2008 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

IndyCar race report infobox
Country = USA
Grand Prix = St. Petersburg


Caption =
Date = April 6
Year = 2008
Official name = Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Round_No = 2nd
Location = Streets of St. Petersburg
Course = Temporary Street Circuit
Course_mi = 1.800
Course_km = 2.897
Distance_laps = 83
Distance_mi = 149.400
Distance_km = 240.436
Weather = 78°F, Rain & clouds
Pole_Driver = Tony Kanaan
Pole_Team = flagicon|USA Andretti Green Racing
Pole_Time = 1:02.5322
Pole_Country = Brazil
Fast_Driver = Tony Kanaan
Fast_Team = flagicon|USA Andretti Green Racing
Fast_Time = 1:03.8874
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Brazil
First_Driver = Graham Rahal
First_Team = flagicon|USA Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
First_Country = USA
Second_Driver = Hélio Castroneves
Second_Team = flagicon|USA Penske Racing
Second_Country= Brazil
Third_Driver = Tony Kanaan
Third_Team = flagicon|USA Andretti Green Racing
Third_Country = Brazil

The 2008 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was the second round of the 2008 IndyCar Series season and took place on April 6, 2008 at the 1.8-mile temporary street and airport circuit on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.cite news
url =http://www.indycar.com/stats/full_race_results.php?event_date=2008-04-06&year=2008
title =St. Petersburg results
publisher =Indycar.com
date = 2008-04-06
accessdate = 2008-04-08] The race was a time-limited race due to rain, with the race falling some seventeen laps short of full race distance. The race was won by Graham Rahal on his IndyCar Series debut, having missed the first round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, due to a lack of spare parts for his #06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing machine.

At 19 years, 93 days old, Rahal became the youngest driver ever to win an Indy-style race, as well as the youngest winner in IndyCar Series historycite news
url =http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080406/SPORTS0107/80406006
title =Rahal's victory sets open-wheel record
publisher =IndyStar.com
date = 2008-04-06
accessdate = 2008-04-08] breaking Marco Andretti's record of 19 years, 167 days from the 2006 IndyCar Series season. He also became the fourth driver to win an IndyCar Series race in his first start, joining Buzz Calkins, Juan Pablo Montoya and Scott Dixon.

Qualifying

* All cars are split into two groups of thirteen, with the fastest six from each group going through to the "Top 12" session. In this session, the fastest six runners will progress to the "Firestone Fast Six". The fastest driver in this final session will claim pole, with the rest of the runners lining up in session order, regardless of qualifying times. (Fast Six from 1-6, Top 12 from 7-12 and Round 1 from 13-26) Drivers can use as many laps as they want in the timed sessions.

Round 1

Group 1

Round 3 (Firestone Fast Six)

Notes

* The race began under caution, due to the rain that was lying on the street circuit. The race would finally go green on lap 10.
* Due to a two-hour time limit, the race was curtailed after 83 of the original 100 laps.

References