St. Pete is in iRacing. The St. Petersburg Grand Prix is officially available as of the 2026 Season 2 build, which went live on March 9, 2026. In fact, it’s one of the most recognizable street circuits in North American motorsport. Moreover, St. Pete is the home of INDYCAR’s season opener, and just weeks before this iRacing launch, it hosted the first-ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series street course race.
The Track
The St. Petersburg Grand Prix runs 1.808 miles over 14 turns. Specifically, the start-finish straight runs along a runway of Albert Whitted Airport, one of the more unusual track features on any motorsport calendar. The circuit weaves through city streets using sections of 1st Street SW and Bayshore Drive SE. The waterfront backdrop makes it one of the most visually distinctive street circuits in the series.
The first corner is the track’s defining moment. As the field funnels into a chicane off the long airport straight, drama is almost guaranteed at every race start. Turns 4 through 9 make up the most technically demanding section. This stretch demands constant direction changes, with precise brake and throttle management throughout. Multiple long straightaways follow before a sweeping pair of right-handers closes the lap.
Real-World History: From CART to INDYCAR Season Opener
Historically, St. Petersburg has hosted major motorsport events dating back to the mid-1980s with Trans-Am as the anchor series. The modern CART event arrived in 2003. In 2005, INDYCAR made St. Petersburg its first non-oval event. As a result, St. Pete became one of the most beloved rounds on the calendar. The race has regularly served as the INDYCAR season opener ever since.
The NASCAR Truck Series Connection
The timing of this iRacing launch is notable. In 2026, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ran its first-ever street course race at St. Petersburg. That race was a direct tie-in to RAM’s return to the Trucks class as part of the Kaulig Racing effort. The event was historic for NASCAR trucks, which had never previously competed on a purpose-built street circuit. Furthermore, the St. Petersburg Grand Prix arrived in iRacing carrying fresh real-world context from two major racing series simultaneously.
AI Racing: Fully Enabled
The St. Petersburg Grand Prix launched with full AI Racing support from day one. Additionally, iRacing trained its AI Drivers specifically for this street circuit, so you can run solo or multi-car AI sessions at St. Pete right away.
Who Owns It?
The St. Petersburg Grand Prix is a new track purchase available now in the iRacing store. Consequently, iRacing fully supports AI Racing here, and the track fits into the road racing calendar alongside other street circuits and road courses.
