IndyCar issues a statement after coverage mishap during the Thermal Club Grand Prix

IndyCar has issued a statement following the coverage mishap it suffered during the Thermal Club Grand Prix. The California race, which was being broadcast on FOX, was abruptly interrupted and replaced by NASCAR's Homestead-Miami race, much to the dismay of many.

The race, which had begun to shape up as a cracker with Pato O’Ward coming under pressure from Alex Palou and teammate Christian Lundgaard, witnessed a sudden interruption around lap 25 of the event— a mishap that lasted over 15 minutes.

However, with the Arrow McLaren star still in the lead, the IndyCar social media team helped by sharing snippets from the broadcast and subsequently issued a statement about what had gone wrong with its television coverage.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the American open-wheel racing series wrote:

"Our INDYCAR production truck has an electrical issue. We are working to get it fixed as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, we have NASCAR bonus coverage on FOX and FS1 until the INDYCAR truck is back online.”

The coverage was eventually restored on lap 36 of the event, with Arrow McLaren's O’Ward still leading the chasing pack. However, his lead wouldn’t last long, as he was subsequently overtaken by Chip Ganassi’s Palou, who went on to win the Grand Prix.

The victory was Palou’s second of the season, making him the first driver since the 2020 season to win consecutive opening races of a campaign.

---

YouTube influencer predicted Alex Palou’s IndyCar Thermal Club win

YouTube influencer David Land had earlier predicted that Alex Palou would clinch victory at the Thermal Club Grand Prix. The IndyCar analyst had taken to social media to share his prediction about the event.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to a post made by fellow motorsport analyst Tony Donohue, who also serves as the host of The Tony D. Podcast, about the likely winner of the Palm Springs event, the YouTuber—who boasts over 94,000 subscribers on his channel—replied with a GIF of Palou.

The Barcelona-born Palou lived up to expectations as he expertly maneuvered the challenges posed by the Arrow McLaren duo, Pato O’Ward, and Christian Lundgaard, to clinch the win at the 3.06-mile track.

It must be noted that the former Dale Coyne driver wasn’t just David Land’s favorite pick to win the race, but also the choice of several bookmakers and betting platforms.

Alex Palou will hope to continue his winning streak as the grid moves on to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in California for the next race of the 2025 campaign.