phil Giebler, Marco Andretti and Raphael Matos as debut winners.

Weekend Schedule:

Friday, April 4
9:25-10:25 a.m. - Firestone Indy Lights practice
4:45-5:45 p.m. - Firestone Indy Lights practice

Saturday, April 5
10:05-10:35 a.m. - SWE Pole Qualifying
4:45 p.m. - Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Race 1 (40 laps, 72 miles)

Sunday, April 6
8:05-8:15 a.m. - Firestone Indy Lights warm-up
10:45 a.m. - Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Race 2 (40 laps, 72 miles)

-credit: irl