IndyCar: Full qualifying order revealed for 2024 Thermal race
IndyCar is set to run the $1 Million Challenge, its first exhibition race since 2008, this Sunday afternoon at The Thermal Club.
By Asher Fair
For the first time since 2008 at Surfers Paradise, IndyCar is set to run a non-championship event at The Thermal Club, which hosted preseason testing last year, this Sunday afternoon.
The format for this race around 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, is a unique one. The event is deemed a "made for TV" all-star type race and is set to feature the largest IndyCar purse outside of the annual Indy 500.
A random draw on Thursday determined which drivers are set to take part in which qualifying sessions on Saturday night. These two qualifying sessions are set to solidify the starting lineups for the two 10-lap (or 20-minute) heat races, from which the top six drivers advance to the main 20-lap event.
The qualifying groups are effectively the groups for the heat races as well.
IndyCar at Thermal: Qualifying groups
Group 1
Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
Scott McLaughlin - No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet
Scott Dixon - No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Will Power - No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
Santino Ferrucci - No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
Nolan Siegel - No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Rinus VeeKay - No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Colton Herta - No. 26 Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda
Kyle Kirkwood - No. 27 Andretti Global Honda
Sting Ray Robb - No. 41 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
Christian Lundgaard - No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Felix Rosenqvist - No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
Romain Grosjean - No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
Agustin Canapino - No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
Group 2
Kyffin Simpson - No. 4 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Pato O'Ward - No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Callum Ilott - No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Alexander Rossi - No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Linus Lundqvist - No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Alex Palou - No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Marcus Armstrong - No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Graham Rahal - No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Christian Rasmussen - No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Marcus Ericsson - No. 28 Andretti Global Honda
Pietro Fittipaldi - No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Colin Braun - No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Honda
Tom Blomqvist - No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
The heat race winner with the faster qualifying time is set to start the main event, which is split up until two 10-lap sprints and a halftime break, on the pole position, while the other race winner is set to lineup alongside him on the front row in second place.
The remaining odd positions (third through 11th place) are set to be filled from the polesitter's heat, while the remaining even positions (fourth through 12th) are set to be filled from the other.
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Peacock is set to provide live coverage of qualifying beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 23, while NBC is set to provide live coverage of the race itself beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 24. Start a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss the first ever $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club!
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