About The Thermal Club
The Thermal Club is an exclusive private motorsports club and luxury resort located in Thermal, California, within the Coachella Valley. The club opened in 2012 and serves automotive enthusiasts who desire premier racing facilities combined with high-end residential amenities. This facility spans between 400 and 426 acres and represents a unique business model that merges professional-grade racing circuits with a luxury lifestyle community.
Track Layout and Technical Specifications
Track architect Alan Wilson designed The Thermal Club's racing circuits, which total more than five miles of track surface. The facility can be configured in over 20 different layouts using three distinct main circuits. The South Palm Circuit opened in 2014 and features long straights and high-speed braking zones. Red kerbing and trackside paint identify this circuit. The North Palm Circuit followed in 2015, offering elevation changes, sweeping corners, and technical sections marked by blue kerbing. The Desert Circuit completed the trio in 2017, providing cambered corners and street-course complexity with green-coded kerbing.
These three circuits combine to create a full GT circuit measuring 5.1 miles (8.208 km) with up to 26 turns. The Twin Palms layout, used for IndyCar competition, measures 3.067 miles (4.936 km) and includes 17 turns. This configuration incorporates much of the South Palm circuit and delivers demanding trajectories, sweeping corners, tight hairpins, long straightaways, and elevation changes. The facility also includes a 1.1-mile karting track for professional kart racing and driver training. The asphalt surface has earned a reputation as "torturous" on tires, a characteristic enhanced by Roger Penske's advice during construction to handle extreme desert temperatures.
Racing History and Major Events
The Thermal Club primarily serves private members but has gained recognition in professional motorsports. The circuit hosted NTT IndyCar Series pre-season testing in 2022 and 2023. On March 24, 2024, the facility held its first major professional event: the "$1 Million Challenge," a non-championship exhibition race that Alex Palou won. The 2025 season marked a significant milestone when The Thermal Club hosted the Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix on March 21-23, 2025, as a full championship points-paying event on the Twin Palms layout. This represented the first official IndyCar Series championship race at the facility. However, organizers confirmed in June 2025 that the race would not return for the 2026 season. The club will host a round of Ferrari Challenge North America in 2026. In 2020, The Thermal Club held the SRO Organization's Pirelli World Challenge Winter Racing Series, featuring GT3 and TCR cars.
Facilities and Membership
The Thermal Club operates as a luxury motorsports country club with exclusive membership requirements. Members typically purchase on-site luxury villas with large private garages, with prices ranging from the low seven figures to over $10 million. Membership also requires an initiation deposit and monthly HOA maintenance fees. The Motorsports Village serves as the central hub, providing covered pit lanes, a full-service tuning garage, fueling stations with various fuel grades including high-octane race fuel, car wash services, and vehicle maintenance support.
The club offers professional driving instruction, state-of-the-art simulators, and personalized coaching programs for all skill levels. A karting school serves both youth and adults. Beyond motorsports, the facility features eight standalone casitas for overnight stays, three full-service restaurants, a clubhouse viewing tower, spa, fitness center, swimming pools, tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball court, and a Kids' Club with driving simulators. Since 2017, the BMW Performance Driving School has operated at the facility, allowing non-members access to driving experiences. The club sits adjacent to Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, providing convenient member access. An 18-foot "Great Wall of Thermal" contains track noise from both club villas and surrounding areas.