![]() That adds to this weekend’s intrigue, Bell said. Last year, a two-day Open Test was held, but seven of the current drivers were not in the series. This will be the second NTT INDYCAR SERIES event staged at The Thermal Club. This will be the first time since 2013 at Iowa Speedway that the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has held heat races during an event. The top six finishers in each heat advance to the final. ET Saturday (Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network), with the 27-car field split into two groups to determine the starting grid for two heat races Sunday. These drivers will have nine hours of track time heading into The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES stages a four-session Open Test on Friday and Saturday at the track in Southern California. As Rick Mears recently said of the approach drivers take in races, “They find a lot of places to pass that they’re not willing to take in practice.” So, it should create a great racing environment.”įrye expects that last 10 laps to be “pretty interesting” given that the cars will have plenty of fuel with 10-lap-old tires and the extra 40 seconds of push-to-pass.īell said The Thermal Club’s 17-turn, 3.067-mile circuit has “some really good in-line (and) high-speed brake zones” that will invite drivers to take chances. “It’s no-holds-barred, go get ’em, (with) push-to-pass, that type of thing. “There will be no fuel savings,” Frye said. Also, each car will have an additional 40 seconds of push-to-pass for the final 10-lap shootout while trying to corral tires that will have had 10 hard laps on them. And, when the 12-driver feature is held, there will be halftime break to allow crew members to add fuel, adjust wing angles and tire pressures. They will receive new Firestone Firehawk tires for qualifying, the heat races and the main event, and 40 seconds of push-to-pass in each. INDYCAR President Jay Frye said all competitors will be armed with every tool necessary to stage an exciting show. “You dangle cold hard cash in front of just about anybody in a competitive environment, whether that’s Mike Tyson boxing again at age 58 or 27 INDYCAR drivers with no points to lose, I think we’re going to see some interesting dynamics play out,” he said. ![]() Fifth place will receive $50,000 with all other participants getting $23,000. ET, NBC, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network) will earn $500,000. ![]() ![]() The winner of Sunday’s 20-lap sprint race (12:30 p.m. This event has a purse of $1.756 million. A non-points race also was held in 2008 in Surfers Paradise, Australia. The last time the INDYCAR SERIES did an event like this was the Marlboro Challenge, a big-money event held from 1987 through 1992, the last time at Nazareth Speedway. I also think that’s the reason why so many are curious to watch, along with me, and see what the results are.” None of us as we sit here today can tell you with any certainty how that will play out from a racing standpoint. “I’m not sure in the current era (of the sport) we’ve ever seen what happens in that format, and that’s the curiosity for all of us. “At the end of the day, having no points (awarded) to win means having no points to lose,” Bell said of the exhibition. Townsend Bell has known the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as a driver and most recently as a television broadcaster, and he was one of the first Californians to learn about the development of The Thermal Club, a private motorsports country club near Palm Springs.īut even as a veteran observer of the sport, Bell comes into this weekend’s The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge special event with a high level of intrigue and open eyes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |