$1 Million Challenge
| IndyCar Series | |
|---|---|
| Location | Thermal, California, U.S. 33°38′25″N 116°08′32″W / 33.64028°N 116.14222°W |
| First race | 2024 |
| Distance | 3.067 mi (4.936 km) |
| Laps | 20 |
| Duration | 61.34 mi (98.72 km) |
| Circuit information | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 4.936 km (3.067 mi) |
| Turns | 17 |
The $1 Million Challenge[1] is an exhibition auto racing event held by the IndyCar Series on the permanent road course at the Thermal Club in Thermal, California on March 24, 2024.[2] The race is designed to be a "made-for-TV" all-star event and will be held at a 300-plus-acre private country club in a gated community in the Coachella Valley.[3]
Background[edit]
Over a decade before the first racing event, Thermal Club owner Tim Rogers hosted then IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard at a ribbon cutting ceremony, and told The Indianapolis Star for a 2023 feature that he had always wanted to host a race at the property.[4] Talks ramped up during the 2022 season about the club hosting IndyCar's preseason test in 2023, with the series in need of a consistent, warm-weather location for such testing.[4] During the test, Marcus Armstrong praised the circuit and expressed a desire to have a race there, but some other drivers including Colton Herta and Callum Ilott expressed concerns regarding overtaking and the safety of using Armco barriers.[5]
Following this test, in September 2023, IndyCar announced that 2024's test would be concluded by the $1 Million Challenge non-points race.[6]
In October 2023, a limited number of two thousand tickets were made available at $2000 each.[3] In January 2024, IndyCar offered $500 tickets to the first one hundred IndyCar Nation members that claimed them.[7] On March 5, 2024, the Thermal Club cut all ticket prices to $500 and issued partial refunds to those who had purchased at the earlier price. The reason given was that the county club had given permission to allow more people into the facility.[8]
Race course[edit]
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024) |
Past winners[edit]
IndyCar Series[edit]
| Season | Date | Driver | Team | Chassis | Engine | Tires | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) |
Report | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | |||||||||||
| 2024 | March 24 |  Álex Palou
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara | Honda | Firestone | 20 | 61.34 (98.72) | 00:39:30 | 93.166 | Report | [9] |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "$1 Million Challenge". IndyCar.com. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Barnes, Joey (10 September 2023). "IndyCar to host $1m non-points race at Thermal Club in March". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ a b Brown, Nathan (October 20, 2023). "Want to attend IndyCar's $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club? It'll cost you thousands". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Brown, Nathan. "Inside The Thermal Club: What a $5.2 million membership gets you (and why IndyCar is testing)". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Nate (2 February 2023). "IndyCar drivers say Thermal Club could host race after successful opening day to test". NBC Sports. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (10 September 2023). "$1 million IndyCar exhibition race set for The Thermal Club". RACER. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Brown, Nathan. "After ticket shock for IndyCar's Thermal Club $1M challenge, some lucky fans will pay less". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (5 March 2024). "Thermal Club slashes IndyCar ticket prices, partially refunds existing ticketholders". RACER. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ "Palou Dominates Sprint for the Purse, Pockets $500,000". IndyCar.com. Retrieved 2024-03-25.