Inside IndyCar: The Thermal Club Works, for Now

Beggars can’t be choosers.

That’s the reality of the situation that has befallen the NTT IndyCar Series as it continually massages and builds its early season schedule. It’s how the Thermal Club was added to a professional motorsports calendar even though its a private, gated community with asphalt fairways instead of turf. A group of private real estate developers — not a major track or venue owner — is the responsible promoter. The infrastructure is built for million-dollar homeowners to sit on their back porches, drink cocktails, talk about the good life and watch racecars zoom by. 

The event aimed to sell 5,000 tickets. That’s all. 

Considering Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host over 250,000 in May, it’s a stark comparison. The major American open-wheel series choosing to make this an official race on their 17-race schedule says a lot about where this sport is as it increases its popularity. 

However, let’s cut IndyCar some slack as they have few options. That’s the writing on the proverbial pit wall. 

They have long tried to find ways to fill the gap at the beginning of the year. The struggle is finding a reliable partner to promote a race, who is both invested (i.e. interested) in the IndyCar product and has a venue in a warm climate as the series’ heartland, the midwest, deals with Jack Frost. 

Thermal is a willing partner and that’s what makes this race work. Yes, there is a negative impression about the closed-off nature of the event, its fancy, elitist appearance, and high-priced tickets, but let’s be real. If fans won’t go to Phoenix (2016-2018), Circuit of Americas (2019), New Orleans (2015), then why not race somewhere that has a promoter who is completely fine with 5,000 spectators? Even Texas Motor Speedway, the race many want back on the calendar instead, didn’t have many more fans at its last couple of tries than what Thermal aimed to host. 

The best news is the track seems well-suited for the series. There was a pass for the lead on the track, a patented Tom Blackburn checklist item for what qualifies as a good IndyCar road or street course race. The layout seemed challenging and racy. As colleague Wyatt Watson said on “The Pit Straight” podcast, the battle between eventual winner Alex Palou and Christian Lundgaard was some of the best racing seen with this aero configuration on a non-oval. Hard to argue. 

P3 ➡️ P1@AlexPalou MASTERCLASS! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Pvplp4PRSo

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) March 23, 2025

Even deeper in the field, cars battled all over the track, and strategy as well as driver skill played a part in the victory. While the season is still early, that might be one of the better road course races IndyCar has all year. Again – there was a pass on the track for the lead. Hallelujah. 

Saying all that though, let’s be clear on one thing — IndyCar should look at The Thermal Club as a short-term solution. It’s possible that is what the series intends. Next year they are adding the Indycar Grand Prix of Arlington with support from the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys ownership groups. If Thermal stays on the calendar as well, then in theory if the season starts at the same time in late February, the 3-week gaps separating the first trifecta of races could be shrunk slightly. That’s how momentum is improved; which based on the television numbers released this week, is a challenge. 

Thermal can buy the series time to find that other partner, perhaps Mexico City, a warm weather oval, or a new street circuit in a sunny locale, that can offer fans more access, cheaper tickets and an untapped market.

Until then though, if no other venue is clamoring to jump up excitedly, throw wads of cash at Roger Penske’s Crocs, and use a fishing rod to snag the series to come to their track, then Thermal makes sense. All things considered, as a racing product, it’s not a bad choice after the inaugural event put on a good finish.

At least for now, it works.