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IndyCar reveals new venue for first open test of 2023

Thermal Club in Palm Springs, California, will host the first of three IndyCar open tests next year.

Will Power, Team Penske Chevrolet

The Club’s lavish 470-acre plot surrounded by villas, restaurants and multi-car garages, first opened in 2012 and contains three tracks. On Feb. 2-3, 2023, IndyCar will utilize a combination of the North Palm and South Palm circuits to create a 17-turn, 2.9-mile layout for the 2023 test.

“We liken this to a preseason scrimmage,” said 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.”

Located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, The Thermal Club 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, the facility’s owner. “It's a wonderful thing, and we’re very happy it’s worked out with IndyCar and Thermal.”

The Indy 500 Open Test is set for Thursday and Friday, April 20-21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and according to IndyCar, “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 will be held on Thursday, Sept. 7 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, just three days before the season finale, the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. In effect, it adds an extra practice day to the event, turning it into a four-day weekend, providing teams and drivers an extra day to learn the nuances of what will then be a repaved course.

 

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