How does IndyCar $1 Million Challenge in Thermal, California work?
Six months after the $1 Million Challenge was formally announced and with days until it begins, IndyCar has finally unveiled the format for the series’ first non-points race in more than 15 years.
This weekend at The Thermal Club, the private, gated community that houses a series of racetracks 40 minutes east of Palm Springs, culminates with a 20-lap main event that includes a halftime break – but no pitstops and pays $500,000 to the winning team.
If you find yourself a bit confused by the name – no $1 million prize for the $1 Million Challenge? – or the format, you’re not alone. Here are some answers to your questions:
Why is it called the $1 Million Challenge if the grand prize is $500,000?
Like several tentpole projects in IndyCar of late – the hybrid launch, Nashville finale and video game to name a few – plans for the $1 Million Challenge have changed a bit since it was formally announced Sept. 10. At the time, plans were that members of The Thermal Club would help fund the event’s purse by pitching into a multi-million-dollar pot – and with their donation, be entered into a raffle to be randomly paired with one of the drivers in the 27-car field.
If their driver finished in the top-5, they would split the winnings with the teams – with prizes ranging from $1 million (so $500,000 each for 1st place) to $100,000 ($50,000 each for 5th place).
Revealed last week, that purse-sharing mechanism has now been scrapped, though the previously announced amounts for teams will go unchanged.
What are the actual payouts for teams?
The $1.756 million purse, the series’ largest outside the Indianapolis 500, is broken down as such:
Winner: $500,000 Runner-up: $350,000
Third place: $250,000 Fourth place: $100,000
Fifth place: $50,000 Sixth-27th places: $23,000 each
Is there still a member element to the weekend?
Yes. Before cars hit the track Friday morning for a two-day test with nine available hours of run-time on the 3.067mile, 17-turn permanent road course, the club will host a draw party Thursday night that will serve two purposes: 1) Drivers will be randomly separated into two groups that they will qualify with Saturday and compete in a heat race with Sunday morning (more on all that in a minute).
But 2) Thursday’s draw party will also pair drivers and teams with Club members who will then be embedded for the weekend and given access to “team meetings, driver question-and-answer
and ended the night with a six-point lead over second-place Colorado. The Roadrunners lost and the Eagles won.
Hughes broke away cleanly during the 3-on-3 overtime period and took his time. He scored with the same move he used in a similar situation in a recent win.
“I did the same move a couple weeks ago and I was trying to keep it pretty simple there, just bring it to the inside and go upstairs and the puck went in,” Hughes said. “I use a pretty big curve (on his stick) so when you pull it in close you can get it upstairs pretty quick. I like it, it’s one of my go-tos.”
It’s the fourth overtime game in the last six games for the Firebirds. The previous three all went to a shootout. The Firebirds have not actually had a lot of success in the 3-on-3 overtime this year. They were just 2-5 heading into Wednesday in games decided in overtime.
Wednesday night’s game looked like it was going to be a high-scoring affair. Goals came fast and the defenses were not furious in the first period, which ended with the Firebirds up 3-2.
Ryan Winterton scored less than a minute into the game, the Stars tied it quickly with a power-play goal and then Kole Lind scored again. Before some fans had even taken their seats, the Firebirds led 2-1 less than four minutes in.
The Firebirds finished the period with a 3-2 lead, but felt like the fast pace and offense-focused game was more the Stars’ style of play.
“We know Texas is a real run-andgun team, offensive-minded and we got kind of stuck in doing that with them, trading chances and rushes and stuff like that we sort dialed it in in the second period,” said Cale Fleury who had two assists on the night.
The second period was a different story. The Firebirds dominated the period outshooting the Stars 18-5, but without scoring a goal. Texas also kept the Firebirds scoreless in the third period as well, scoring the tying goal less than 20 seconds in. Combining the second and third periods, the Firebirds had 24 shots but no goals.
Coachella Valley Firebirds forward Ryan Winterton (27) celebrates a first period goal against the Texas Stars.
The game went into overtime and as is often the case in a 3-on-3 situation, an attempted rush that fails by one team leads to a breakaway for the other team. The Stars had a 3-on-1 break and skated on Firebirds keeper Chris Driedger, but he was up to the task, making one of his 31 saves on the night. The puck was loose and Cale Fleury was able to tip it ahead to Hughes, who went in uncontested on the Stars goalkeeper.
“The Stars are a fast team and an aggressive team they commit a lot of people and bodies to the offense and when you turn the puck over, don’t execute it plays into their strengths,” coach Dan Bylsma said. “Still up 3-2 in the first period, but I don’t think anyone would say that was our best hockey. But we responded in the second, I thought we played much better. It doesn’t always have to be pretty.”
The goals
Firebirds 1-0: Quick and easy. Just 51 seconds into the game, on the Firebirds’ first trip into the Stars’ zone, Marian Studenic found Ryan Winterton all alone in front of the net for an easy one. It was Winterton’s 20th of the season.
Tied 1-1: Curtis McKenzie scored quickly on a power play goal as the Stars worked the puck around and got a redirection on a rebound past Chris Driedger.
Firebirds 2-1: Kole Lind scored a goal
almost identical to the one Winterton scored with Devin Shore playing the role of Studenic. Before some fans are even in their seats, three goals have been scored just 3:11 into this game.
Tied 2-2: A poor clear in the defensive zone led to trouble and after Driedger made one save, the Stars got the second one in when Jack Becker dribbled a rebound between Driedger’s legs to tie the game.
Firebirds 3-2: Coachella Valley cashes in on its first power play on a shot from the point by Cale Fleury. That led to a scramble in front and Cameron Hughes whacked it past Texas goalkeeper Remi Poirier for his 18th goal of the season.
Tied 3-3: The Stars used the clean sheet of ice for a pretty goal just 22 seconds into the third period. Cody Haskanen took a pass and clinked one perfectly into the top corner of the net for a goal-scorer’s goal.
Firebirds 4-3 (OT): Cameron Hughes scored his second of the night, a clean breakaway during 3-on-3 play.
What’s next
There are 15 games remaining in the regular season and next up for the Firebirds is a road game on Friday night at Bakersfield (7 p.m.), before returning to Acrisure Arena on Saturday to host these same Texas Stars (6 p.m.).
Milwaukee Grand Rapids Rockford Texas Manitoba Chicago Iowa