IndyCar Will Hold A ‘Preseason Scrimmage’ In The California Desert The Weekend Before The Super Bowl

IndyCar is hoping a “Preseason Scrimmage” in the California Desert will give its teams welcome test time while boosting interest in the series during an otherwise dead point of the season.

It will be held at The Thermal Club, a private facility located outside of Palm Springs, California that is considered a premier circuit for club racers and sports car enthusiasts. The “Preseason Scrimmage” is set for Thursday and Friday February 2-3, 2023.

It falls at a good time on the calendar as the Rolex at Daytona is scheduled for January 29. Also, the NFL Conference Championship games are Sunday, January 29, 2023. The Super Bowl is February 12, 2023, and 2023 Speedweeks leading up to NASCAR’s Daytona 500 are February 16-19, 2023.

A 17-turn, 2.9-mile layout includes a combination of the North Palm and South Palm circuits will be used for the first “Open Test” of the year.

The Thermal Club is a private resort built around an upscale racing community. The 470-acre property opened in 2012.

It is located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains and feature luxury homes to a motorsport’s village with gourmet restaurants.

The facility was named “Professional Motorsport Facility of the Year” at the 2017 Professional Motorsports World Expo in Germany.

“For us, it means every IndyCar fan is going to get an inside look at the best cars in the world on what we think is the best track in the world,” said John Rogers, owner of the Thermal Club. “It’s a wonderful thing, and we’re very happy it’s worked out with IndyCar and Thermal.”

The Thermal Club race course will provide the first full-scale testing effort for the teams in 2023. Teams have a very limited number of private test dates that it can use throughout the season.

“We liken this to a preseason scrimmage,” IndyCar President Jay Frye said. “The teams will be doing everything it takes to prepare for a run at the 2023 championship at a new and unique backdrop for the NTT IndyCar Series.

“The facility is spectacular, and I know everyone at The Thermal Club cannot wait to welcome our paddock.”

IndyCar owner Roger Penske prefers to keep the current schedule at 17 races because it has helped race teams with sponsorship budgets. That has allowed IndyCar teams to grow as the entry list continues to expand.

Next season, as many as 27-28 cars could be on the starting grid of every race with the traditional field of 33 cars for the Indianapolis 500.

There could even be more interest in next year’s 107^th Indianapolis 500 as NASCAR Cup Series star and former champion Kyle Busch is actively pursuing an Indy 500 effort with a Chevrolet team in 2023.

Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion who was eliminated from this year playoffs in Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400, has been granted permission to compete in the Indy 500 by team owners Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon.

Larson revealed that on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway but said he has had no discussions with any IndyCar team for next year’s Indy 500.

Also, Jimmie Johnson is expected to compete in next year’s Indianapolis 500 after he completed the past two seasons as an IndyCar Series driver. Johnson will drive in a variety of “Bucket List” races in 2023 and told me on Friday that his top priority is competing in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans next season.

The Indy 500 Open Test is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, April 20-21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The annual test on the famed 2.5-mile oval provides crucial preparation for the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, scheduled for Sunday, May 28. The entire field for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is expected to participate in the test.

The third and final Open Test of the 2023 season comes Thursday, Sept.7 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, just three days before the Astor Challenge Cup is awarded to the season champion at the same facility after the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.

Drivers at the Laguna Seca test will get an extra day to come to gripswith the planned repave of the legendary 2.238-mile facility, which is expected to be completed by June 2023.

The 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season opens Sunday, March 5 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg.Coverage will be available on NBC, Peacock Premium, and the IndyCar Radio Network.