The NTT IndyCar Series is set for an all-star-style race this weekend as the series will field its first non-points event since the 2008 event at Surfers Paradise in Australia.
Called the $1 Million Challenge, the American open-wheel series heads to The Thermal Club in Palm Springs, Calif., where drivers and teams will tackle the 3.067-mile road course.
With $1.756 million on the line across the 27-car field, highlighted by $500,000 going to the winner, aggression levels are bound to be high with a hefty paycheck awaiting the top driver at the drop of the checkered flag.
Here are some key storylines heading into the weekend:
What Is The Thermal Club?
The Thermal Club is an exclusive luxury motorsports-style resort where to be a member, owning a villa on the property or buying a plot is required.
The facility is a little more than two hours from downtown Los Angeles.
Who’s Racing?
This weekend will feature all 27 of IndyCar’s full-time entries, including Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, defending IndyCar champion Alex Palou and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon.
Notably, rookie Colin Braun will be making his second start with the series after competing in this month’s opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. Braun is former NASCAR driver and current IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship racer. He competes part time for Dale Coyne Racing in IndyCar.
A Different Race Format
For the first time since 2013 at Iowa Speedway, heat racing will determine the feature lineup on Sunday.
After two groups of qualifying set the order for the two heat races, two 10-lap or 20-minute races will see six drivers from each heat advance to the feature, with 12 gunning for the ultimate prize.
A New Track Presents Unknowns
Sunday’s race will mark the first time IndyCar has contested an event at The Thermal Club. While a two-day test was held last year at the 17-turn course, that’s all the drivers and teams have in terms of experience.
In that test, Marcus Ericsson turned in the fastest lap time of 1:38.4, edging Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard at 1:38.5 and Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood (1:38.7).
What Drivers Said After Thermal Test
After the two-day test, a few drivers assessed the track.
Arrow McLaren’s Callum Ilott, who tested with Juncos Hollinger Racing last year before his departure from the team at season’s end, felt the track has a good mixture of characteristics.
“I like this place,” Ilott said. “It’s a big mix of slow speed, long corners, high speed. I think not very forgiving if you do go wrong.”
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Armstrong noted last year he’d “love” to race at the facility, stating the track feels “like a European circuit, quite demanding on the neck, toward the end of the lap anyway. I think it’s cool. Very flowing, banked corners, banked high-speed corners.”
What may be of concern this weekend is the amount of opportunities for passing. Armstrong elaborated on the potential issue.
“In terms of racing, it could be potentially not a lot of overtaking,” Armstrong admitted. “You’d have to commit hard, maybe turn one, wherever you want really. Yeah, you’d have to commit hard.
“It wouldn’t be the easiest place to overtake. As a whole facility and circuit, it’s very enjoyable.”
Andretti Global’s Colton Herta admitted after the test that if the series raced at Thermal Club, passing may be at a premium. However, he feels the verdict is still out.
“I think it really comes down to tire deg (degradation), what people are showing with that,” Herta said. “It will be tough to pass. A lot of the good braking zones, you’re coming off of high-speed corners, so it will be hard to follow.
“But you never know. I would say some of the tracks we go to would be terrible for racing, and IndyCar still puts on a great show. You never know until it’s tested and proven right or wrong.”