Thermal Club IndyCar GP: Here's a full rundown of the 2024 $1 million challenge at the California circuit

IndyCar heads to California this week after creating a new viewership record at the 2025 season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 2. Before tuning in to the inaugural Thermal Club Grand Prix this weekend, here's all you need to know about the $1 million challenge in 2024 that served as proof of concept for the 3.067-mile circuit hosting the points-paying race this year.

In March 2024, IndyCar hosted an innovative non-championship race at the Thermal Club with a payout of $1.765 million, the highest non-Indy 500 purse in two decades. The purse was divided as follows:

• First Place: $500,000
• Second Place: $350,000
• Third Place: $250,000
• Fourth Place: $100,000
• Fifth Place: $50,000
• Sixth through 27th Place: $23,000 each

The race weekend scheduled for March 22 to 24 had a unique format, with drivers and teams given a two-day Open Test to understand the circuit.

Group qualifying sessions and two innovative 'Heat Races'

Indycar Series Test for the $1 million challenge at the Thermal Club - Day 2 - Source: Getty

The qualifying session format for the $1 million challenge wasn't worlds apart from a regular points-paying race. The 27 drivers were divided into two groups - 14 in group 1 and 13 in group 2. However, their qualifying timings did not decide the grid for the final race. There was an added event in between qualifying and the feature race - two 10-lap Heat Races.

Group 1's qualifying times set the order for Heat Race 1, and Group 2's qualifying set the order for Heat Race 2. The drivers who finish in the Top 6 in their respective Heat Races would advance to the final 12-man showdown in the final 20-lap feature race.

Alex Palou dominates from start to finish to win IndyCar's $1 million challenge

AUTO: MAR 02 INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

The Heat Races produced some unusual results. IndyCar champs Will Power and Scott Dixon were eliminated in Heat 1, while the likes of Pato O'Ward and 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson were shown the door in Heat 2.

The final showdown with $1.756 million up for grabs, however, failed to live up to the hype. Alex Palou dominantly led all 20 laps of the race and brought his No. 10 Honda across the finish line first. Scott McLaughlin, Felix Rosenqvist, Colton Herta and Marcus Armstrong rounded out the Top 5.

"Obviously my car was amazing,” Palou said post-race (via NBC Sports). "I had everything I needed. I was comfortable. Yeah, probably I didn’t sweat as much as other days."

While Palou didn't agree with the scheduling of the race to be between the points-paying calendar, runner-up McLaughlin was all for the experimentation allowed, including using push-to-pass during qualifying and the race. Rosenqvist suggested maybe the race should've included all 27 drivers instead of the Top 12.

Nonetheless, the $1 million challenge served as solid proof for the 17-turn circuit to validate a full-length IndyCar race in 2025. The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix will be the second race of the 2025 season. It will take place from March 21 to 23, with Alex Palou entering it as the defending winner in two ways - the Spaniard won there last year and he also won the 2025 season opener at St. Petersburg.