Robert Shwartzman did not complete an NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice lap before qualifying 27th for Sunday’s The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix – but he had a very good reason for starting last in the field.

Around 24 hours before NTT P1 Award qualifying Saturday, the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet caught fire exiting Turn 6 on his first lap in Friday’s practice session. The team immediately started to thrash in its paddock spot to build a new car from almost the ground up for rookie Shwartzman.

The fact the car made a track appearance Saturday was remarkable.

“The damage was so severe we didn't have any other choice than to pivot and go to a backup car,” PREMA Racing CEO Piers Phillips said.

By rule, a backup car isn’t put together on the trailer. The backup car is just the monocoque portion of the chassis, but an assembly of other parts is required.

The situation was intense for the team, especially with a tight deadline to get the car ready in 15 hours for the second practice session, which started at 10 a.m. local time. A normal process of building a race car before a race weekend is two to three days, Phillips said.

The engine, hybrid system, a lot of electronics and numerous parts had to be attached to the backup chassis overnight. The work began immediately when the car returned to the paddock and lasted until around 4 a.m. local time.

Shwartzman even stepped in to help with the changeover, showing a strong sense of teamwork and dedication.

“I think that shows how the group operates,” Phillips said. “The camaraderie and the togetherness.”

The team nudged Shwartzman to leave its work area around midnight to get some rest and prepare for how to attack the 17-turn, 3.067-mile track near Palm Springs, California. He was back in the morning ready to help with the final preparations to get the car on track to do an install lap in practice.

“I think it sounds really corny, but I think you see how good a team is when it's up against it,” Phillips said. “The winning part is easy. It's when you've got to come from behind and dig in. And I think that's when you really see.

“I was really pleased, because obviously, for a lot of people, it's the first time they've done this. The attitude, the energy, the kind of upbeat vibe that, yes, there's a few tired people, but everyone's still up for the fight.”

January Test Helps Andretti Global Get Up To Speed

Andretti Global struggled through The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge weekend last year. Colton Herta was the lone representative among the three drivers in the 20-lap main event of the exhibition race. He finished fourth.

Kyle Kirkwood finished 10th in his heat race while Marcus Ericsson crashed in qualifying and finished 12th among 13 drivers in his heat race. The top six finishers in each 10-lap heat advanced to the 12-driver All-Star race.

Sunday’s 65-lap race airing at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, Fox Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network is a points-paying event. Andretti Global couldn’t afford to hemorrhage points, so it used a test day Jan. 28 at Thermal to expedite its growth.

That translated into an improved performance this weekend.

“The test was more just to try and get a better baseline setup for us because we were struggling quite a bit here last year,” Ericsson said. “To be fair, I think we got that.”

Herta qualified his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda fourth, Ericsson will start fifth in his No. 28 Bryant Honda while Kirkwood rolls off eighth in the No. 27 Chili’s Honda.

Persistence Helps Daly Land New Sponsor

Juncos Hollinger Racing announced before the morning practice session that Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers will sponsor the No. 76 Chevrolet driven by Conor Daly this weekend at The Thermal Club. The car will feature the Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers logo with 76 Renewable Diesel branding.

“It's every day you're just trying to continue to build this program and trying to figure it out,” Daly said. “So, it's, it's about as Last Minute Larry as you can do, but we're going to keep it going. We're going to keep working on it, so it'll be fun.”

Daly is friends with someone in the company and has worked on the sponsorship deal for several years but never got it done until now.

“You got to always try to cross and work on these things,” Daly said. “It helps our program. And certainly more support, which is really nice.”

The iconic 76 orange ball logo was placed on the car at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding with the number 76 replacing 78 as part of the deal. Daly had merchandise made before the season with the number 78 branding on it.

“We’re trying to make some merch, and hey, if you bought some 78 merch, it still counts, cause my helmet still says 78 on it,” he said. “I’m in the same boat as everyone else. And my shoes, too.”

Daly Learns from Former F1 Driver Sargeant

Daly is among six drivers in the field to have never raced an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car on this track. He used an unconventional method to prepare – calling former Formula One driver Logan Sargeant to get advice on how to attack the 3.067-mile road course.

Sargeant, who made 37 F1 starts for Williams Racing, got his first taste of NTT INDYCAR SERIES machinery Nov. 19, completing 84 laps in the No. 06 Honda of Meyer Shank Racing around The Thermal Club.

Daly and Sargeant are friends, so Daly called up the former F1 driver for advice.

“He was like, ‘Man, degradation,’” Daly said. “We were just chatting about that. And he was like, ‘It's something that we are all aware of, but that makes racing, and it makes it our job tougher, but it should be hard.’”

Day qualified 15th for Sunday’s race. He started 22nd for the season opener at St. Petersburg.

Odds and Ends

  • Pato O’Ward leads the field to green Sunday in his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for the sixth time in his career. Five of his six poles have come on natural terrain road courses.
  • The green flag for Sunday’s race is 3:22 p.m. ET.
  • The Thermal Club is the third road or street circuit to debut on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar since 2021. Chip Ganassi Racing drivers won the previous two debut races. Ericsson won the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville in 2021, and Alex Palou won the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear when it debuted its new course in downtown Detroit in 2023. Palou starts third, Scott Dixon 11th and Kyffin Simpson 20th.
  • The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix will be the first of six natural terrain road course races on the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The other events are scheduled for Barber Motorsports Park on May 4, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on May 10, Road America on June 22, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 6, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 27 and Portland International Raceway on Aug. 10.