| Race details | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st round of the2009 IndyCar Series season | |||||
 | |||||
| Date | April 5, 2009 | ||||
| Official name | Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | ||||
| Location | Streets of St. Petersburg | ||||
| Course | Temporary Street Circuit 1.800 mi / 2.897 km | ||||
| Distance | 100 laps 180.000 mi / 289.682 km | ||||
| Weather | 86 °F (30 °C), Sunny | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver |  Graham Rahal (N/H/L Racing) | ||||
| Time | 1:02.4110 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver |  Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing) | ||||
| Time | 1:03.2440 (on lap 54 of 100) | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First |  Ryan Briscoe (Penske Racing) | ||||
| Second | Ryan Hunter-Reay (Vision Racing) | ||||
| Third | Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing) | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
TheHonda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was the opening round of the2009 IndyCar Series on April 5, 2009. It was the first time inIndyCar Series history that the season begins on a road course and not an oval. The race saw 4 drivers make their debuts in the championship:Stanton Barrett,Mike Conway,Robert Doornbos andRaphael Matos.[1][2] The race was contested over 100 laps of the 1.80 mile street course.[3]
Graham Rahal started from the pole but a poor start meant that he dropped back and out of contention for the victory. Defending championScott Dixon crashed out on lap 80, a poor start to his defence of the title, which left Penske'sRyan Briscoe to take the chequered flag fromRyan Hunter-Reay who finished 2nd andJustin Wilson who came home 3rd.[4]
