State-of-the-Art Facility To Debut at Open Test at The Thermal Club

INDYCAR, with longtime partner Indiana University Health, is rolling into its new season with a new mobile medical facility.

The INDYCAR Medical Unit will make its debut at the year’s first Open Test, held Thursday-Friday, Feb. 2-3 at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California. The transporter with double slide outs will provide an environment for consistent and accessible care during each NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone event.

Previously, INDYCAR’s medical team utilized a combination of a mobile trailer and the facilities available at the venues that host events. With the substantially upgraded mobile unit, the sanctioning body can better serve its growing paddock.

“INDYCAR medical has always been the industry standard of care and service in motorsports,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “The investment into the INDYCAR Medical Unit is an important step in continuing that expectation and assuring that all personnel will receive excellent care.”

Among the features of the INDYCAR Medical Unit:

• Four functional areas, one with two hospital beds
• Equipment needed to care for patients with urgent or emergent needs, including a portable X-ray machine, a resuscitation cart and assorted orthopedic care supplies
• Workspace for the doctors and nurses who travel with the sport
• Meeting areas for patient consultation and emergency updates
• Video feeds to enable the staff to monitor the on-track action

The INDYCAR Medical Unit will be available during the hours the garages are open, and INDYCAR will work with local officials to determine the most strategic location for the unit at each venue.

“The INDYCAR Medical Unit is a product of continued collaboration of INDYCAR and IU Health and is an important addition to our continued effort to enhance care for competitors, others who work in the sport and their families,” said INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Julia Vaizer, who also is an emergency medicine physician at Indiana University Health. “The unit will be available to drivers, allowing us to evaluate them in the most efficient yet effective manner to develop next steps. We also will provide that level of care for all members of the paddock.”

INDYCAR’s season begins March 3-5 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season debut, Sunday, March 5 will be available beginning at noon ET on NBC with a simulstream available on Peacock.

Peacock also will provide coverage of the INDY NXT season opener that same day beginning at 9:55 a.m. ET. The INDYCAR Radio Network will provide coverage of both races, with audio available on the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.