The good, bad, and ugly of IndyCar's half-baked exhibition race

OPINION: There are reasons to shower leadership of the IndyCar Series with praise for trying something different with last weekend’s non-points exhibition at The Thermal Club, but in many ways, it is also tough to not look at the endeavour as a half-baked attempt to tick a box

Was this really the best North America’s premier open-wheel championship could do? And at what cost?

When the $1 Million Challenge was revealed by IndyCar roughly six months ago in a made-for-TV spectacle at a club track outside of Palm Springs, California, it came with unpleasant realities: the need to fill an extended void of five weeks in the schedule between St. Petersburg and Long Beach following the loss of Texas Motor Speedway, and alienating a portion of the fan base with limited attendance and ticket prices of $2,000 (later reduced to $500).

The weekend was certainly something, showcasing the good, bad, and ugly of the series in its current form.

Source: Autosport