Race details Date March 24, 2024 Official name $1 Million Challenge Location Thermal Club, Thermal, California Course Permanent circuit Distance All-Star Race20 Laps 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 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 Chronology Next 2025
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.
It was the seventh American championship open-wheel racing event in Riverside County, the first since the 1983 Budweiser 500K, held in the Edgemont area of Riverside County, about 75 miles northwest of the Coachella Valley where the Thermal Club is located.
Entry list
KeyMeaningRookiePast winner Driver Team Engine2 Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet3 Scott McLaughlin Team Penske Chevrolet4 Kyffin Simpson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda5 Pato O'Ward Arrow McLaren Chevrolet6 Callum Ilott Arrow McLaren Chevrolet7 Alexander Rossi Arrow McLaren Chevrolet8 Linus Lundqvist Chip Ganassi Racing Honda9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda10 Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda11 Marcus Armstrong Chip Ganassi Racing Honda12 Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet14 Santino Ferrucci A. J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet15 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda18 Nolan Siegel Dale Coyne Racing Honda20 Christian Rasmussen Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet21 Rinus VeeKay Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet26 Colton Herta Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda27 Kyle Kirkwood Andretti Global Honda28 Marcus Ericsson Andretti Global Honda30 Pietro Fittipaldi Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda41 Sting Ray Robb A. J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet45 Christian Lundgaard Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda51 Colin Braun Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Honda60 Felix Rosenqvist Meyer Shank Racing Honda66 Tom Blomqvist Meyer Shank Racing Honda77 Romain Grosjean Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet78 Agustín Canapino Juncos Hollinger Racing ChevroletSource:
Qualifying 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. 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 qualifying session.
Heat 1 Qualifying Group 1
Driver Team Engine Time Finalgrid 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 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: Notes Bold text indicates fastest time set in session.
Heat 2 Qualifying Group 2
Driver Team Engine Time Finalgrid 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 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 01:39.0685 4 5 66 Tom Blomqvist 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 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 01:39.9502 10 11 20 Christian Rasmussen Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 01:40.2820 11 12 51 Colin Braun Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Honda 01:40.7843 12 13 28 Marcus Ericsson Andretti Global Honda No Time 13 Source: Notes Bold text indicates fastest time set in session.
Results 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.
Heat 1
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 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:
Heat 2
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 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 Meyer Shank Racing Honda 10 +23.1783 5 9 6 Callum Ilott Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 10 +23.3908 8 10 20 Christian Rasmussen Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet 10 +24.1938 11 11 4 Kyffin Simpson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 10 +25.8233 10 12 28 Marcus Ericsson Andretti Global Honda 10 +26.5815 13 13 51 Colin Braun 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:
All-Star Race 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 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:
Footnotes
References