IndyCar Thermal Club: Start times, how to watch on TV, entry list & more

When is the IndyCar race at The Thermal Club?

Date: Friday, March 22 – Sunday, March 24

Race start: 12:30pm ET

Track: 3.067-mile, 17-turn road course

Race distance: (Two Qualifying Heats) 10 laps / 20 minutes) | (Sprint for the Purse) Two Segments (10 laps/ 30.67 miles each) with 10-minute halftime after Lap 10

Firestone tire allotment: Nine sets of primary tires to be used during the weekend, with seven of those sets used for the open test sessions. One set will be used for qualifying and one for the heat race. One additional set will be allotted for entries advancing to the $1 Million Challenge for a total of 10 available sets.

Push-to-pass parameters: 40 seconds of total time for each qualifying group, heat race and both segments of the final.

Qualifying lap record: N/A (Inaugural event)

How can I watch the IndyCar race at Thermal on TV?

NBC’s coverage of the event will begin on Sunday at 12:30pm ET.

Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC's coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe.

All IndyCar practice sessions, qualifying and races will stream live on Peacock.

Thermal IndyCar GP TV schedule (all times ET)

Friday, March 22

12:00pm-2:00pm: IndyCar Open Test, Peacock

5:00pm-8:00pm: IndyCar Open Test, Peacock

Saturday, March 23

12:00 - 2:00pm - IndyCar Open Test, Peacock

4:00pm - 6:00pm - IndyCar Open Test, Peacock

8:00pm - $1 Million Challenge heat race qualifying (two groups / 12 minutes each), Peacock

Sunday, March 24

12:24pm - $1 Million Challenge Heat Race command to start engines

12:30pm - NBC on air

12:31pm - $1 Million Challenge Heat Race #1 (10 laps / 30.67 miles / 20 minutes / Top 6 advance to main event), NBC

1:05pm - $1 Million Challenge Heat Race #2 (10 laps / 30.67 miles / 20 minutes / Top 6 advance to main event), NBC

1:59pm - $1 Million Challenge Sprint for the Purse main event (Two 10-lap segments with a 10 minute halftime after Lap 10), NBC

How can I listen to IndyCar at Thermal on the radio?

Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside turn announcers Ryan Myrehn and Jake Query, with Michael Young handling duties as the pit reporter. The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge, Saturday’s IndyCar Series open test sessions and qualifying session air live on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218 and SiriusXM NBC Sports Audio 85, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App.

Entry list for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg