Extended Race Highlights: 2024 The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge | INDYCAR SERIES

[@PyroBun_2844]

Props to whoever runs the Indycar channel that managed to squeeze 30 minutes out of this snoozefest.

[@mthedean]

The worst thing about this event is INDYCAR’s leadership thinking it would be a good idea in the first place. Being that out of touch and so focused on gimmicks doesn’t bode well, given the worrying state of the series.

[@bbtodd]

Oh the purists ... are very upset!

[@Stereo3DProductions]

@@bbtodd*paying fans

[@mthedean]

@@bbtodd that’s not the case with me fellow commenter. I was pleased to see this track on the schedule. It’s just INDYCAR should have learned from F1 that the sprint format tends to lead to boring races and that simply throwing money at it wasn’t going to make people take more risks (with their team’s expensive cars) to make up for that.

[@johnthefalcon2903]

It would have been fine if it was on Peacock and billed as an addition to the test session . The problem wasn't so much the event, though the format could use a tweak. The problem was they overhyped it. This was a test session with a sprint shootout at the end.

[@jackscott345]

They're trying to capitalize on Formula Ones Sprint race downfalls. They're trying to do it better but the heats aren't long enough for starters and yeah it didn't really amount to much did it.

[@Jinx-ig1fz]

This race was definitely boring. The 10 minute break was useless. The announcers constantly talking about the money and how the race track is private and money again. It was definitely out of touch with real racing fans. Go to a track where racing can actually be done.

[@billmartin1663]

The 10 minute break kept the leaders from having to try to lap traffic on a track where lapping traffic is essentially impossible. It was a practical necessity -- either that or a NASCAR-style "competition yellow."

[@Jinx-ig1fz]

Anything would have been better than a ten minute wait where they talked about more money and what a great private facility. Hype up the track in the pre race, but focus on the driving during the actual race.@@billmartin1663

[@andrewcarter9649]

@@billmartin1663It's a 20 lap race with a 1:40+ lap, there wouldn't have been any traffic without the break creating the "go as slow as possible" strategy.

[@l4x3rj]

Indycar somehow managed to manufacture a more boring race than Nascars Clash at the Coliseum. Would have been more entertaining to just let the drivers play bingo for $500k.

[@StruggleGaming]

I actually enjoyed the clash, any short track has more action than this...

[@brettweir2526]

There were no highlights. Only lowlights. One of the worst and most bizarre things Indycar has ever done. The whole thing reeks of desperation for the series.

[@QF_Dan72]

Please don't bring this event back again

[@RBot21]

But fans love this

[@melchizedekful]

@@RBot21doesn’t seem so

[@Stereo3DProductions]

@@melchizedekfulsarcasm

[@sandordomonkos8351]

​@@RBot21 Fans want TEXAS back❤

[@mclovin2155]

If you're going to come back to TC, make it a regular race.

[@Decoy629]

Didnt like it at all.

[@aescobar32]

this was NOT the fix Indycar needed... such a weird idea.

[@michaelgawel5823]

Epic fail - NASCAR's COTA race was way better!

[@smokescreen69]

I'm a diehard Indycar fan, but this was worse than watching paint dry. Basically was a glorified test weekend at a club track. One day perhaps I have enough funds to own a house at the "Coachella" of race tracks.

[@BlueFox284]

I've been to Indycar open test days at Laguna Seca and Sonoma back in the days, and those were better than this. Cars on track all day from 8am to 5pm, during lunch hour the drivers would mingle with fans and the track would sometimes off promo deals for tickets to the race later in the season. . . All for free. What little fans they allowed here had to shell out $500 and really didn't get to do much except wander around Thermal.

[@paintedexpressionssogriffi1322]

@@BlueFox284 - Yes! I went to Sonoma in '12 and it was amazing and FREE! Met Will Power and wandered the track all day while watching the cars. Good times!

[@BlueFox284]

@paintedexpressionssogriffi1322 2012 was my first, too! Met Will, T.K, got a pic with J.R. Hildebrand, Rubens Barrichello was coming over from F1, and the DW12 chassis being unveiled for the first time on the West Coast was a big thing. . . I think it was Sonoma's largest crowd ever for a non-race event. Wish they had the Sonoma GP at the start of the season. That place is beautiful when it's green.

[@Maverick33]

​@@BlueFox284NASCAR test days used to be like that. Texas Motor Speedway would even let you reserve a suite with a lunch. I wish they still had test days

[@Jamhynz]

Why did the winner only get half a million dollars in the one million dollar challenge?!

[@SmoothPhoenix]

its 1 millions prize pool

[@soundbelch1600]

C'mon Indy, you've done so much good in the last few years. This wasn't it.

[@johnthefalcon2903]

Kudos to Peacock for covering the full test session. The series and then network overhyped the race. But I'll take seeing Indycars on the track over not seeing them at all. I'm going back and watching the parts of the open test I didn't see.

[@sandordomonkos8351]

3 mins was to long about this race 😂 BRING BACK TEXAS

[@mrchicken15]

This event was kinda boring to watch ngl The first 10 laps if the main event where kinda usless

[@kuckoo9036]

Great Circuit. Not a fan of the gimmicky format, though. Much prefer to just see an honest, full-length race.

[@RBot21]

Same

[@cameronjones305]

Poor Romain Grosjean. Can’t catch a break

[@Stereo3DProductions]

The track is cool and the cars look and sound great on it, but this has to be the strangest event I have ever seen at so many different levels that it just tarnishes what could otherwise be just a good normal race that everyone could enjoy.

[@shoey6123]

Thermal Club looks like a great track, shame it gave us a snoozer of a race

[@mchristr]

Reminds me of a private golf club putting on an invitational for the bragging rights. Don’t know why I’m complaining as I haven’t been enthusiastic about open wheel racing for at least 20 years.

[@healthyone100]

neither have i thanks tony george, the spirit of Indy car racing left in 1996!

[@monkeykong5313]

There were highlights??

[@hw4527]

Thank you for posting 👍👍

[@marian_97]

the best race in indycar history... nobody ever said

[@1964mcqueen]

How stupid is a format that encourages drivers to go as a slow as they can??? And worse is the amount of time the broadcast spent showing and talking about them.

[@SlowPokeRacing33]

I was going to watch but spotted some drying paint outside so will be watching that instead.

[@MaxiF.]

An really tricky, challenging competitive bumpy track with lot of short turns and kinda rollercoaster sections

[@subarubrat]

Not brilliant, but.......... It was still better than watching F1.

[@Bullypulpit]

And y'all thought Indycars on a go-kart track would never work.

[@lucasnestor3993]

I’m excited for this to come back in 2025! I seem to be one of the few people that actually enjoyed this! 😂😂

[@PitPaddockRacing]

This was better than not having a race.

[@MyNicolinho]

Could somebody tell me if is it a racetrack for Indycars? It reminds Mugello in Formula 1 race in 2020😕😕😕🙁🙁🙁

[@davidius74]

McLaughlin didn't push it all race. I was watching his onboard through the app when it was live. Using only 1 sec of P2P proves he didn't push or need to.

[@JosephB.-ic2qi]

Why would you? No points to win but lots of money to lose if something goes wrong. Might as well move on to the next race with some easy cash and a clean car

[@Erik_Taurus]

Only Herta and Rossi used their push to pass. Herta was the only one (I think) who moved up the order more than one place regardless of Dixon causing the crash in Turn 1. Rosenqvist lost second to McLaughlin but part from that...

[@sandordomonkos8351]

BRING BACK TEXAS

[@melchizedekful]

This was almost as exciting as an F1 race with a Verstappen victory… Wake up Roger! Time has passed you by!

[@steveoconnor7069]

This event was a step, no a leap in the wrong direction. Who was this event for and what was the purpose? To attract mega rich investors? It was a swing and a miss for sure.

[@Mainekarter2004]

NOPE! Dont do it again.. Great Track.. Go back.. BUT i'd sooner watch 36 hole golf tournament in the rain..

[@eduardopb326]

Vamo Pietro 🔥🔥🔥

[@Stormyrac3r]

Simple fix just make it a regular race

[@billmartin1663]

. . . on another track. One reason for the format is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to lap traffic on this track.

[@sdsmt99]

@@billmartin1663 You build it, you sanction it, you promote it

[@penguincamp]

I love Diffey exclaiming at the green flag how this was the first non-points race since 2008 as if that’s supposed to make us exciting. That just means it’s the first race since 2008 that doesn’t matter :/

[@rahkinrah1963]

INDY cars? Thermal? Whoop-de-do...

[@jakubkaaska1720]

WOW 1188 s advantage Palou over McLaughlin (2nd place) after 10 laps-! (~ 22:24) Almost 20 minutes gap made in 10 laps. Almost 2 minutes / lap. (over guys that makes ~ 1' 43" laps) How about THAT-! That's GOAT ride no doubt...! (negative time they made, incredible engineers)

[@flatdaddio]

This was more like an event that should have been run on April 1st. It was a joke!

[@billmartin1663]

This event was truly bad for the series. It would have been better if it had NOT been televised. It accomplished the nearly impossible -- it made IndyCar look boring. (And amateurish.)

[@johnthefalcon2903]

Should have just televised on Peacock IMO. Should have billed it as a test session with a sprint race at the end. They overhyped it and put it on NBC so it's getting all this negative blowback. If you put it on Peacock and presented it as bonus content for diehards instead of something we're meant to take seriously, it doesn't get the same negative response.

[@jakubkaaska1720]

It looked a bit like Hypercars and GT cars at 24 h Le Mans.

[@sortedit-itssorted4197]

Still better than F1

[@andyberridge6455]

Love the Indycars, didn't enjoy this. Just looking forward to the rest of the season.

[@Toastybear1]

RIP Dan Wheldon.

[@gemini-mg6sc]

This track reminds me of Mugello.

[@JustK4Y1512]

Lmfao why put a break in the middle ofc drivers are gonna sandbag I swear this American logic

[@michaelgawel5823]

F1 has to be laughing!

[@TheTonyStark3000]

If they inverted the running order after the first 10 laps it might have been better

[@bonesdoes6142]

Elitist propaganda and terrible racing. What more could the average Indycar fan want? Sorry Conner D,maybe I’m not a real fan.

[@HalianTheProtogen]

This is stupid. IndyCar's all-star race is the Indy 500, and not the Indy 500 as it's run now.

[@disgruntledtaco3640]

idk how y’all thought this race was worth a 30 min replay, wat a boring event

[@carlostorres-iq5ki]

Hello, Palou.

[@vmc9325]

Were is Illot? 😅👎

[@FormulaAnything]

Ain't watching all that

[@jasperpendlebury4551]

At least now Alex has some money to pay his legal fees. More seriously, why do people think putting in tyre wear makes the racing better?

[@greatscottfpv2420]

Romaine out first corner. I lasted three more corners then stopped watching.

[@boatman_irl9831]

The definition of MID

[@mariussakalauskas6154]

🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@user-me8ee2qr7m]

boring boring boring

[@muddymo7641]

Just like nascar stage racing then running around under yellow wasting laps. Go back to racing!

[@Dale-tm8wi]

As gimmicky and contrived as a NASCAR race.

[@anandguruji83]

ALEX PALOU'S $1,000,000 EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS WIN

[@anandguruji83]

ALEX PALOU'S $1,000,000 EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS WIN

[@earlybirdearlybird1371]

NO - 500.000 Dollar that the gimmeck !

[@earlybirdearlybird1371]

@@anandguruji83 NO - 500.000 Dollar that the gimmeck !

[@KARYTTAH_SpiritaPopMetal_BAND]

---> 🤔 Maybe We're The #1 #Spiritist* #PopMetal #Rock #Band In This World -> But Don't Pay Much Attention To Our Neanderthal English ahahaha ❤ *NOTE: -> Spiritist is who professes #Spiritism, the #Gospel continuation. It's began with the books by #AllanKardec and after by Francisco C. Xavier #ChicoXavier -> the greatest and more important #medium/#prophet of #spirits of the last centuries. .

[@TheTonyStark3000]

This could have been a KZbin short. Admin must be a paluo fan 🤡

[@Shopsmith10er]

Signs of the times. You gots your Penske DEI team, elitist 'gold chain' members only entertainment and... .. unionized driver's get their 10 minute potty break.

[@wally88ar]

GO CANAPINO GO!

[@MooncricketsInc]

Indycar resorting to weird and garbage gimmicks like this now? Is viewership and attendance that bad these days?