2017 SST ST.PETERSBURG

Grand Prix of St.Pete
March 10-12

Practice and Q ,Friday 10th
Race 1 ,Saturday 4:35 pm/et
Day Light Savings Time (Spring forward)
Race 2 , Sunday 11:00 am/et

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Permalink Reply by JerrDog on March 12, 2017 at 9:33am

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Permalink Reply by Mike Kenyon on March 12, 2017 at 11:08am

SST Race 2 Starting Lineup. Green flag at 11:10am/et
1. Matt Brabham
2. Gavin Harlien
3. Bill Hynes
4. Jeff Hoffman
5. Davey Hamilton Jr
6. Arie Luyendyk Jr
7. PJ Jones
8. Paul Morris
9. Sheldon Creed
10. Robby Gordon
Watch live here on the Stadium Super Trucks facebook page

http://stadiumsupertrucks.com/live-3/

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Permalink Reply by sabreguy on March 12, 2017 at 11:10am

I'm watching today!!!!

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Permalink Reply by sabreguy on March 12, 2017 at 11:37am

Another great race!!!

Way to go Brabham

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Permalink Reply by Michael Martinez on March 12, 2017 at 11:49am

Great racing......the sport is KILLER

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Permalink Reply by Mike Kenyon on March 12, 2017 at 12:23pm

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Permalink Reply by JerrDog on March 12, 2017 at 7:45pm

Matt Brabham could drive, don't underestimate his skills.

SST, what great racing!!! Race format is undeniable.....

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Permalink Reply by Bricoop on April 6, 2017 at 11:17am

http://www.presstelegram.com/events/20170405/long-beach-grand-prix-...

Long Beach Grand Prix: Matt Brabham loving Super Trucks detour en route to open-wheel career

Matthew Brabham’s heritage is open-wheel racing.

His grandfather, Sir Jack Brabham, is a three-time Formula One champion. His father, Geoff, raced IndyCars for eight seasons. His uncle, David, made 24 Formula One starts.

So what is young Matthew doing racing a full-sized pick-up truck in Robby Gordon’s Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks series?

“It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had from a pure driving aspect,” the 23-year-old Florida resident said. “It was not so much a choice of my own. It’s pretty tough in motor racing to try and make a living out of it.”

To be fair, racing a truck is not Brabham’s end-all. He has raced in the Indy Lights series and raced in both IndyCar races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year, finishing 22nd in the 500.

“Obviously my most effort is finding an IndyCar sponsorship,” he said. “While I try to slave away at IndyCar, this is the perfect thing for me to learn and not get rusty.

“The ultimate goal is to win the Indy 500. My family has won a lot of races around the world. Monaco, LeMans ... The next one is in the Indy 500. It is a long-term goal.”

The Stadium Super Trucks series will race on Saturday and Sunday at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. There are strategically placed ramps around the track in which the trucks must jump. Midway through the race is a competition yellow, bunching the trucks together for one final charge.

“The competition caution is not a secret; it brings everyone together,” Brabham said. “These are the best races because every one of them is a last-lap battle. It’s easy to pass in the trucks. The other cars have wash and aero. Basically you stick to a bumper here and you can pass in every corner.

“At the end of the day, this is a serious racing series. The prize money and racing is awesome. The trucks are designed to promote racing.”

Brabham is in fourth in points this year, winning the last race in St. Petersburg, Florida. Reigning champion Sheldon Creed of Alpine has a three-point series lead over Paul Morris with Gordon 18 back. A crash in Australia has Brabham 27 points off the point lead.

Creed swept both Long Beach races last year.

A sponsorship with Safecraft led to Brabham running the series full time for a second consecutive year. He finished second last year with three victories and 10 podium finishes.

“I’ve never had more fun than in any racing series,” he said. “Not every racing series appeals to fans like motorsport. This draws fans to the fences.”

Brabham discovered the series a little bit by accident while in Toronto when IndyCar and the trucks were there in 2014. The series had an extra truck and Paul Tracy was supposed to drive it. Brabham ran to his hotel room to get his gear.

“I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” he said. “I went over to the paddock to talk to the guys, ‘How do I get into this?’ My sponsor keeps my truck going from race to race.”

His first few laps, he did not attempt to traverse the ramps.

“It was pretty scary until you got the feel for it,” he said. “I didn’t want to come back embarrassed to explain I did not jump. It’s almost like a corner. You try for an angle to get the perfect way and the most speed out of it.”