The IndyCar Series ventured to the Thermal Club in Southern California this past weekend for its second race of the 2025 season. Two-time defending champion Álex Palou claimed his 13th career win, the fourth-most of active full-time drivers.
The second-ever race at the Thermal Club, the first edition with championship points available, did not see any cautions throughout its 65-lap duration. It was the first time that an IndyCar race went caution-free since the second race of the IndyCar Harvest GP doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2020.
With the second race of seventeen this season completed, here are some of the most significant storylines from IndyCar’s day in the desert.
Chip Ganassi Racing has two championship favorites
Chip Ganassi Racing is one of IndyCar’s cornerstone teams, one whose drivers are competing for championships year in and year out. In fact, Ganassi drivers have won four of the last five IndyCar championships, with Scott Dixon winning in 2020 and Álex Palou in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Álex Palou has begun the 2025 season in the best way possible. The Spaniard has won both the first two races, becoming the first driver to win the opening two races of an IndyCar season since his teammate Scott Dixon in 2020.
Palou also has an average finishing position of 6th place dating back to the start of 2024, the best of anyone in the field in that same timespan. He also has won five races and has 16 top 5 finishes since the start of last year, the most of anyone and helping solidify his charge towards a fourth series championship.
On the other hand, veteran Scott Dixon knows how to win. The New Zealander has won 58 IndyCar races and six series titles, second only to open-wheel legend A.J. Foyt’s 67 wins and seven titles. Despite a 10th-place finish this weekend at Thermal Club, he sits in third place in the championship only two points behind Pato O’Ward for second place. You can never count “The Iceman” out of a championship fight, as he has finished in the top 3 of the championship in 15 of his 23 seasons in IndyCar.
Arrow McLaren’s young talent continues to shine
Arrow McLaren had another solid weekend, claiming both spots on the front row in qualifying. Pato O’Ward, 25, took pole position and Christian Lundgaard, 23, was only .15 of a second behind in 2nd place.
In the race, Pato O’Ward finished 2nd for his third top 2 finish in the last five races, dating back to the first Milwaukee race last year. Teammate Christian Lundgaard finished in 3rd place, his first podium finish since last year’s race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
O’Ward controlled the majority of the race, leading 51 of the event’s 65 laps. He made his final pit stop with 16 laps to go, re-entering the track with a nine-second advantage over Álex Palou. Palou, who pitted a lap before O’Ward, passed Christian Lundgaard for second place in Turn 6 on the same lap, breezing past the Dane with his fresh tires.
With no teammates between him and the hard-charging Palou, along with being on the slower tire compound, O’Ward had no response for the Spaniard’s pace. His nine second advantage dried up in only six laps, and the Mexican was passed at the end of the backstretch with 10 laps remaining. O’Ward would finish in second place, ten seconds behind Palou and thirteen seconds ahead of third-placed teammate Christian Lundgaard.
Team Penske struggles
Team Penske’s hot start cooled off relatively quickly in the California desert. None of the team’s three drivers advanced to the second round of qualifying for the first time in four years. The highest starter for Team Penske was back-to-back Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden, who qualified in 17th place. Newgarden would finish only four spots better than his starting spot, taking the checkered flag in the 13th position.
Will Power had a fantastic comeback drive. Starting in 21st position, the Australian worked his way through the pack, overtaking Kyle Kirkwood for 6th place with 3 laps to go. Considering that he was involved in a first-lap crash at St. Petersburg in the season opener, a 6th-place finish can be considered a big win for the #12 team.
Scott McLaughlin did not have a great weekend. The Kiwi started in 25th place and was involved in a collision with Devlin DeFrancesco on the opening lap. DeFrancesco would receive a drive-through penalty for his actions, later expressing his frustration with McLaughlin after the race.
McLaughlin’s hybrid unit suffered overheating issues later in the race, causing him to go multiple laps down. He would eventually retire from the race, finishing in 27th and last place having completed 53 laps.
California Dreamin’
The IndyCar Series resumes April 13th with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on the streets of Long Beach, California. Álex Palou has the chance to win his third straight race to open the season, a feat most recently accomplished by Scott Dixon in 2020. The race is set to start at 4:30 p.m. eastern and will be televised on FOX.
