IndyCar influencer with 94.5K YouTube subscribers “amazed” at the gap between the front and back of the pack at Thermal

IndyCar influencer David Land has expressed his surprise at the gap between the lead cars and the backmarkers at the Thermal Club Grand Prix. The American open-wheel racing series is hosting a competitive race at the California circuit for the first time.

However, while many had expected the Palm Springs event to have a closely packed grid due to the specifications of IndyCar and the nature of the 3.05-mile circuit, the recorded margin has left many surprised. One person who has voiced his concern is Land.

Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) account following the conclusion of the first practice session of the Thermal Club race, the motorsport influencer who boasts 94.5k subscribers on his YouTube channel, tweeted:

“I mentioned it on @IndyCarRadio yesterday, but I'm amazed how big the gap is between the front and the back of the #IndyCar field this weekend.”

To put the gap into context, Alex Palou, who topped Practice 1, finished an impressive 2.1586 seconds ahead of Jacob Abel, who was last. While this was already concerning, the second practice session saw Christian Lundgaard and his Arrow McLaren car finish a staggering 3.0885 seconds ahead of Abel, who again placed last.

This relatively large margin between the grid raises eyebrows about what the qualifying lap times for the Grand Prix could be. Already, as many as 13 drivers, including Scott Dixon, have eclipsed the best lap time set during the 2024 edition of the race.

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Colton Herta speaks after IndyCar Thermal Club Grand Prix practice

Colton Herta spoke to the media following the practice session of the IndyCar Thermal Grand Prix event. The 24-year-old acknowledged that the circuit appeared slightly different from when he had his off-season test about two months ago.

The Andretti Autosport driver, who was fourth on the timing sheet, admitted that it would be better if the gap between cars was much closer than it currently appears.

Speaking to the media, as quoted by FOX Sports, Herta stated:

"It's pretty different. When we were here, it was 30 degrees cooler with a different tire.

"It would be nice if it was a little closer to what we had this weekend, but there's still general things. And the general balance is somewhat similar."

The Formula 1-linked driver experienced some sort of mixed fortunes during the 2024 edition of the race, which served as a non-championship event. The American racer recorded finishes of eighth, seventh, sixth, second, and fourth place across several exhibition races held at the California circuit.

The former Harding Steinbrenner Racing driver will, however, be hoping for a better race result at this year’s edition of the IndyCar event, as he aims to clinch his maiden drivers' series title.