CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Rookie Robert Wickens will be on the pole today (Sunday, March 11) for IndyCar's 2018 season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
The race is at 12:30 p.m. on ABC with live streaming available at Sportsnet NOW. You can get live scoring and updates at IndyCar's Race Control.
Wickens' fast lap came on a slick track in the last of three knockout qualifying rounds. He ran a lap of 1:01.6643 (105.085 mph) to edge seven-time St. Petersburg pole winner Will Power by less than a tenth of a second.
Rookies Matheus Leist and Jordan King will start three and four on the grid.
VERIZON INDYCAR
FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG
Site: St. Petersburg, Florida
Schedule: Sunday, race, 12:30 p.m., ABC.
Track: Streets of St. Petersburg (street, 1.8 miles).
Race distance: 198 miles, 110 laps.
Last season: Josef Newgarden won his first series title for Team Penske.
Last year: Sebastien Bourdais plowed through the field from the back and opened 2017 with an upset win.
Fast facts: Newgarden won his first series championship in his debut with Penske. The American is looking to become its first repeat champion since Gil de Ferran won CART championships in 2000 and 2001. ...Four-time series champion Scott Dixon has 41 career wins, but none of them were at St. Petersburg. Dixon has finished second on this street course three times. ...Rookies Rene Binder, Jordan King, Matheus Leist and Robert Wickens will make their IndyCar debuts this weekend.
Next race: Phoenix Grand Prix, April 7, ISM Raceway, Phoenix.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
FORMULA ONE
Last season: Lewis Hamilton won the F1 championship for the third time in four seasons.
Next race: Australian Grand Prix, March 25, Melbourne.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
Last event: Steve Torrence took first in Top Fuel in the season opener two weeks ago in Arizona.
Next race: GatorNationals, March 18, Gainesville Speedway, Gainesville, Florida
Online: http://www.nhra.com
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)