If the $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club was billed as an IndyCar Series All-Star Race, then its greatest current star was showcased.
It was Alex Palou, the two-time and reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion who was never challenged in Saturday’s qualifications, Sunday’s 10-lap heat race and the 20-lap $1 Million Challenge afterwards.
With dust storms kicking up over the weekend on the around the long, 17-turn, 3.067-mile road course, the driver of the No. 10 Honda at Chip Ganassi Racing left the rest of his IndyCar competitors in the dust.
He finished 5.7929 seconds ahead of second-place Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske in a race that wasn’t nearly as close as the margin of victory.
“I tried to have a go at Alex, but ultimately he was just a little bit faster with that clean air,” lamented McLaughlin afterwards. “It was always going to be clean air was going to be king this weekend. I settled in, tried to maximize what I had.
“That was second today.”
At least McLaughlin collected $350,000 for second place as Palou won the $500,000 first-place prize.
It was IndyCar’s first all-star event since the Marlboro Challenge at Nazareth Raceway in Nazareth, Pa. on Oct. 3, 1992. It is also the first non-points race on the IndyCar schedule since the Nikon 300 at Surfer’s Paradise, Queensland, Australia on Oct. 26, 2008.
As Palou never turned a wheel wrong in competition since he hit the track for Friday morning’s test session, Felix Rosenqvist’s pole for Heat Race 1 and his third-place finish made him a big winner as he continues to build momentum with his new team at Meyer Shank Racing.
“It’s a huge statement going into the season,” Rosenqvist said. “I’m super happy we were able to have this week because it’s kind of been a mix of a race and a test for us, just trying different things, getting to know each other more.
“We’ve been quick, but I feel like every time we’re out there, we’re just learning something new. This has been a huge learning experience. Also, some cash at the end of the day. Super proud of Meyer Shank Racing. We’re enjoying. We think there’s more to come.”
Looking Back At Highlights
IndyCar tried something different with the return of an all-star race and although it probably wasn’t as fierce and competitive and IndyCar officials hoped, at least it was something different.
IndyCar gave teams 40 seconds of “Push-to-Pass” that could be utilized at the drop of the green flag for the two Heat races and both 10-lap segments of the All-Star Race. Combined with a Firestone Tire that degraded over the course of a run on the abrasive surface at The Thermal Club, it created some interesting strategy.
Colton Herta intentionally ran 10 seconds off Palou’s pace in the first 10-laps to preserve the grip on his tires for the final 10-lap dash. It worked as he raced his way to a fourth-place finish, but it wasn’t going to be enough to catch Palou’s Honda.
The drivers who saw the winner’s rear attenuator all day gave credit to IndyCar for at least trying something different.
“I mean, it’s learning by doing, right? It’s a bit of an extra mental thing right now,” Rosenqvist said. “I thought it was really interesting from a driver’s standpoint because you had to think very big picture all the time. You were always worried that someone might save the tires more, and they had a go at the end.
“We saw Colton, he saved his tires in the first part of the final, and he was flying in the end. I thought that was interesting. You can use that to make the entertainment good.
“Obviously you can tweak stuff like race length. Maybe you want to have all cars in the final. Things like that.
“IndyCar has been very open with this event. They told us, ‘Hey, let’s keep an open mind going into this’ I thought it was great.
“So much fun to be out there doing something different that we do every weekend. You learn new things. It’s also a good test for what you can bring to the product going forward.”
McLaughlin liked the ability to use “Push to Pass” in qualifications and like the “Shootout” format because it reminded him of his Supercars days in Australia.
“You had one lap and get it done. I think that’s a really good opportunity – good and bad – for you to mix up the grid,” McLaughlin said. “You just have to nail it. This field is so tight that if you miss it by a tenth or two, could find yourself at 15th if it was a proper shootout.”
Is It Worth Continuing An All-Star Race?
The Thermal Club is a members’ only motorsports community for the ultra-rich with many of its resident’s billionaires. The IndyCar All-Star event was designed to be a made-for-TV special event in front of an exclusive audience.
But for $500 a ticket, fans were given a premium experience with food and drink, access to most areas of the paddock and pit lane and a series of question-and-answer sessions with the drivers included.
Compare that to an average high-end NFL, NBA or major college football experience and the price point actually had some value.
Afterwards, the top finishers were asked if an all-star race concept was worth continuing for IndyCar?
“I think it all comes down to the support that we get from the club and other tracks,” McLaughlin said. “I think Thermal have just put their backs behind IndyCar for this and created an awesome event, the opportunity for all teams to come out here and earn money, which is an absolute bonus, but also to put on a show, have a test day for two days.
“I think it’s just ultimately up to other people that want to be a part of it. But you got to give props to Thermal to do that. I don’t think you’ll see anything else unless people put up the investment that Thermal have done for us.”
For the race winner, he is in favor of continuing, but not in the middle of a championship season.
“I think it depends on the timing,” Palou said. “In my opinion, if it’s post-season, it’s great to have an exhibition with no points. If it’s pre-season, it’s great to have an exhibition with no points.
“I don’t know why this is a non-points race, being the second race of the season. So, I don’t see why we would do that more in the future and why we would keep this race as a non-points. If we come back here, we need to have it as a points race.
“If we do an exhibition, a proper exhibition, where it’s off the calendar, I think then it makes sense that we don’t put any points.”
Rosenqvist believes IndyCar needs to continue to experiment with ideas and formats.
“I think it’s an experiment, right? I think today we proved that we can race here like any other track,” Rosenqvist said. “As Alex says, maybe we come back and it’s an actual points round. I think that would be really cool.
“As I said, this is no different from any other road course we have. The facility is great. The infrastructure is there. We can definitely race like any other track here.”
Although the number of spectators was strictly limited by The Thermal Club, those who attended created a festive atmosphere with food trucks providing those on the ground with whatever they wanted, all inclusive.
McLaughlin was asked to choose his favorite thing that he will remember about the weekend.
“Having an ice cream after the race,” he said.
But it was Palou, who left with the “Cherry on top.”