Bennett Awards was recently commissioned to create new custom awards for the 2015 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete, the season-opening race in North America for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series. The Verizon IndyCar Series, which is now in its 20th season, is the premier open wheeled race series in the United States.
The 2015 series has 17 races on its schedule, including the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500. The series began March 8 on the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet road course in the Brazil capital of Brasilia and concludes Sunday, Aug. 30, at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., which will mark the first time since Mexico City in 2007 that an Indy car champion will be crowned at a road course.
The organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St Pete worked collaboratively with Bennett Awards to create a new award design, and corresponding set of custom trophies, for the top finishers of the 2015 race. The centerpieces of these awards were custom 3D sculptures based on the race’s logo: a stylistic silhouette of an Indy car in front of a circular sun image. The sculptures were cast in pewter, and feature a high-polished pewter finish. They were then mounted on wood bases featuring a high gloss back finish. Three base sizes were created: an 11.5 inch high base for the champion, an 8.5” base for the 2nd place finish, and a 5.5” high base for the 3rd place finisher. Sublimated plates with the race logo were mounted on the front of each base, signifying the champion, 2nd place and 3rd place finishers.
The 2014 Firestone Grand Prix of St Pete was held March 29, 2015, at the Streets of St. Petersburg track in St. Petersburg, Florida. Juan Pablo Montoya, driving for Team Penske, held off 2014 winner and Penske teammate Will Power to win the race. Tony Kanaan, of Chip Ganassi Racing, took third.
More information on the Grand Prix of St Pete can be found on its website at: www.gpstpete.com.