Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday benefiting Make-A-Wish Canada® opened Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham race weekend
MARKHAM, Ontario (August 16, 2026) — The anticipation reaches its peak today as the green flag flies at 12:22 p.m. ET for the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham. This highly anticipated race weekend will see the 25-car NTT INDYCAR SERIES field race the fast and technical 12-turn, 3.52-kilometre new course on the streets of downtown Markham.
Serving as Round 14 of 18 in the INDYCAR championship, this race marks the 38th running of the historic event in Ontario. The NASCAR Canada Series joined the action yesterday (August 15), returning for the first time since 2023 to headline Saturday’s feature race, won by Marc-Antoine Camirand. Additional thrill-seeking action from USF Pro 2000, USF2000, and the Radical Cup Series brings five racing series and eight total races as the action culminates today.
Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward looks to repeat on his 2025 victory in Ontario, while polesitter Louis Foster seeks his first career win at the inaugural race on the streets of Markham. Chip Ganassi Racing can build on its record eight wins at the event, with championship leader Alex Palou looking to notch his first victory in Canada starting in 12th on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES starting grid. The winner and podium finishers will raise trophies handcrafted by Herend Canada, the official trophy supplier of the event.
"We couldn't be more thrilled to bring the electric energy of INDYCAR racing to Markham today," said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham. "Moving to this new venue has opened up incredible opportunities for us to build unforgettable experiences for our fans. Our partners and sponsors have been amazing, as they’ve supported bringing Canada’s INDYCAR race to downtown Markham. An exciting new chapter for motorsport in Ontario begins today."
The shared vision and commitment of premier partners—including the Province of Ontario, the City of Markham, and the Ontario Honda Dealers Association—have made the weekend possible while showcasing the region on an international stage. Additionally, resources provided by founding partners helped bring the circuit to life. The Remington Group upgraded the festival grounds with extensive infrastructure investments; Brandt Tractors provided heavy equipment to construct the circuit; Aviva Canada is contributing vital long-term backing as the presenting sponsor of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES paddock; and SmartStop Self Storage continues its ongoing support.
Official partners have played a central role in bringing this inaugural event to life. The Toronto Marriott Markham serves as the official host hotel, ensuring drivers, teams, and fans experience top-tier hospitality. Metrolinx and GO Transit continue their essential multi-year collaboration as the event transformed the Unionville GO Station footprint to house the main grandstands and an innovative double-sided pit lane setup.
The Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa joined as the official long-term stay partner housing staff, suppliers and vendors. Then, K-Line Group of Companies has supplied the power across the festival site.
The weekend kicked off with Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday, offering general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through voluntary donations to Make-A-Wish Canada. Aviva Canada also generously provided fans with grandstand access throughout Friday's festivities, giving everyone elevated views of the track.
Fans also took part in the Ride the Track 2026 bike ride hosted by The Children’s Breakfast Clubs on Friday evening. Proceeds support The Children’s Breakfast Clubs in providing hot, nutritious meals to children across more than 40 communities in Southern Ontario. On Saturday, following the NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying session, Canadian rock band The Glorious Sons took the SiriusXM Stage in 407 ETR Thunder Alley to cap off the day.
The 407 ETR Thunder Alley houses most of the food, beverage, and fan activations. The Markham Pan Am Centre offers fans a place to cool off while checking out activations like the Ontario Honda Dealers Pit Stop, the Nintendo Family Zone, and GO Transit's interactive fan area. Additional activities span the festival site, including SIGMA’s “The Art of Motorsports,” where fans can test out lineup camera lenses.
Sunday General Admission tickets for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham are available for purchase. For additional event information, visit hondaindy.com. Follow the event on social media at @ontarioindy and #indyON for real-time updates.
About Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham:
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is a world-class motorsports festival which takes place annually on a new 12-turn, 3.52-kilometre (2.19-mile) temporary circuit in the Greater Toronto Area using the downtown streets of Markham, Ontario. The event features many attractions, food trucks, interactive displays and activities, and supports local charities. Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday, offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada raising over $1.1 million from the event since 2010. As one of Ontario's largest annual sporting events, the first Ontario Indy street race was held in 1986 in downtown Toronto. Now located in York Region, the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is the sole Canadian race for some of the world’s fastest race car drivers from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, like Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward and Kyle Kirkwood and features teams including Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske, Arrow McLaren and Andretti Global, respectively. This event has also historically hosted Canadian racing legends like Scott Goodyear, James Hinchcliffe, Greg Moore, Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Wickens and more. Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is owned and operated by Green Savoree Toronto, ULC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Feb. 27-March 1, 2026), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2027 CR-V Hybrid (July 3-5, 2026) and OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 7-9, 2026).
For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @OntarioIndy or follow the event on X at @Ontario_Indy and Instagram at @OntarioIndy using #indyON.
