Markham Practice 1- New Track, Same Old Story

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Alex Palou turned the fastest lap in opening practice for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at the new Markham track. The next practice is at 2:30 pm Eastern.

I think the track is very cool. I love that turn 5 hairpin. What chaos awaits there.

Kyffin Simpson had a hard wall contact and sustained left rear suspension damage and may have a gearbox to repair as well.

Television update- FOX has deterthat the first 30 minutes is not important enough for over the air Television and will be exclusively on the FIX ONE app.FS2 will show qualifyingbeginninh at7 pm Eastern.

Results

Let’s Try Again

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Breaking: According to Bob Pockrass and other sources, the Markham track has received the FIA approval and is cleared for track activity.

Yesterday’s PR disaster should hopefully turn into an action packed day.

The revised television schedule… maybe:

This schedule does not have the first half hour of qualifying on FOX ONE only. I will update this information as the day goes along on X.

One man’s opinion:

A racing series needs to oversee race preparation at all the venues where they race, and I think attention to Markham lessened when the DC race was announced. If you have noticed over the past few weeks, there have been lots of promos for the DC race, and very little about Markham. I almost forgot that this race was still on the schedule.

The series and their television partner are so focused on the race after Markham that this weekend’s event has been shoved to the side. As a result, IndyCar and Green Savoree ended up in an embarrassing situation.

I hope IndyCar’s relationship with the promoter isn’t damaged by this snafu. Greem Savoree promotes nearly one fourth of the IndyCar schedule. The series needs them. They aren’t going to magically find four new races.

Maybe IndyCar has learned a lesson here, but past open wheel history would suggest otherwise.

I have some other thoughts, which I will save until after next weekend’s race.

So there will be cars on track all day, and that will serve as some balm to yesterday’s sting.

Qualifying will revert to the standard format of a Fast Six rather than the single car street course final round.

Watch for updates on X @tutorindie and The Pit Window on Faqcebook.

I wil have session summaries on this site as the day goes on, but I did have some other plans as well.

Markham Postponed; Revised Saturday Schedule

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After working all day to prepare the track, IndyCar scratched the entire schedule and has isued a new schedule for SWaturday.

Television timesd:

Fans at home will miss the first 30 minutes of qualifying unless they have the FOX One app. I find this inexcusable. For an entity with partial ownership in the series to not find a way tom put all of qualifying over the air is ridiculous.

I really feel for the fans who came to the track today. Even though today was free, they still needed to make arrangements to come, maybe even take a day off of work to get to the track. IndyCar could have announced the postponement earlier.

I understand first year races have issues, but this race was announced more than a year ago. This is a horrible look for IndyCar and an awful start to a five year deal.

Markham Preview

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Today’s schedule: Eastern time

IndyCar Practice 1 – 3 pm FS2

From what I am hearing, this schedule may be changing. The track walk was postponed from yesterday to 8 am this morning because the track was not finished. Overnight work took place to get the track ready, and it appears the track walk has begun. First year circuits usually have issues at the start of a race weekend, so I am not surprised.

It took several years for St. Pete to figure out how to quickly build and tear down the track. Now they need less than half the time it used to take. Markham will be the home of IndyCar in Canada for five years. This problem should not happen again.

The Markham race replaces the Toronto event at Exhibition Place, a tight circuit which had undergone many changes as more buildings rose on the grounds. IndyCar would have probably had to find a new home eventually. A conflict with the World Cup did not allow the race to take place this year, and Markham, about 30 minutes away, became the new home of IndyCar for the next five years.

Newer and casual fans may be surprised that there is a race this weekend, as this event has been overshadowed promo wise by next week’s race in Washington, D. C. The quest for ratings for that race has buried promotion for this weekend’s race.

While it is a new circuit for everyone, Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood enter as the two favorites. They dominated t6he inaugural race at Arlington in March, and there is no reason to believe the top two drivers in the standings won’t do the same here.

The circuit looks interesting with a long backstretch and some elevation change. Turn 6 looks like a good passing zone.

Like Detroit, Markham features a split pit lane. The concept works better than I expected it to as drivers have behaved and stayed on their side of the pits on exit.

With five races left in the season, a seventh victory for Palou would pretty much wrap up his fifth championship and fourth in a row. The only real question is can Kirkwood retain second place rather than switching spots with David Malukas every weekend.

My pick for Sunday is Kyle Kirkwood. I am surprised that he hasn’t won a race since March, and street circuits are his expertise. He still won’t gain much ground on Palou, who will likely be on the podium, but Kirkwood will solidify his hold on second place.

I am anxious to see what the track looks like this afternoon and how the cars w3ill =race on it. I’ll be back this evening with a practice wrap up.

Some Thoughts on the 2027 Schedule

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In what seemed a strange move, IndyCar announced the first half of the 2027 schedule yesterday. I don’t really see the point of announcing a partial schedule. Perhaps there are some things in the works for next July and August that need a lot of work, but I would prefer to wait and announce the full schedule at one time.

Most of the dates were already known from NASCAR and IMSA schedules which have shared dates. The date for Barber was new information as were the test dates.

IndyCar starts 2027 with he same three races which began 2026- St. Pete March 7; Phoenix March 14; and Arlington March 21. Beginning the season with three straight races is a great early momentum builder, but I don’t like the March 21 conflict with the Sebring 12 hour weekend. As much as I love IndyCar, Sebring is my first choice that weekend, and it has that weekend longer. IndyCar should leave that weekend blank and go to Arlington the following week.

I am happy to see Barber return to April, although later in the month would be better when the landscaping begins to bloom.

After Long Beach comes am nearly four week gap between races. That might be a great spot for Gateway. It won’t be too hot at that time of year, and it’s close enough to IMS for teams to move into the track for May.

Ironically, my favorite part of the new schedule is not any of the races, but the May 4-5 open oval test days. Two more days of cars on track in Ma-, early May as well- extends the month which goes to its proper and rightful date of May 30. 2027 will be the best month of May in years.

Without a World Cup or Olympics to schedule around, the rest of the summer schedule should be more evenly distributed between July and August without huge gaps of idleness. It would be nice to have two races in September, too.

I realize scheduling is difficult, and I’m anxious to see what bthe rest ofn2027 will look like. Overall, the start of next season looks promising.

The schedule, including tewt dates:

Feb. 23-24: Phoenix Test
March 5-7: St. Pete
March 12-13: Phoenix
March 19-21: Arlington
Apr. 2-4: Barber
April 16-18: Long Beach
May 4-5: Indy 500 Test
May 14-15: Sonsio GP
May 30: Indy 500
June 4-6: Detroit

Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham Fast Facts

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Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 14-Sunday, Aug. 16

Track: Streets of Markham, a 12-turn, 2.19-mile (3.52-kilometer) temporary street course

Race distance: Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham: 90 laps/197.1 miles/317.2 kilometers

Push-to-pass parameters: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation.

Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 360 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.

Firestone tire allotment: Five sets primary, five sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.

X: @ontario_indy, @IndyCar, #indyON #IndyCar

Instagram: @ontarioindy, @INDYCAR, #indyON, #INDYCARThreads: @INDYCAR @ontarioindy

Facebook: @ontarioindy, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARTikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR

YouTube: @INDYCAR

Event website: http://www.HondaIndy.com

INDYCAR website: http://www.INDYCAR.com

2025 race winner (Streets of Toronto):Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet)

2025 NTT P1 Award winner:Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda), 59.8392 seconds, 107.461 mph (172.942 kph)

Qualifying record: New circuit in 2026

FOX Sports telecasts:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES:

Practice 1, 3 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (USA)/TSN+ (Canada) (live);

Practice 2, 10 a.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (USA)/TSN+ (Canada) (live);

Qualifying, 2:25 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live) (USA)/TSN5/TSN+ (Canada);

Warmup, 8:30 a.m. ET, Sunday FS2 (USA) Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham, noon ET, Sunday, FOX (USA)/TSN1/TSN4/TSN+ (Canada) (live).

Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.

INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query and Nick Yeoman are the turn announcers. Michael Young, Alex Wollf, Joel Sebastianelli and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham race (11:30 a.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, NTT P1 Award Qualifying (2:25 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times local):

Friday, Aug. 14 3:05-4:30 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1 (40 minutes for all cars, followed by two groups for 12 minutes each), FS2 (USA) /TSN+ (Canada), (Live)

Saturday, Aug. 15 10:05-11:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2 (40 minutes for all cars, followed by two groups for 12 minutes each), FS2 (USA) /TSN+ (Canada), (Live)

2:25-4 p.m. – Qualifying for NTT P1 Award (Three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS1 (USA) / TSN5/TSN+ (Canada), (Live)

Sunday, Aug. 16 8:40-9:10 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warmup, FS2 (USA), (Live)

Noon – FOX/TSN1 and TSN4 on air

12:15 p.m. – Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham “Drivers, start your engines”

12:22 p.m. – Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham (90 laps/197.1 miles/317.2 kilometers), FOX (USA) /TSN1/TSN4/TSN+ (Canada), (Live).

NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship factsAlex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with five races to go for the fifth time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. He also led the championship with five races to go in his championship-winning seasons in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Palou, who took the points lead at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in April, has led the point standings after 10 of the 13 races this season.

There are 12 drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Christian Lundgaard, Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Ericsson, Rinus VeeKay, Will Power and Scott Dixon. Any driver who trails the points leader by 216 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.

Since 2008 when INDYCAR SERIES racing unified under the NTT INDYCAR SERIES banner, the eventual series champion has won the 14th race of the season six times. The most recent occurrence was 2025 when Alex Palou won at Laguna Seca. He also won the 14th race of 2021 at Portland. Other drivers to win the 14th race of their championship season were Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Dario Franchitti (2009 and 2010) and Scott Dixon (2008).

From 2009-2019, the eventual NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion won the Toronto race six times. Dario Franchitti won in 2009 and 2011. Ryan Hunter-Reay won in 2012, Scott Dixon swept both races in 2013 and won the single race in 2018, and Josef Newgarden won in 2017. Seven other drivers have claimed the INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season they won at Toronto: Bobby Rahal (1986), Al Unser Jr. (1990), Michael Andretti (1991), Alex Zanardi (1998), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Paul Tracy (2003) and Sebastien Bourdais (2004).Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the championship leader with five races to go has gone on to win the championship 11 times. Those drivers were: Scott Dixon (2008, 2018 and 2020), Dario Franchitti (2011), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Josef Newgarden (2019) and Alex Palou (2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025).Point differential: The 110 points that separate Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood are the second-largest point margin since INDYCAR SERIES racing was unified in 2008. Before this season, the average lead with five races to go since 2008 was 48.8 points.

INDYCAR Announces Phase One of 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Schedule 

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From IndyCar. I have some thoughts which will be shared later today.

 Action-Packed Season Starts with Three Straight Races Barber Motorsports Park Returns to April Date All NTT INDYCAR SERIES Races Again To Air on FOX

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026) – INDYCAR has announced the return of a supercharged set of races to kick off the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season as part of “Phase One” of next year’s overall schedule. The spring event lineup includes another adrenaline-fueled launch with three straight weekends at: Streets of St. Petersburg, Sunday, March 7, Phoenix Raceway, Saturday, March 13,Streets of Arlington, Sunday, March 21.
INDYCAR announced the dates and locations for the first eight races of the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season as Phase One of the schedule unveiling.
For the third consecutive season, all NTT INDYCAR SERIES races will be broadcast on FOX, with three additional appearances scheduled during the two days of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and coverage of Miller Lite Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is once again the only premier motorsport series in North America with all races broadcast on network television.
During the current NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, viewership is up 16% from the previous season, creating the highest viewership of the championship since 2008.

“It has been another remarkable year of growth through our powerful partnership with FOX Sports, and we look forward to focusing on even greater opportunities through the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said.
“We are pleased to confirm Phase One of next year’s championship alongside another accelerated start with races in St. Petersburg, Phoenix and Arlington. 2026 has been proof of concept that our sport is fueled by an expanding presence across marquee events and destinations, and we look forward to carrying that momentum into 2027.”

2027 will mark the second consecutive year – and just the fifth time in the 118-year history of the INDYCAR SERIES – that a season begins on three consecutive weekends.
The Sunday, March 7 race on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, will be the 17th time the championship will open in the Sunshine City. Following the season debut at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns for another joint showcase weekend with NASCAR in partnership with FOX Sports at Phoenix Raceway.
The Saturday, March 13 race will be the 66th time the INDYCAR SERIES has raced on the historic 1-mile desert oval. The 2026 race featured 565 on-track passes – the most on record for the INDYCAR SERIES at Phoenix Raceway.
A week later, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to the 14-turn, 2.73-mile Streets of Arlington circuit for the second Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. The tentpole event unites three championship organizations: INDYCAR, the Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, the official events partner of the Texas Rangers. The sold-out inaugural race featured the season’s fastest trap speed on a street circuit at 192.298 mph by Kyle Kirkwood before being won by the Andretti Global driver
.“The start to this year’s 2026 season was action-packed, and it’s gratifying to know the stage is set for a return to that frantic pace in 2027,” 
INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said.
“St. Pete has become an ideal host to begin our season, and the reaction to the series’ return to historic Phoenix Raceway made our partnership with NASCAR and FOX all the more special. To finish that stretch with a marquee event on the Streets of Arlington will be a fitting way to lead into another heated season-long battle for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.”
The spring portion of the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule continues Sunday, April 4 on the series’ first natural terrain road course of the season and a return to the “Augusta National” of racetracks at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. It is the 17th INDYCAR weekend at the picturesque, dynamic and physically demanding track.
Two weeks later, the season returns to the palm tree-lined Streets of Long Beach for the iconic Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 18. The legendary event set a modern-day record with over 200,000 in attendance in 2026. The 2027 edition will extend the longest-running street circuit event on the calendar, as this will be the 43rd time the INDYCAR SERIES has raced on the sunny Southern California streets.
Another thrilling Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway follows the Streets of Long Beach and begins on the challenging road course for the Sonsio Grand Prix, Saturday, May 15. It is the 13th time the 2.439-mile circuit has set the stage for the month’s remaining events.
Attention then turns toward the famed 2.5-mile oval the following week leading to PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying Weekend on Saturday-Sunday, May 22-23.
A week later, the 111th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is set for Sunday, May 30. The 2026 edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” featured a race-record 70 lead changes and the closest finish in race history when Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian edged David Malukas of Team Penske by just .0233 of a second.
The 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule continues with the traditional post-May visit to the Streets of Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday, June 6. The 2026 race, won by Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, featured the most on-track passes on a street circuit this season.

2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open TestsFor the second year, the 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season calendar will begin with the Unser INDYCAR Open Test on Tuesday-Wednesday, Feb. 23-24 at Phoenix Raceway. The two-day test will not only prepare all teams for the season ahead but also the series’ race at the desert oval the following month. Additional details of the test, named in honor of the Unser family and their accomplishments at their home track, will be announced at a later date
.In preparation for the 111th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the Indy 500 Open Test is set for Tuesday-Wednesday, May 4-5 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – between NTT INDYCAR SERIES races on the Streets of Long Beach and the IMS road course. The two-day test allows additional track time for all teams, including rookies looking to complete the Rookie Orientation Program. Testing hours will be shared later.
Phase Two of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, featuring the remaining 2027 race dates, will be released in the coming weeks. Tune-in times for next season’s events will be announced at a later date. The 2027 schedule for INDY NXT by Firestone, INDYCAR’s developmental series, also will be announced at a later date.

2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE – PHASE ONE 
Date Venue Television
Sunday, March 7 Streets of St. Petersburg FOX
Saturday, March 13 Phoenix Raceway FOX
Sunday, March 21 Streets of Arlington FOX
Sunday, April 4 Barber Motorsports Park FOX
Sunday, April 18 Streets of Long Beach FOX
Saturday, May 15 Indianapolis Motor Speedway RC FOX
Sunday, May 30 The 111th Indianapolis 500 FOX
Sunday, June 6 Streets of Detroit FOX