JHop’s STEM Club got to experience the sights and sounds of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to learn about the science behind the race cars.
Last month, science teacher Ivo Decarlis brought his STEM Club down to the annual NTT IndyCar racing event on the practice day before the big race. The field trip on Feb. 27 was organized thanks to a partnership between the City of St. Petersburg and the Pinellas County Schools.
According to Decarlis, the students enjoyed the spectacle and were very interested in watching the race. The STEM club was able to witness some of the preparations for the NTT IndyCar Series race and other racing events.
During the field trip, eighth-grader Omar Boyle met some of the drivers. He said that he talked to Ryan Leach, a driver for Mazda Cup from St. Petersburg.
Boyle said that the meeting inspired him to want to become a race car driver.
“It felt fun, because I get to see into the life of someone I’ve always dreamt of becoming,” Boyle said.
He said that the reason he got to talk to Leach is because he was “the leader of the group” and was one of the only ones to talk to a racer.
The winner of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the first race of the 2026 season, was three-time defending NTT IndyCar series champion Alex Palou.
