2024 $1 Million Challenge
| Race details | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Date | March 24, 2024 | |
| Official name | $1 Million Challenge | |
| Location | Thermal, California | |
| Course | Permanent circuit 3.067 mi (4.936 km) | |
| Distance | All-Star Race 20 Laps 61.34 mi (98.72 km) | |
| Heat 1 | ||
| Pole | ||
| Driver |  Felix Rosenqvist
|
Meyer Shank Racing |
| Time | 01:38.5831 | |
| Fastest Lap | ||
| Driver |  Scott Dixon
|
Chip Ganassi Racing |
| Time | 01:40.7795 (lap 3) | |
| Podium | ||
| First | Felix Rosenqvist |
Meyer Shank Racing |
| Second | Scott McLaughlin |
Team Penske |
| Third |  Josef Newgarden |
Team Penske |
| Heat 2 | ||
| Pole | ||
| Driver |  Álex Palou
|
Chip Ganassi Racing |
| Time | 01:38.5675 | |
| Fastest Lap | ||
| Driver | Álex Palou
|
Chip Ganassi Racing |
| Time | 01:39.8051 (lap 3) | |
| Podium | ||
| First | Álex Palou |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
| Second | Marcus Armstrong |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
| Third | Graham Rahal |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
| Feature Race | ||
| Pole | ||
| Driver | Álex Palou[N 1]
|
Chip Ganassi Racing |
| Time | 01:38.5675 | |
| Fastest Lap | ||
| Driver | Álex Palou
|
Chip Ganassi Racing |
| Time | 01:41.6145 (lap 12) | |
| Podium | ||
| First | Álex Palou |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
| Second | Scott McLaughlin |
Team Penske |
| Third | Felix Rosenqvist |
Meyer Shank Racing |
The 2024 $1 Million Challenge was a non-championship round held as part of the 2024 IndyCar Series. The race was held on March 24, 2024 at The Thermal Club private race resort in Thermal, California. The feature race consisted of 20 laps and was won by Álex Palou.[1] It was the sixth American championship open-wheel racing event in Riverside County, the first since the 1983 Budweiser 500km.
Entry list
[edit]| Key | Meaning |
|---|---|
| R | Rookie |
| W | Past winner |
Qualifying
[edit]Qualifying started at 5:00 PM PT on March 23, 2024. The 27 entries were divided into two groups determined by a random draw, with each group competing in separate heat races.[3][4] Drivers were permitted to use up to 40 seconds of push-to-pass, marking the first time competitors have been allowed to use PTP during an IndyCar quali session.[5]
Heat 1 Qualifying
[edit]- Group 1[4]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Time | Final grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | Felix Rosenqvist
|
Meyer Shank Racing | Honda | 01:38.5831 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | Scott McLaughlin
|
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 01:38.6068 | 2 |
| 3 | 21 |  Rinus VeeKay
|
Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet | 01:38.6283 | 3 |
| 4 | 45 |  Christian Lundgaard
|
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 01:38.6394 | 4 |
| 5 | 2 | Josef Newgarden
|
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 01:38.7926 | 5 |
| 6 | 12 |  Will Power
|
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 01:38.8056 | 6 |
| 7 | 77 |  Romain Grosjean
|
Juncos Hollinger Racing | Chevrolet | 01:38.8774 | 7 |
| 8 | 78 |  Agustín Canapino
|
Juncos Hollinger Racing | Chevrolet | 01:39.5994 | 8 |
| 9 | 9 | Scott Dixon
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 01:39.7074 | 9 |
| 10 | 14 | Santino Ferrucci
|
A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Chevrolet | 01:39.7400 | 10 |
| 11 | 26 | Colton Herta
|
Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian | Honda | 01:39.8331 | 11 |
| 12 | 18 | Nolan Siegel R
|
Dale Coyne Racing | Honda | 01:40.1218 | 12 |
| 13 | 27 | Kyle Kirkwood
|
Andretti Global | Honda | 01:40.1268 | 13 |
| 14 | 41 | Sting Ray Robb
|
A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Chevrolet | 01:41.5352 | 14 |
| Source:[6] | ||||||
- Notes
- Bold text indicates fastest time set in session.
Heat 2 Qualifying
[edit]- Group 2[4]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Time | Final grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Álex Palou
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 01:38.5675 | 1 |
| 2 | 11 | Marcus Armstrong
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 01:38.7575 | 2 |
| 3 | 15 | Graham Rahal
|
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 01:38.9723 | 3 |
| 4 | 8 | Linus Lundqvist R
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 01:39.0685 | 4 |
| 5 | 66 |  Tom Blomqvist R
|
Meyer Shank Racing | Honda | 01:39.0820 | 5 |
| 6 | 30 |  Pietro Fittipaldi
|
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 01:39.1117 | 6 |
| 7 | 7 | Alexander Rossi
|
Arrow McLaren | Chevrolet | 01:39.1140 | 7 |
| 8 | 6 | Callum Ilott
|
Arrow McLaren | Chevrolet | 01:39.2575 | 8 |
| 9 | 5 |  Pato O'Ward
|
Arrow McLaren | Chevrolet | 01:39.4293 | 9 |
| 10 | 4 |  Kyffin Simpson R
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 01:39.9502 | 10 |
| 11 | 20 | Christian Rasmussen R
|
Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet | 01:40.2820 | 11 |
| 12 | 51 | Colin Braun R
|
Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing | Honda | 01:40.7843 | 12 |
| 13 | 28 | Marcus Ericsson
|
Andretti Global | Honda | No Time | 13 |
| Source:[7] | ||||||
- Notes
- Bold text indicates fastest time set in session.
Results
[edit]The event started at 9:15 am PT on March 24, 2024.
Each heat race was 10 laps or 20 minutes. The top six finishers from each heat advanced to the All-Star Race. The faster of the two heat winners in qualifying earned pole for the feature race, and determined grid positioning. The feature race was 20 laps, with a half-time break at lap 10.[3]
Heat 1
[edit]| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | Felix Rosenqvist
|
Meyer Shank Racing | Honda | 8 | 13:30.9622 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | Scott McLaughlin
|
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 8 | +0.4971 | 2 |
| 3 | 2 | Josef Newgarden
|
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 8 | +1.7664 | 5 |
| 4 | 45 | Christian Lundgaard
|
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 8 | +6.3835 | 4 |
| 5 | 78 | Agustín Canapino
|
Juncos Hollinger Racing | Chevrolet | 8 | +8.7479 | 8 |
| 6 | 26 | Colton Herta
|
Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian | Honda | 8 | +15.8230 | 11 |
| 7 | 18 | Nolan Siegel R
|
Dale Coyne Racing | Honda | 8 | +16.4113 | 12 |
| 8 | 14 | Santino Ferrucci
|
A.J. Foyt Enterprises | Chevrolet | 8 | +17.0148 | 10 |
| 9 | 12 | Will Power
|
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 8 | +17.8747 | 6 |
| 10 | 27 | Kyle Kirkwood
|
Andretti Global | Honda | 8 | +21.4089 | 13 |
| 11 | 41 | Sting Ray Robb
|
A.J. Foyt Enterprises | Chevrolet | 8 | +21.7870 | 14 |
| 12 | 9 | Scott Dixon
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 8 | +25.7655 | 9 |
| 13 | 21 | Rinus VeeKay
|
Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet | 0 | Contact | 3 |
| 14 | 77 | Romain Grosjean
|
Juncos Hollinger Racing | Chevrolet | 0 | Contact | 7 |
| Fastest lap: Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) – 1:40.7795 (lap 3)
| |||||||
| Source:[8] | |||||||
Heat 2
[edit]| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Álex Palou
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 10 | 16:50.6089 | 1 |
| 2 | 11 | Marcus Armstrong
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 10 | +5.3375 | 2 |
| 3 | 15 | Graham Rahal
|
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 10 | +18.0911 | 3 |
| 4 | 8 | Linus Lundqvist R
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 10 | +18.9634 | 4 |
| 5 | 30 | Pietro Fittipaldi
|
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 10 | +19.7151 | 6 |
| 6 | 7 | Alexander Rossi
|
Arrow McLaren | Chevrolet | 10 | +20.3456 | 7 |
| 7 | 5 | Pato O'Ward
|
Arrow McLaren | Chevrolet | 10 | +21.0031 | 9 |
| 8 | 66 | Tom Blomqvist R
|
Meyer Shank Racing | Honda | 10 | +23.1783 | 5 |
| 9 | 6 | Callum Ilott
|
Arrow McLaren | Chevrolet | 10 | +23.3908 | 8 |
| 10 | 20 | Christian Rasmussen R
|
Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet | 10 | +24.1938 | 11 |
| 11 | 4 | Kyffin Simpson R
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 10 | +25.8233 | 10 |
| 12 | 28 | Marcus Ericsson
|
Andretti Global | Honda | 10 | +26.5815 | 13 |
| 13 | 51 | Colin Braun R
|
Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing | Honda | 10 | +28.8333 | 12 |
| Fastest lap: Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) – 1:39.8051 (lap 3)
| |||||||
| Source:[9] | |||||||
All-Star Race
[edit]| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Álex Palou
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 20 | 39:30.2292 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | Scott McLaughlin
|
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 20 | +5.7929 | 4 |
| 3 | 60 | Felix Rosenqvist
|
Meyer Shank Racing | Honda | 20 | +9.7587 | 2 |
| 4 | 26 | Colton Herta
|
Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian | Honda | 20 | +13.1126 | 12 |
| 5 | 11 | Marcus Armstrong
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 20 | +15.0938 | 3 |
| 6 | 8 | Linus Lundqvist R
|
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 20 | +16.1064 | 7 |
| 7 | 7 | Alexander Rossi
|
Arrow McLaren | Chevrolet | 20 | +16.5393 | 10 |
| 8 | 2 | Josef Newgarden
|
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 20 | +17.6675 | 6 |
| 9 | 45 | Christian Lundgaard
|
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 20 | +19.7073 | 11 |
| 10 | 78 | Agustín Canapino
|
Juncos Hollinger Racing | Chevrolet | 20 | +20.4100 | 9 |
| 11 | 15 | Graham Rahal
|
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 9 | Mechanical | 5 |
| DSQ | 30 | Pietro Fittipaldi
|
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | Disqualified | 8 | |
| Fastest lap: Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) – 1:41.6145 (lap 12)
| |||||||
| Source:[10] | |||||||
Footnotes
[edit]- ^ Pole position for the main race was determined by the fastest qualifying time of the two heat winners.
References
[edit]- ^ Gintz, Alex (March 24, 2024). "Alex Palou Maintains Control, Wins at Thermal Club". Frontstretch. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ Barnes, Joey (March 22, 2024). "IndyCar Thermal Club: Staft Times, How To Watch On TV, Entry List & More". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Chapman, Simon. "ULTIMATE GUIDE: Why IndyCar's $1 Million Challenge race has so much intrigue attached". Nine's Wide World of Sports. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Qualification Groups" (PDF). indycar.com. March 22, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (March 14, 2024). "IndyCar sets Thermal race format". RACER. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ "Qualifications - Group 1" (PDF). indycar.com. March 23, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ "Qualifications - Group 2" (PDF). indycar.com. March 23, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ "Official Final Results Heat Race 1" (PDF). Indy Racing Information System. 24 March 2024.
- ^ "Official Final Results Heat Race 2" (PDF). Indy Racing Information System. 24 March 2024.
- ^ "Official Final Results All-Star Race" (PDF). Indy Racing Information System. 24 March 2024.