ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Dan Mead, President and CEO of Verizon Wireless, noted that an initial -- and quick -- investment as the entitlement sponsor of the Verizon IndyCar Series was an overlay of a substantial wireless network infrastructure around the temporary street circuit that hosted the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

“This is an important race because it’s the first race of the season, but it’s also important because it’s our first race as the title sponsor," said Mead, referring to the multi-year partnership announced two weeks ago. "It’s important to all of our fans. We see a lot of people using our app – INDYCAR 14. People have told us how exciting it is to have us. It’s our job to help make it more exciting. It’s our job to our very best and we’ll work hard to do better at the next race moving forward.

"We like the quality of the (INDYCAR) entertainment for our customers and we’ve been bringing customers to events for years. We like competition. We’re in a extremely competitive industry and we thrive on the competitive environment and we think it’s a great match with INDYCAR. We like the activity. We like the competition and we like how close things are.

"We also think we can help with the devices and technology that we offer. With LTE and all the smartphones and tablets, we can make the racing experience more personal for everyone around the track."

Spectators (event promoters said the race day walk-up ticket sales was the largest in the history of the event) certainly enjoyed the racing experience on a cloudless day alongside Tampa Bay. Will Power earned his second victory on the streets of St. Petersburg in the 110-lap race on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn circuit.

That it's a technology company and a whole lot more makes Verizon "the perfect partner," said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of INDYCAR.

“We love the fact that Verizon has been involved in INDYCAR racing with the Penske team and as the official wireless partner of INDYCAR for four years," Miles said. "These are folks that understand us deeply and have thought carefully about the possibilities of this relationship. That gives us great confidence as we go forward in years ahead.

"From our perspective, we have the exact same targets in terms of the people we’re trying to reach and attract and we have the same agenda."