IndyCar to hold $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club March 24, 2024
SALINAS, Calif. -- Though its not a points-paying race, IndyCar has found its solution to its month-long gap early in the season for next spring.
The series will hold a '$1 million Challenge' at The Thermal Club just outside Palm Springs on March 24, 2024, where the series held its two-day preseason open test this past February ahead of the 2023 campaign. The event will embed Thermal Club members with each participating IndyCar driver via a draw party, and the top-5 drivers will split their earnings from the main event with their corresponding club member -- including a $1 million prize for the winner.
Inside The Thermal Club: What a $5.2 million membership gets you (and why IndyCar is testing)
'I would love to race here': Takeaways from IndyCar's open test at The Thermal Club
The three-day weekend will start with a series open test and qualifying session for the Challenge held Friday and Saturday, March 22-23. After qualifying for the race, the field will be split into two heats, and the top-6 from each heat will move on to Sunday's main event.
According to IndyCar's release, there will be a charitable component to the weekend that will be announced at a later date. IndyCar and The Thermal Club will also make available a limited number of tickets to non-Club members, with more details available at a later date.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar to hold $1 Million Challenge at Thermal Club in 2024