(Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images)

IndyCar Weather: Rain Forecast for St. Petersburg

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated Feb 27, 2026 12:22 PM ET

For all the open-wheel race fans out there, the wait is over. The Indy NXT and IndyCar Series are in St. Petersburg this weekend to kick off the season. Along with the open-wheel drivers, the NASCAR Truck Series will also be racing on the streets in Florida.

There are a few changes this season in the IndyCar paddock. You have David Malukas now at Team Penske. Will Power is driving for Andretti Global. There are new looks throughout the starting grid.

It's about that time to get to racing. Let's take a look at the weather and see what is in store for race fans on the streets of St. Pete.

Alex Palou races at St. Petersburg. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)


Date	Race	Weather
Sunday, March 1	Indy NXT - 10:06 a.m. ET	A cool 62 degrees Fahrenheit at green flag. 0% chance of rain. 10 MPH wind.
Sunday, March 1	IndyCar Series - 12:29 p.m. ET	68 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. 0% chance of rain. 8 MPH wind.

What does this season have in store for fans? Alex Palou was fantastic in 2025. It was a historic season for him as he collected eight wins, won the Indianapolis 500, and won the IndyCar championship. Meanwhile, former champion and Indy 500 winner, Josef Newgarden, had a nightmare season. In fact, Team Penske as a whole was far from standard.

So, what is to be expected? We won't know until the cars hit the streets this weekend. Will Palou continue his dominance and open the year with another win on the streets?

With only 18 races on the schedule, every single weekend counts. Getting a good start to the season won't make or break a driver, but it could make things a lot more difficult moving forward.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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