St. Pete to host debut street race for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

For the first time in the history of the division, NASCAR Craftsman Trucks will race through the streets of St. Petersburg during the 2026 Firestone Grand Prix. 

NASCAR announced the surprise addition during the release of its 2026 national series schedule on Wednesday. The first ever NASCAR Trucks street race will be held Feb. 28, 2026, kicking off the weekend-long 22nd annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. 

The following day, March 1, the NTT IndyCar Series will hold its season-opening race on the streets of St. Petersburg for the 16th time. Both races will be broadcast by FOX Sports.

“What a great new racing addition to the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to include the NASCAR trucks into Saturday’s show next year,” says Kim Green, CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, which organizes the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. 

“Saturday will be packed for our fans with entertainment,” Green says in the announcement. “We have IndyCar qualifying and now a historic first with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. And, as usual, it all culminates on Sunday with the NTT IndyCar Series season-opening event on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg.”

The NASCAR Truck Series has shared weekends with IndyCar before, including multiple races at Texas Motor Speedway from 1997 to 2019. IndyCar will also once again share a race weekend with the NASCAR Cup Series, which will be taking place at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas during the St. Petersburg event. 

This season’s IndyCar champion, Alex Palu, began his winning streak with a victory at last year’s race in St. Petersburg. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn loop that uses the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum, and the runway at the Albert Whitted Airport. Spectators can watch the race along the waterfront of Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. 

Tickets for the 2026 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will go on sale this fall. Ongoing event updates will be posted at gpstpete.com.