ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Fresh off her gold medal performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, speed skater Erin Jackson will be taking a victory lap at Sunday's Firestone Grand Prix in St. Petersburg.
According to event organizers, the Ocala native will be riding with IndyCar legend Mario Andretti in the Ruoff Mortgage "Fastest Seat in Sports" — a pre-race event that will lead Jackson to the starting line of the main event race.
Once there, Jackson will wave the green flag signifying the official start of the Firestone Grand Prix. According to race organizers, Jackson will be accompanied by fellow Olympians Brittany Bowe (another Ocala native) and Joey Mantia.
Jackson was the first Black woman to win a speedskating medal at the Winter Olympics. She won gold in the 500 meters race with a time of 37.04 seconds.
A weekend of racing began early this morning Friday, Feb. 25, with the first qualifying event for the Indy Pro 2000 series beginning at 7:45 a.m. The series' first race happened just before noon.
Three races are scheduled for Saturday, with three more Sunday — including the main event at 12:30 p.m., the 100-lap Firestone Grand Prix.