The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix: What is the weather forecast?

IndyCar is all set to head into round 2 of the 2025 season this weekend, as the Thermal Club road course is set to hold it's first ever championship event. The weather in Thermal, California is expected to stay clear, with no chance of rain at the time of writing.

The Thermal Club is set to host its first IndyCar race, after having held a non-championship event branded the $1 Million Challenge in 2024. The venue also hosted the 2023 pre-season testing, after having been constructed in 2022, with the vision of featuring on the series calendar. The club is owned by Tim Rogers.

After a stunning performance in the season opener at St. Petersburg, reigning champion Alex Palou will be hoping to double-up his tally of wins this season at the first road course race of the 2025 season. Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden, both of whom narrowly missed out on the win and had to settle for the podium, will also be hoping to claim their first victories of the season.

The weather is not expected to play a major role during the race, as conditions are forecasted to be clear of any rain throughout the weekend. The forecast for the weekend is listed below [via Weather.com].

Friday, March 21 - Practice 1

Temperature: 86 °F (30 °C)

Forecast: Mostly Sunny with Cloudy intervals

Chance of Rain: 0%

Saturday, March 22 - Practice 2 & Qualifications

Temperature: 87 °F (31 °C)

Forecast: Partly Cloudy with periods of Sunshine.

Chance of Rain: 0%

Sunday, March 23 - Warmup and Race

Temperature: 90 °F (32 °C)

Forecast: Sunny with clear skies.

Chance of Rain: 0%

As things stand, there is no chance of rain at the Thermal Club throughout the weekend, and clear running is expected. But high temperatures could still potentially affect tire strategies within the race.

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What the Thermal Club founder said about the inaugural IndyCar race at the venue

View of the Thermal Club track during the IndyCar Series Test, 2023 - Source: Getty

Thermal Club founder Tim Rogers expressed his excitement for hosting a championship race of the IndyCar series at the club's road course. He made this statement after the venue was announced as a part of the 2025 season in November 2024.

Rogers expressed his thrill for hosting a full fledged Grand Prix at the Thermal Club, and shared the hard work that went behind making it possible. He said:

"The Thermal Club is thrilled to welcome IndyCar back, this time for a full-scale Grand Prix." [via Channel 3]

“Our team has put everything into making this race an unforgettable experience for fans, residents, and guests, in an extraordinary setting that only The Thermal Club can offer,” he added.

As mentioned before, the venue hosted the 2024 $1 Million Challenge, which was a non-championship event. It featured two 10-lap heat races where the top six advanced to a 20-lap All-Star Race.

The race had a halftime break after 10 laps, and the winner received $500,000, with payouts extending to all participants. It was Chip Ganassi's Alex Palou who came out triumphant at the end of the event.