What is the “$1 Million Challenge” at the Thermal Club, this non-championship race in IndyCar?

This is a first in more than fifteen years. For the first time since the Nikon Indy 300, on the Surfers Paradise street circuit (Australia) in 2008, theIndyCar will organize a non-championship round this weekend.

The action will take place at the picturesque Thermal Club circuit near Palm Springs, California, an exclusive and luxurious resort catering to the wealthiest motorsport enthusiasts. This 4,9 kilometer route, made up of 17 turns, is the second longest circuit on the 2024 calendar. Test days were organized ahead of the 2023 season on this same circuit, in order to study the feasibility of this challenge. mad.

The Thermal Club will be the scene of the “$1 Million Challenge”, an IndyCar innovation with a completely different format from that normally used. The 27 drivers will be at the start of this new meeting to win the jackpot, a reward of one million dollars. Well, almost… Explanations.

The format of this event will shake up habits: this Thursday, two draws will be organized. The first will associate the members of the Thermal Club with the 27 drivers present on the entry list. Members will be integrated into their respective teams in total immersion, participating in team meetings or question-and-answer sessions with the pilots. The second draw will randomly determine the two groups for qualifying, where push-to-pass will be allowed for a maximum duration of 40 seconds. At the end of qualifying, three cars will already be eliminated.

These 12-minute qualifications, which will take place late Saturday afternoon in California, will determine the starting grids for two qualifying races (called “Heat Races”). Twelve drivers will be lined up for each of the two races organized over 10 laps (or 20 minutes, laps under yellow flag will not be counted).

A two-part final

The first six cars from both rounds will qualify for the final, called “All-Star”. Pole position will be awarded to the winner of the qualifying race who sets the best time during the first qualifications. The final race will be contested over 20 laps divided into two 10-lap segments, with a 10-minute break midway after the end of the 10th lap. During the break, all cars will return to their pits and will only be allowed to refuel, adjust wing angles and tire pressures. Push-to-pass will also be reset during the break.

The winner of this “All-Star” round will win a jackpot of one million dollars… which he will have to share with the member of the Thermal Club with whom he has been associated. So this actually means that the winning driver of the “$1 Million Challenge” actually only pockets $500. The first five in the race will receive a reward, in this order: 000st: $1, 500nd: $000, 2rd: $350, 000th: $3 and 250th: $000. All other drivers will receive a prize money of $23 for their participation.

IndyCar, “$1 Million Challenge” – Program

Thursday March 21
Qualification group draw
Friday 22 March
17am - 00:19pm : Free Trials 1
22am - 00:1pm : Free Trials 2
Saturday March, 23
17am - 00:19pm : Free Trials 3
21am - 00:23pm : Free Trials 4
Sunday 24 March
1am - 00:1pm : Qualifications, Group 1
1am - 27:1pm : Qualifications, Group 2
17am - 15:17pm : Qualifying race 1
17am - 45:18pm : Qualifying race 2
18am - 50:19pm : “All-Star” final
(Program given in French times)

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