Sebastian Wheldon, the eldest son of Dan Wheldon will have the honor of driving the Honda Civic Type R Pace Car at next weekend’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg presented by RP Funding as he leads the 27 car field to the green flag.
Dan’s wife Susie will wave the green flag to start the 100 lap race.
Speaking about the news, Susie says:
St. Petersburg was Dan’s adopted hometown and remains home for the boys and I. For him to win the inaugural race here in 2005 was something special. What made it even more special was that his teammates, TK (Tony Kanaan), Dario (Franchitti) and Bryan (Herta), followed him across the finish line in an all Andretti 1, 2, 3, 4 podium sweep. “To be here with Sebastian and Oliver 20 years later – and for Sebastian to be driving a pace car in the parade lap – is really a full circle moment. And I am honored to wave the green flag for the start of the race. I have to thank Kim (Green) and Kevin (Savoree) and the entire IndyCar family for always making the boys and I feel supported. We are looking forward to an exciting race weekend.
The news comes as St Pete prepares the 20th anniversary of Dan’s victory here in 2005 where he led an Andretti Green Racing 1,2,3,4.
Co-owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding said:
“That first event back in 2005 was certainly a remarkable moment for both our race team and our company. Having Susie and Sebastian taking on these important roles brings back a lot of terrific memories, and also reminds us how much we’ve learned over two decades of organizing this race. “Dan was a great racing champion of this event, the Indy 500 and the INDYCAR series. Kevin (Savoree) and I worked with Dan for the initial three years of his full-time INDYCAR career. It was a time filled with a lot of wins and lots of fun. We miss Dan.”
Kevin Savoree, co-owner, president and COO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions says:
We truly appreciate Susie, Sebastian and Oliver joining us and our team to be a part of another spectacular event in St. Petersburg while commemorating Dan’s win and his incredible racing legacy. “We can’t wait for race day to get here!
The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season kicks off in St Petersburg next Friday with the opening practice session.