IndyCar million-dollar challenge race format, results, crashes

The IndyCar Series is doing something different this weekend: a race that pays (literally), but doesn’t offer championship points.

The $1 Million Challenge will be contested at the Thermal Club, gated community/racetrack near Palm Springs, Calif. There are heat races and a 12-car “all-star” on the 17-turn, 3,067-mile road course.

Nathan Brown is your best IndyCar follow, and keep it here for highlights and updates. Please remember to refresh.

Recpie for mayhem?: IndyCar drivers predict battles to be ‘chaotic’

Qualifying: Rosenqvist, Palou capture pole for heat races of IndyCar’s $1 Million Challenge

Alex Palou wins IndyCar All-Star Race

Alex Palou comfortably wins the IndyCar All-Star Race at Thermal, 5+ seconds clear of Scott McLaughlin. That’s a $500,000 pay day for the defending series champion and $350,000 for the runner-up.

Felix Rosenqvist takes 3rd ($250,000), followed by Colton Herta ($100,000) and Marcus Armstrong ($50,000). Places 6-27 earn $23,000 each. From the final heat, Linus Lundqvist takes 6th, followed by Alexander Rossi, Josef Newgarden, Christian Lundgaard and Augustin Canapino.

∎ Colton Herta passes Linus Lundqvist for 5th place on Lap 12, and later passes Marcus Armstrong for 4th.

∎ As Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi tussle on Lap 11, they go wide, allowing Linus Lundqvist and Colton Herta to pass.

∎ Alex Palou holds the lead to begin the final stint.

∎ Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing earned 3 spots in the All-Star Race, but its luck has turned bad.

Graham Rahal’s stuck throttle knocks him out of the event. Pietro Fittipaldi is disqualified because his car wasn’t properly fueled up for the first stint.

Christian Lundgaard requires service for contact during a heat race and will start the final stint 10th. We’re down to 10 cars.

Order through 10 laps: Alex Palou, Scott McLaughlin (+2), Felix Rosenqvist (-1), Marcus Armstrong (-1), Josef Newgarden (+1), Linus Lundqvist (+1), Christian Lundgaard (+4), Alexander Rossi (+ 2), Agustin Canapino, Colton Herta (+2), Pietro Fittipaldi (-3), Graham Rahal (-7).

∎ Pietro Fittipaldi’s crew tells him to fall back to save fuel. Graham Rahal has a stuck throttle.

∎ The first stint clears Turn 1 cleanly. Colton Herta, in 12th, is hanging back to save fuel and tires for the second stint. He’s 12 laps off the pace on Lap 1.

The race is 20 laps, in two 10-lap stints.

Starting order: Alex Palou, Felix Rosenqvist, Marcus Armstrong, Scott McLaughlin, Graham Rahal, Josef Newgarden, Linus Lundqvist, Pietro Fittipaldi, Agustin Canapino, Alexander Rossi, Christian Lundgaard, Colton Herta.

Alex Palou wins IndyCar Heat Race 2

Pole-sitter Alex Palou wins the 10-lap second heat, and also advancing are Marcus Armstrong, Graham Rahal, Linus Lundqvist, Pietro Fittipaldi and Alexander Rossi.

Eliminated: Pato O’Ward, Tom Blomqvist, Callum Ilott, Christian Rasmussen, Kyffin Simpson, Marcus Ericsson, Colin Braun.

∎ Alexander Rossi and Tom Blomqvist battle for 6th, the final spot to advance, on Lap 4. Rossi wins the battle.

∎ The field gets through Turn 1 cleanly. Alex Palou keeps the lead.

Felix Rosenqvist wins IndyCar Heat Race 1

∎ Pole-sitter Felix Rosenqvist wins the heat that is shortened to 8 laps over 20 minutes. Advancing to the main event: Rosenqvist, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Christian Lundgaard, Agustin Canapino and Colton Herta.

Eliminated: Nolan Siegel, Santino Ferrucci, Will Power, Kyle Kirkwood, Sting Ray Robb, Scott Dixon, Rinus VeeKay, Romain Grosjean.

∎ An accident in Turn 1 brings out the caution. Romain Grosjean and Rinus VeeKay are out. Colton Herta, Scott Dixon and Will Power are also involved. Dixon gets a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact.

Grosjean, after getting from behind, asks: “Who’s going to pay for the damage?”

Dixon apologized for the crash. He said he was battling the trailing Herta at the start/finish line and didn’t anticipate the heavy braking in front of him.

IndyCar heat race lineups

Heat 1: Felix Rosenqvist, Scott McLaughlin, Rinus VeeKay, Christian Lundgaard, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Romain Grosjean, Agustin Canapino, Scott Dixon, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, Nolan Siegel, Kyle Kirkwood, Sting Ray Robb.

Heat 2: Alex Palou, Marcus Armstrong, Graham Rahal, Linus Lundqvist, Tom Blomqvist, Pietro Fittipaldi, Alexander Rossi, Callum Ilott, Pato O’Ward, Kyffin Simpson, Christian Rasmussen, Colin Braun, Marcus Ericsson.

Thermal track repairs

What channel is IndyCar’s $1 million challenge on?

Heat races and “All-Star” race: 12:30-3 p.m., NBC Peacock, IndyCar Live, IndyCar Radio, SiriusXM Channel 218

Deep dive: How does IndyCar’s $1 Million Challenge work?

How qualifying works at IndyCar’s $1 million challenge

There will be two 12-minute qualifying sessions on Saturday, with the drivers for each session drawn randomly. At most races, qualifying sessions are determined by practice times.

How heats work for IndyCar’s race at the Thermal Club

There will be two heats consisting of half the field. The heats are 10 green laps or 20 minutes, whichever comes first. The top six from each heat advance to the main event.

How the All-Star race works at IndyCar’s $1 million challenge

It’s 20 laps: 10-lap segments, with a 10-minute break in between. Laps run under full-course caution do not count. Each car gets 40 seconds of push-to-pass for each segment.

Pole position will be determined by the heat race winner with the best qualifying time. From there, starting positions will alternate between heats. (One heat will have race starters 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11; the other, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.)

Insider: IndyCar needs success with $1 Million Challenge. It’s far from guaranteed.

How much prize money is available in IndyCar’s $1 million challenge?

OK, so nobody wins $1 million. Prizes have been adjusted since the original event announcement. Here are the payouts:

Winner: $500,000

Runner up: $350,000

3rd place: $250,000

4th place: $100,000

5th place: $50,000

6th and worse: $23,000 each

IndyCar 2024 schedule

Times are ET for TV coverage