IndyCar: 2024 Thermal qualifying updates, full starting lineup

Two weeks after the 2024 IndyCar season began on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, the series is set to be back in action this Sunday, but not with one of the 17 championship races on this year's schedule.

The series is set to run an exhibition race at the 20-turn, 3.067-mile (4.936-kilometer) Thermal Club road course, which is located at a 300-acre private country club in Thermal, California. The event is designed as a "made for TV" all-star race and is officially dubbed the $1 Million Challenge.

The venue hosted the IndyCar preseason test last year, and while the event is not a points event, something the series hasn't run since 2008 at Surfers Paradise, it is set to pay the largest purse for an IndyCar race outside of the annual Indy 500.

There are set to be two eight-minute qualifying groups on Saturday to determine the starting lineups for the two heat races on Sunday. The qualifying groups were determined by a random draw on Thursday.

The heat races, which are first for the series since 2013 at Iowa Speedway, are set to either be 10 laps or 20 minutes long, whichever comes first. While laps under caution won't count toward the lap total, the time spent under caution will count against the clock.

The top six drivers from each heat race advance to the main event. The heat race winner with the faster qualifying time is set to start on the pole position, with the other five drivers who transfer from his heat lining up in the odd starting positions. The other heat race winner is set to start on the front row in second place, with the other five drivers who transfer from his heat lining up in the event starting positions.

As for the main event itself, it is a 20-lap race featuring two 10-lap sprints, with a break for fuel, tire changes, and wing adjustments scheduled in between.

IndyCar at Thermal: Qualifying

Heat race 1 lineup

1st - Felix Rosenqvist - No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda

2nd - Scott McLaughlin - No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet

3rd - Rinus VeeKay - No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet

4th - Christian Lundgaard - No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

5th - Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet

6th - Will Power - No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet

7th - Romain Grosjean - No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

8th - Agustin Canapino - No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

9th - Scott Dixon - No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

10th - Santino Ferrucci - No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet

11th - Colton Herta - No. 26 Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda

12th - Nolan Siegel - No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda

13th - Kyle Kirkwood - No. 27 Andretti Global Honda

14th - Sting Ray Robb - No. 41 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet

Heat race 1 results

1st - Felix Rosenqvist - No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda

2nd - Scott McLaughlin - No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet

3rd - Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet

4th - Christian Lundgaard - No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

5th - Agustin Canapino - No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

6th - Colton Herta - No. 26 Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda

7th - Santino Ferrucci - No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet

8th - Nolan Siegel - No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda

9th - Will Power - No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet

10th - Kyle Kirkwood - No. 27 Andretti Global Honda

11th - Sting Ray Robb - No. 41 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet

12th - Scott Dixon - No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

13th - Rinus VeeKay - No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet

14th - Romain Grosjean - No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

Heat race 2 lineup

1st - Alex Palou - No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

2nd - Marcus Armstrong - No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

3rd - Graham Rahal - No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

4th - Linus Lundqvist - No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

5th - Tom Blomqvist - No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda

6th - Pietro Fittipaldi - No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

7th - Alexander Rossi - No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

8th - Callum Ilott - No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

9th - Pato O'Ward - No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

10th - Kyffin Simpson - No. 4 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

11th - Christian Rasmussen - No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet

12th - Colin Braun - No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Honda

13th - Marcus Ericsson - No. 28 Andretti Global Honda

Heat race 2 results

1st - Alex Palou - No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
2nd - Marcus Armstrong - No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
3rd - Graham Rahal - No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
4th - Linus Lundqvist - No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
5th - Pietro Fittipaldi - No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
6th - Alexander Rossi - No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
7th - Pato O'Ward - No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
8th - Tom Blomqvist - No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
9th - Callum Ilott - No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
10th - Christian Rasmussen - No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
11th - Kyffin Simpson - No. 4 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
12th - Marcus Ericsson - No. 28 Andretti Global Honda
13th - Colin Braun - No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Honda

IndyCar at Thermal: Full starting lineup

1st - Alex Palou - No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
2nd - Felix Rosenqvist - No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
3rd - Marcus Armstrong - No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
4th - Scott McLaughlin - No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet
5th - Graham Rahal - No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
6th - Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
7th - Linus Lundqvist - No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
8th - Christian Lundgaard - No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
9th - Pietro Fittipaldi - No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
10th - Agustin Canapino - No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
11th - Alexander Rossi - No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
12th - Colton Herta - No. 26 Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda

Tune in to NBC at 12:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, March 24 for the live broadcast of the $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!