First Impressions of the St. Petersburg GP
By Susan Phillips
We arrived in Tampa late-ish in the evening—we both had to work Thursday and had a mad dash to the airport during rush hour. We managed to do that without strangling each other—Oilpressure and I are both OCD, but in different ways. He is the “make it to the airport with plenty of time to spare kind” and I am the “do I have enough thread and needles to perform a minor medical procedure should one of us get a nasty cut?” kind of OCD. It often leads to overweight luggage and finding the closest, but most reasonably priced parking spot at the Nashville airport.
We woke to a beautiful day and casually headed to the “track” or should I say “course’—I’m not sure of the terminology on a street course. It was quite a haul to the Media Center, as they have no permanent parking in a city for a temporary race. We finally settled in just in time for Robert Wickens’ Press Conference. It was amazing what a transformation that has occurred with Wickens in six months. It shows you what will and determination can do for you. I look forward to his wedding photos as he walks down the aisle to marry Karli in the fall.
Most notable about the area around the circuit is the Salvador Dali Museum that is the centerpiece of the area. I was excited to see that they were showing the paintings of Rene Magritte—my favorite surrealist painter, but the museum was closed during the race weekend. You may recognize what is probably his most famous work—a self-portrait called, The Son of Man (Le fils de l’homme), 1964. Next time I will plan for this—Oilpressure is not be a big art fan, but I certainly am, since I majored in Design in college.
The marina is the second thing you will notice about the area. It’s gorgeous and really gives you the flavor of the area. You really are sitting right on the water. For a street course newbie like me, it was pretty cool.
I hope you enjoy my photos from our first day. I like to take more photos of the people than the moving cars, which may be beyond my beginner photographic skills.
Mrs. OilPressure
Oilpressure 
March 9, 2019 at 3:13 pm
The photos of the drivers in the car with their helmets on reminded of many of my years covering the Indy 500 for Associated Press and the photographer in charge constantly yelling me me, and the other photographers, for taking “helmet shots.” When I started, drivers often got in their cars, then put on their helmets, but that changed, but like George, Chuck didn’t like changes.
March 9, 2019 at 5:37 pm
Great pictures Susan and thanks for your write up!
March 11, 2019 at 1:15 pm
Thanks, Susan, for the Dan Weldon plaque photo!!