NASCAR enters new territory on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, when the Craftsman Truck Series races on a street course for the first time. The OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 brings the third‑tier national series to the tight downtown layout in St. Petersburg, a venue long known for opening the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The idea sounded unlikely when the 2026 schedule leaked last fall, but NASCAR confirmed the date and locked in the event as part of a bold push to diversify its calendar.
MORE SPORTS ON SPORTS TALK FLORIDA
The 80‑lap, 144‑mile race runs as the Saturday headliner during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend. NASCAR.com lists the event at 12:00 p.m. ET, with the green flag scheduled for 12:22 p.m. ET. FOX carries the broadcast, while MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio provide national audio coverage.
A Field Ready for a New Challenge
Thirty‑six trucks fill the entry list, matching the maximum grid size. Drivers enter the weekend knowing the St. Pete circuit demands precision. The 1.8‑mile layout features concrete walls, heavy braking zones, and a narrow airport‑runway frontstretch. Frontstretch described the race as the most anticipated event of the season because it forces teams to rethink everything they know about Truck Series setups.
FOX Sports highlighted Ty Majeski, Layne Riggs, Christian Eckes, Kaden Honeycutt, and Giovanni Ruggiero as early favorites based on practice and qualifying trends. Chandler Smith enters the weekend with momentum after a strong start to the season, while veterans like Ben Rhodes and Stewart Friesen look to capitalize on experience.
The OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 takes the green at noon on Saturday. Fans in Florida can listen on the TuneIn app, which carries race‑weekend programming and live audio from MRN. The race delivers a new kind of energy to St. Petersburg as stock‑car power meets a street‑course backdrop for the first time.
The moment marks a milestone for NASCAR and sets the tone for a season that embraces innovation and new markets.
Source link
