Preview: IndyCar’s One Million Dollar Challenge

Ever wonder if the Clash at the Coliseum was a success? IndyCar certainly thinks so. The open-wheel series is running its own exhibition race in Southern California this weekend.

Like with the Clash, heat races will determine which members of the grid participate in the battle for one million dollars (kind of).

That’s about where the similarities end.

The Clash was in a major metropolitan area, designed to put NASCAR in front of an audience it normally wouldn’t reach. IndyCar is at The Thermal Club near Coachella, a housing development built around a race track in much the same way many country clubs are built around golf courses.