More St. Pete GP news

Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg To Reach International Audience
In addition to the live national broadcast of the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg on ABC this Saturday (airs 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.), the American Le Mans Series feature race will be aired throughout Europe on MotorsTV in England and Europe in four languages (English, French, German, and Greek). MotorsTV reaches more than 45 million viewers in 31 European countries. The race will also air on Fox/SPEED Latin American Networks to its audience of more than five million households in Mexico, Central and South America in both Spanish and Portuguese. And, three different anthology programs with a dedicated American Le Mans Series element produced by Greenlight-TV will be distributed to more than 489 million homes worldwide in an edited format after the race. The three Greenlight-TV programs are entitled Motorsports Mundial, Planet Speed and Max Power. Additionally, DSF, one of Germany’s largest terrestrial networks, will air a race highlights and feature program on April 13 throughout the country and Sport Italia, a major Italian sports network, will also be broadcasting a similar program.

Michael Andretti Foundation Gala Set for Friday Evening
The Michael Andretti Foundation Gala, hosted by Progress Energy and Danka, will be held at 7 p.m. Friday evening at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts. Among the racing celebrities expected to appear at the event are Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti, Tony Kanaan, Hideki Mutoh, Bryan Herta, Christian Fittipaldi, Graham Rahal, Justin Wilson, Franck Perera and Enrique Bernoldi. Proceeds from the event will benefit All Children’s Hospital Pediatric Trauma Unit, The Bayfront Baby Place and the Mayor’s Mentors and More program, conducted by the City of St. Petersburg. Tickets for the event are $150 each and are available www.andrettifoundationgala.com or by calling 727.562.5631. Since its inception in 2003, the Michael Andretti Foundation has provided close to $1 million to various charities.

USSOCOM Parachute Team Scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Honda Grand Prix
The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Parachute Team will make three appearances this weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The USSOCOM Parachute Team is composed of volunteers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and U.S. government civilians assigned to USSOCOM. These highly qualified members are selected for the team after a rigorous training program. Formed in 1991, the Team represents the most elite of the United States armed services, its Special Operations Forces (SOF). Jumps by the team may include carrying a flag or passing a baton while descending in freefall, all while wearing burning smoke canisters attached to their boots to allow viewers to see them better.