This Is How The IndyCar $1 Million Challenge At The Thermal Club Works
IndyCar his holding an unusual event this weekend.
Even though the season has already started with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, won by Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, its second race of the year will be a exhibition at The Thermal Club private track near Palm Springs, California.
It’s not open to the general public, but club members can attend and it will be broadcast across Peacock and NBC.
IndyCar had a pre-season test session at the venue in 2023 and announced the $1 Million Challenge last September.
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The event will feature qualifying on Saturday with two run groups going for 12 minutes each on the 17-turn, 3.067-mile road course. The results will seed two 10-lap heat races that will be held on Sunday. The races have a 20-minute time limit and only green flag laps count.
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Six drivers will advance to a 20-lap final with the fastest qualifier starting on pole and the other five drivers from their heat lining up in the odd-number positions behind them. The race is split into two 10-lap segments with a halftime break in between.
Although the event is called the $1 Million Challenge, an original plan to pay the winning team and a member of the club tied to it through a lottery $500,000 each has been replaced with $1.756 million purse and prize money paid to only the drivers as follows:
1st: $500,000, 2nd: $350,000, 3rd: $250,000, 4th: $100,000, 5th: $50,000, 6th-27th: $23,000.
Qualifying is scheduled for March 23 at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock and the heat races and main event will follow on NBC on March 24 starting at 12:30 p.m. ET.
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