A viewer’s guide to IndyCar: Five storylines to watch in the 2022 season and St. Pete opener

It’s been three years since the sun-splashed streets of St. Petersburg have marked the dawning of the NTT IndyCar Series, and the sense of renewal is stronger than ever.

With the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete returned to its rightful place as the 2022 opener after two seasons of pandemic-driven schedule upheaval, “new” seems the operative word for IndyCar.

The annual curtain-raiser always offers a thick swath of fresh looks on firesuits, but there will seem an unusually novel sheen this weekend in every corner of the IndyCar paddock (whose footprint also will house the Indy Lights Series for the first time).

WEEKEND SCHEDULE: When cars are on track for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

There have been personnel shifts and restructuring among elite powerhouses and ambitious growth among organizations trying to enter the top tier.

Some star drivers and emerging talents have new teams, race engineers and workout partners. Others have new lifestyles, sponsors and schedules that have been expanded. A bumper crop of rookies are driving in a new series with three also taking residence in a new country (as the influx of European drivers to IndyCar continues unabated).

There’s even a new wrinkle for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver who personified consistency last season by winning the championship in only his second season.

Alex Palou already has added another ring in the offseason, getting married to his longtime girlfriend, Esther, while vacationing in their native Spain.

Though no one will enter 2022 with more continuity than Palou, who is with the same team in consecutive seasons for only the second time in his career, he also is treating his success as a motivational change agent for restarting at zero.

“I think two or