3 things to know about IndyCar’s next race venue - Thermal Club

The 2025 IndyCar season moves to its second race—the Thermal Club circuit—following an action-packed St. Petersburg Grand Prix. This California track will make its official debut in the American open-wheel racing series as a championship points race in 2025, having previously featured as an exhibition event in 2024.

The season opener in Florida delivered high-octane racing, thrilling fans with nail-biting moments and early storylines that could define the rest of the campaign.

Among the key narratives emerging from St. Petersburg is the bold statement from Chip Ganassi’s Alex Palou, who has already laid down a marker for his championship ambitions—subtly adding another layer of intrigue as attention turns to the Thermal Club Grand Prix.

With several teams and drivers already making their intentions clear, the focus has now fully shifted to the next race on the IndyCar calendar. Let's look at the three key things that an IndyCar fan should know about the Thermal Club circuit ahead of the California event (March 23, 3 PM ET).

Private motorsport club

The Thermal Club circuit is not a typical race circuit but a racetrack built in the 20th century to serve high-net-worth individuals with exotic cars who want to enjoy the personal experience of racing.

Due to the nature of the Thermal Club circuit, the IndyCar grid couldn't run an ideal Grand Prix event at the course and instead focused largely on exhibition racing, with $1 million up for grabs.

Customizable track layout

The California race circuit, although a permanent street circuit, is one of the race circuits that can be modified to suit particular sequences and situations.

For the 2025 season, the IndyCar grid will feature the Thermal Club track, consisting of a 3.067-mile (4.82-km) raceway with a total of 19 turns.

The layout is expected to include tight corners, long straightaways, and massive elevation changes, expected to produce several driving and engineering challenges for drivers and their respective teams during the race on March 23.

Facility modification and enhancement

The 2025 edition of the California race is set to introduce a significant upgrade to its pit lane. The 2024 event of the race was held as an exhibition event, largely due to the circuit’s club-grade pit lane, which did not meet IndyCar's standards. As a result, the event was run as a non-championship race with no live pit stops.

However, for the 2025 season, with the race now featuring as a full-fledged championship event, the pit lane is being expanded to meet or exceed IndyCar’s minimum 35-feet pit box standard. The upgraded pit lane will also have the capacity to accommodate up to 30 cars.