QUALIFYING NOTES – The Thermal Club

STARTING POSITIONS 

6th: ALEXANDER ROSSI No. 20 Java House Chevrolet

19th: CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet

TRACK: The Thermal Club

LOCATION: Thermal, California, USA

TRACK LAYOUT: 3.067-mile, 17-turn circuit

RACE LENGTH: 65 laps

BROADCAST: Sunday – 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET (FOX)

• Alexander Rossi will start 6th in The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix, ECR’s first Fast 6 appearance since mid-2022. The No. 20 Java House Chevrolet crew worked tirelessly over the past 24 hours, disassembling and reassembling the car multiple times to address several hybrid issues. Rossi rewarded their efforts in qualifying, not only advancing to the second round of qualifying in his second race with ECR, but reaching the Firestone Fast 6.
• Tomorrow’s race at The Thermal Club will be a first for Rossi and the rest of the field, though the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has visited the venue before. In 2023 and 2024, the track served as testing facility; last year, the test concluded with an exhibition race. Rossi advanced from his heat race to make the final All-Star Race, ultimately finishing 7th. In the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Rossi’s first race with ECR, he earned his first Top 10 finish with the team. 
  

• Java House made its on-track debut on Rossi’s No. 20 Chevrolet during his first test with ECR at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2024. The innovative cold brew coffee brand will now serve as Rossi’s primary sponsor at select races throughout the 2025 season, including The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. In addition to its versatile Peel n Pour™ single serve beverages, Java House owns and operates cafes in the Indianapolis and Lafayette, IN markets. 

• Christian Rasmussen will start 19th in tomorrow’s inaugural race at The Thermal Club, though his qualifying result is not indicative of the speed in the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet. He turned the 5th-fastest lap of yesterday’s Practice 1 and was the fastest Chevrolet-powered driver in the field. After fighting through difficult conditions during qualifying, he will work his way forward from Row 10. 
  
• The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix is new to this year’s calendar, but Rasmussen completed over 100 laps around the track during 2024’s testing and exhibition race. Though his 2025 campaign began with a difficult qualifying session in St. Pete, he raced his way forward in the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet and gained nine positions over the course of the season opener to finish 15th. In last week’s test at Barber Motorsports Park, Rasmussen was third-fastest overall.  
   
• Splenda®, the most recognizable low-calorie sweetener brand in the world, will be featured on Rasmussen’s No. 21 Chevrolet at select races throughout the 2025 season, including the The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. Since Splenda’s launch in 1991, more than 100 billion yellow packets have been sold. Coincidentally, Splenda’s packaging facility and ECR’s race shop are both on Georgetown Road in Indianapolis with locations less than one mile apart.