THERMAL, CA -- A first-of-its-kind open-wheel racing will see the best drivers in the NTT IndyCar Series race for cold hard cash in the inaugural $1 Million Challenge on Sunday.
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This is truly an unusual event for IndyCar, as no points will be awarded to the victors on Sunday. Similar to the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, drivers will look to show who has the best stuff for a large prize.
There is a $1.756 million cash prize on the line just outside of Palm Springs, which is the largest purse for any race held by the series that is not the Indianapolis 500.
The Thermal Club is a unique 3.067-mile road course at the base of the Santa Rose Mountains. With 19 turns of various degree, the Twin Palms layout is set to challenge even the top drivers of the series.
The event will begin a little after noon on Sunday, with two heat races determining who advances to the “all-star” race. The final race will be a 12-car, 20-lap dash to see who takes home the big bucks.
It is hard to say who is a favorite in the race, given that the track and format are such unknowns to the series. Josef Newgarden has to be feeling good after winning at St. Petersburg two weeks ago, his first non-oval win since June 2022, and his first street course victory since Long Beach in April of that same season.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
$1 Million Challenge
When: Sunday, March 24
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Where: The Thermal Club (Thermal, Calif.)
Channel: NBC
Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), Peacock, Sling, DirecTV Stream
Check out the IndyCar standings and results here