The debut of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham faced a setback during the start. The opening day of practice and qualifying for the sole IndyCar race in Canada had to be called off on Friday due to incomplete track construction, preventing officials from conducting the final safety assessment. Organizers revealed plans to condense the missed track sessions from the first day into Saturday’s packed schedule.
Markham took over hosting duties this year from Toronto’s Exhibition Place, the event’s home since its inception in 1986. J. Douglas Boles, the president of IndyCar, expressed disappointment at the delay in completing the track build despite extensive assistance provided by their team on-site.
Longtime event attendees Mark Coburn from Kitchener, Ont., and Scott Stobo from Waterloo, Ont., who have been going to the race for two decades, made their way to Markham on Friday morning. Coburn shared mixed feelings about the postponement of practice and qualifying sessions, emphasizing the importance of safety checks for a smooth and accident-free event.
The relocation of the IndyCar event from downtown Toronto to Markham was announced by IndyCar and the City of Markham in September. The temporary circuit, constructed for the first time this week, spans between Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard, the Unionville GO tracks, and Highway 407.
Incomplete features like a pedestrian bridge over Enterprise Boulevard for parking access to the main spectator area and ports in safety fencing for flag marshals were among the outstanding construction tasks. The Ontario government’s investment of $1.5 million in the event, followed by a $3.5 million contribution from the federal government, was announced in July.
Local support for the race was evident, with the city of Markham allocating over $12 million for capital spending on race-related infrastructure upgrades. Friday’s event attracted numerous fans to the Markham track, with temperatures reaching up to 26°C or 31°C with humidity.
Despite challenges like limited shade and seating options, off-track activities proceeded as planned, including driver autograph sessions. Saturday is expected to be a busy day at the track, with IndyCar holding practice sessions and qualifying rounds. The qualifying will follow the traditional road course knockout format due to time constraints in the early evening.
In addition to IndyCar, other races like the USF2000 Championship, USF Pro 2000, Radical Cup Canada, and NASCAR Canada Series will also take place over the weekend. Stobo mentioned that they may not return for future events after this experience.