It’s time for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to switch countries and head north to Canada. Whilst the series visits the country every year, this time around sees a new challenge. Toronto’s contract came to an end in 2025, ahead of the city hosting rounds of the FIFA World Cup. Consequently, INDYCAR has swapped its Canadian outing to Markham for the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham race.
The final race in Toronto saw Colton Herta take his final pole position in the series. However, Pato O’Ward was victorious as it finished under caution. The grid was reduced before the lights went out, with Santino Ferrucci withdrawing after a crash in the warm-up session. Initially, Chip Ganassi Racing and Álex Palou looked to be on for the win, opting for a conservative, tyre-saving two-stopper. However, cautions impeded their strategy and left the championship leader to finish outside the top 10 for the first race in the season. Having chosen a riskier three-stop strategy, Arrow McLaren and O’Ward capitalised on the caution periods to take the win.
From Exhibition Place to the Streets of Markham
The Ontario Honda Dealers race has been INDYCAR’s second longest running street race after Long Beach. Since debuting in 1986, it has only been missing from the calendar three times: 2008, 2020, and 2021. Historically, it was held at the Exhibition Centre in Toronto. The street track had long straights to encourage overtaking, but the turns were tight and twisty. With plenty of action on-track, Toronto had a reputation for caution periods.
However, this year sees a second new track debut. After Arlington joined the series earlier this year, we now get Markham making its mark. Located north-east of Toronto, the series remains in Ontario, and the race will take place on the streets of the downtown district. It forms a debut double header as drivers head straight to another new race the following week; the Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C.
The Streets of Markham track is a 2.19-mile circuit weaving through the city. Featuring 12 turns, the track mixes flowing sections with technical areas to create an exciting layout. As drivers contend with a new track, they’ll pass landmarks such as the York University Markham Campus and the Markham Pam Am Centre, highlighting the sights of the city. Turn 5 looks to be the most challenging, being a tight and narrow hairpin onto a long and winding section across Enterprise Boulevard and Unionville Gate. Another feature of the new track is a double-sided pit lane reminiscent of Detroit.
The Championship Battle
Last time out in Portland, Palou took a sixth win of the season. With his closest championship challengers further back in the field, the victory saw his lead extend. Now, he stands 110 points clear. Five races remain and with the gap growing each round, it is looking more likely that he’ll become the second driver to achieve four championships in a row. The last driver to do so was Sébastien Bourdais between 2004 and 2007; although this was in the Champ Car World Championship before it merged with INDYCAR.
With Palou finally breaking free, eyes are on the fight for second. Kyle Kirkwood currently occupies the spot, having reclaimed it from David Malukas at the last round. The pair are separated by eight points. However, Christian Lundgaard isn’t far behind, 17 points behind Malukas. Those three all have the biggest chance to challenge Palou, but they’ll need perfect weekends and the No. 10 to have some bad luck to bridge the gap. However, INDYCAR is anything but predictable. Fourth to eighth in the standings all still have a chance of at least rising to second if the races fall in their favour.
And Dennis Hauger now has a clear lead forming in the Rookie of the Year battle. He sits 27 points ahead of Caio Collet, who is one point ahead of Mick Schumacher. The trio have all had impressive moments in their debut year in the series, but they’re all fighting on track to remain on the grid in 2027.
Schedule
The schedule for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham race is as follows. Please note that all times are in CEST.
INDYCAR is now in the midst of the final run. Back-to-back races mean there’s little room for error and gaining momentum is crucial for those looking to challenge Palou. Watch out for Kirkwood this weekend, as a street track specialist who won the last new track, he’ll be hoping to replicate his performance from Arlington in Markham. Anything can happen, so tune in this weekend to see how the dice fall.