Drive with Davey: Streets of St. Pete
Davey Hamilton, driver of the Indy Racing Experience HP-sponsored 2-seat Dallara, shares his thoughts about this weekend's IndyCar Series race on the Streets of St. Pete

Indy Racing Experience driver Davey Hamilton is expecting the Streets of St. Pete to offer up quite the challenge to the competitors taking the grid for the 2009 IndyCar Series season opener Sunday. 

There is the obvious excitement in all the drivers to get back in the cockpit for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, but Hamilton notes that the 1.806-mile, 14-turn street circuit will be demanding from the drop of the green flag.

“With St. Pete being the first race of the season, I think it’s going to much more challenging for the teams to open the year on a street course,” said Hamilton.  “You have been out of the car for so long and then you jump right on to a track that can be very tight.  It will be a test.”

However, for a passenger in the Indy Racing Experience 2-seater Thursday, it will simply be intense.

“St. Pete offers some of the tightest turns we see all year,” said Hamilton, driver of the IRE HP-sponsored 2-seat Dallara.  “I think the great thing is that while we might not be at 170-180 miles per hour like we are on the ovals, the rider gets much more of an appreciation of what we go through on the track.  They are going to feel the rapid acceleration, the hard braking, and the tight turns with the walls all around them.”

The Indy Racing Experience 2-seater ride at St. Pete has sold out to the public, but footage of the in-car camera feed can be seen at top.  Take a spin around the Streets of St. Pete and let the Indy Racing Experience know what you think.  You can find us on Facebook and YouTube or follow us now on Twitter (@IRE2seater).  As always, information on the popular ride and drive programs is just a click away at www.indyracingexperience.com.

Tickets for the 2009 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg can be purchased by calling 866-INDYCAR or by logging on to www.indycar.com.  Be sure to check out Versus for the IndyCar Series qualification show at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday and the season-opening race on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.  Fans can also tune in and hear Indy Racing Experience driver Davey Hamilton along with Mike King and others on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.