FAST FACTS: The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge
The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, March 22 – Sunday, March 24
Track: The Thermal Club, 3.067-mile, 17-turn road course (counterclockwise) in Thermal, California
Media Links: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Entry List (PDF) | Trackside Media Guide (Interactive PDF) | Driver Video Quotes (individual driver quotes will be posted to content.indycar.com) |
Race distances: (Two Qualifying Heats) 10 laps / 20 minutes) | (Sprint for the Purse) Two Segments (10 laps/ 30.67 miles each) with 10-minute halftime after Lap 10
Push-to-pass parameters: 40 seconds of total time for each qualifying group, heat race, and both segments of the final.
X: @TheThermalClub, @INDYCAR, #ThermalChallenge, #INDYCAR
Instagram: @TheThermalClub, @INDYCAR, #ThermalChallenge, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @ThermalClub, @INDYCAR, #ThermalChallenge, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @IndyCar, #ThermalChallenge, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.thermal.cc
INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com
2023 race winner:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Inaugural Event
Qualifying record:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Inaugural Event
NBC Sports telecast: Races, 12:30 ET Sunday, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe.
Peacock Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test sessions, qualifying session, heat races, and the final Sprint for the Purse will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside turn announcers Ryan Myrehn and Jake Query. Michael Young is the pit reporter. The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge, Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test sessions, and qualifying session air live on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218 and SiriusXM NBC Sports Audio 85, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (All Times Local):
Friday, March 22
9-11 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test, Peacock
2-5 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test, Peacock
Saturday, March 23
9-11 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test, Peacock
1-3 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test, Peacock
5 p.m. – $1 Million Challenge heat race qualifying (two groups / 12 minutes each), Peacock
Sunday, March 24
9:24 a.m. – $1 Million Challenge Heat Race 1 “Drivers Start Your Engines”
9:30 a.m. – NBC on air
9:31 a.m. – $1 Million Challenge Heat Race 1 (10 laps / 30.67 miles / 20 minutes / Top 6 advance to Sprint for the Purse), NBC
9:58 a.m. – $1 Million Challenge Heat Race 2 “Drivers Start Your Engines”
10:05 a.m. – $1 Million Challenge Heat Race 2 (10 laps / 30.67 miles / 20 minutes/ Top 6 advance to Sprint for the Purse), NBC
10:52 a.m. – $1 Million Challenge Sprint for the Purse “Drivers, start your engines”
10:59 a.m. – $1 Million Challenge Sprint for the Purse (Two 10-lap segments with 10-minute halftime after Lap 10), NBC (Live)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:
· The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge will be the first non-championship NTT INDYCAR SERIES race since 2008. With a total payout of over $1.7 million, it is the largest non-Indy 500 purse for an INDYCAR SERIES event in over two decades. More information on the weekend format can be found HERE. There have been 10 INDYCAR SERIES exhibition races held since 1946, including the Marlboro Challenge All-Star race, which was held by CART from 1987-1992.
NON-CHAMPIONSHIP INDYCAR RACES 1946-PRESENT
YEAR RACE TRACK WINNER
1957 Race of Two Worlds Monza Jimmy Bryan
1958 Race of Two Worlds Monza Jim Rathmann
1966 Fuji 200 Fuji Speedway Jackie Stewart
1987 Marlboro Challenge Tamiami Park Bobby Rahal
1988 Marlboro Challenge Tamiami Park Michael Andretti
1989 Marlboro Challenge Laguna Seca Al Unser Jr.
1990 Marlboro Challenge Nazareth Rick Mears
1991 Marlboro Challenge Laguna Seca Michael Andretti
1992 Marlboro Challenge Nazareth Emerson Fittipaldi
2008 Nikon Indy 300 Surfers Paradise Ryan Briscoe
* Note: The 1981 and 1982 Indianapolis 500 only counted for the USAC INDYCAR SERIES championship and was considered a non-championship event for CART teams.
· Qualifying heat races will return to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for the first time since the series conducted heat races at Iowa Speedway for the 2012 and 2013 events at the track. Two drivers entered have won heat races in their career: Graham Rahal won heat races in both 2012 and 2013 at Iowa while Scott Dixon won a heat race at Iowa in 2013.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES QUALIFYING HEAT RACES
YEAR TRACK LENGTH WINNERS
2012 Iowa Speedway 30 Laps Graham Rahal (1st), Tony Kanaan (2nd), Dario Franchitti (Dash)
2013 Iowa Speedway 50 Laps Scott Dixon (1st), Graham Rahal (2nd), Helio Castroneves (Dash)
· INDY NXT by Firestone points leader Nolan Siegel will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES “debut” at The Thermal Club. The California native was the INDYCAR developmental series’ Rookie of the Year in 2023 and tested for Dale Coyne Racing in January. The 19-year-old is scheduled to make starts at Long Beach, Indianapolis 500, and Toronto.
Sources: Dave Furst/INDYCAR PR
NTT Indycar Series – Spring Training