HYROX Invades The NTT INDYCAR SERIES As 2025 Race 2 Weekend Begins At The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix Event

The Thermal Club pitlane just before Knockout Qualifications - a 3 Round 4 session process - with all of the pitbox NTT INDYCAR Officials out at the barrier as part of the timing alert for pre-release of the first session. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - Motorsports Journal (2025)

HYROX Invades The NTT INDYCAR SERIES As 2025 Race 2 Weekend Begins At The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix Event

The Thermal Club was as welcoming as usual given the fact this is a private motorsports themed playground of the first order. The grounds were filled with race goers and were treated to many walk-up, no-pay food service trucks and confection servers including a mobile IN-N-OUT operation much to everyone's delight.

A press gaggle, which is customary, was held with many of the competitors on Friday, a couple of hours before the drivers took to the track for the first practice, for the first points paying race on the West coast and the first ever The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. The expectation is that this new venue will work out to be a perfect lead up to America's "Rites-Of-Spring" motor culture street race event - the 50th Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach. So begins INDYCAR's pre-INDY500 West coast swing.

Of the dozen or so drivers scheduled to participate in this bullpen Q&A process with about 30 members of the credentialed media was Team Penske Driver, 14 year competition veteran, two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion (2017, 2019) and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2023, 2024) Josef Newgarden (pictured below) had a most interesting exchange with the members of the new broadcast partner FOX Sports - lead announcer Will Buxton, color commentator James Hinchcliffe, and pit lane interviewer/commentator Jack Harvey. Josef had discovered a new workout regimen and was excited to share his discovery with his former fellow competitors Jack Harvey and James Hinchcliffe - the conversation went something like this:

Paraphrased Conversation Begin
Josef Newgarden leaned in with a grin spreading across his face as he addressed Will Buxton, James Hinchcliffe, and Jack Harvey during the pre-practice press gaggle at The Thermal Club. His energy was high, fresh off a discovery he couldn’t wait to share.

“Guys, I’ve ditched CrossFit for something way better ... and shorter to say - HYROX,” he started, his confident command presentation style cutting through the chatter of Media interviewing about a half-dozen drivers in the room. “It’s this fitness race that’s like endurance, strength, and pure mental stubbornness rolled into one. Five miles of running mixed with eight stations that’ll test every inch of you. They call it torture, and yeah, it feels like it - but man, it’s a rush.”

"Think about driving in the INDY500 and you are getting a little weak, you can not stop to take a break, you just gut it out, the whole race through - like that!", Josef continued.

Will raised an eyebrow, smirking through his British accent, “Torture, Josef? You’re selling it real well.”

Josef chuckled. “Hear me out. You kick off with a half-mile run, then hit the SkiErg - a movement that imitates cross-country skiing - for about 3,300 feet - arms and lungs screaming right away. Next, you’re pushing a sled, what, 330 pounds or so, 50 yards through pure grit. Then you pull it back with a rope, shredding your grip. By the time you get to burpee broad jumps - 100 yards of ‘em - you’re wondering why you signed up.”

Hinchcliffe winced. “Burpees after all that? You’re a madman.”

“Oh, it gets better,” Josef shot back. “Rowing about 3,300 feet when your legs are toast, farmer’s carry with kettlebells that make your hands cry, lunges with a sandbag that turn your quads to mush, and then - boom - 100 wall balls to finish. You’re squatting, throwing, counting to 100 while your whole body’s begging to quit.”

INDYCAR on FOX station where Lead Announcer Will Buxton holds court with (clockwise) James Hinchcliffe, Graham Rahal, and new RLL team driver, Canadian Devlin De Francesco. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - Motorsports Journal (2025)

Jack Harvey leaned in, curious, with another British accent. “So why’s it beat CrossFit for you?”

“No downtime,” Josef said, eyes lighting up. “It’s relentless - run, station, run, station, eight times. No hiding. Cumulative fatigue hits hard, and it’s not just one thing - cardio, strength, everything gets smoked. But crossing that finish line? It’s a high you can’t fake. Takes me 90 minutes, elites do it in under an hour, but either way, you’re in the grinder - and you feel alive.”

Buxton grinned. “Sounds like racing prep disguised as torture.”

“Exactly,” Josef nodded. “It’s not just physical. It’s mental. Keeps me sharp for the car. You guys should try it - see if you can hang with an INDYCAR champ.”

Hinch laughed. “I’d be lucky to survive the sled. You’re on your own, mate.”

Josef shrugged, still smiling. “Suit yourselves. But I’m telling you - this is the real deal. HYROX, look it up!”
Paraphrased Conversation End

Will Buxton, a native of Portsmouth, UK, joined FOX Sports as the play-by-play voice for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for 2025, the inaugural season for broadcasting this dynamic open-wheel racing series on FOX. Will has been pursuing a career in Motorsports Journalism since 2002 where he began as a staff writer covering Formula One and the series that led to driving in F1. In the booth, he will be joined by former INDYCAR drivers Canadian James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion (2021, 2023, 2024) and Chip Ganassi Racing driver of the No. 10 DHL Honda Alex Palou took Will Buxton, James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell on an introductory ride-along of the combined North Palm and South Palm tracks upon which The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix was to be held.

Click-Image to launch video of The Thermal Club trackride - Alex Palou with Will Buxton, Townsend Bell, and James Hinchcliffe of FOX Sports

The major noticeable difference with this innaugral private pavements points paying event and other races held throughout the season is shown through the fact that the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the only event track activity that spectators will be able to engage in. There are no other racing series or parade activities of a broad or annual motor culture/motorsports event activity scheduled. The weekend includes only all NTT INDYCAR SERIES two practices, Knock-Out Qualifications (pitlane pictured above), a pre-race warm-up then Race 02 of a 17 race championship season.

Love the venue, love the event, love the engagement shown by drivers, media and broadcast personnel, and the dedicated fans willing to purchase a three day ticket in order to immerse themselve in the rareafied aire of a private motorsports park where BMW, TruSpeed Autosport, GMG Motorsports, and a member of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports call home.

Will this points-paying race be the lead-in first of many for the 50 year history of the Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach? Only time will tell. We, at Motorsports Journal, say BRING IT! - with HYROX style.

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: The Thermal Club, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Race 02, The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix, FOX Sports, HYROX, Will Buxtin, Josef Newgarden, James Hinchcliffe, Jack Harvey, Townsend Bell, Alex Palou, 50th Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach, The EDJE