Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham 2026 Preview
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham makes its debut from 14th to 16th August 2026, bringing the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to a brand-new temporary street circuit in Markham, Ontario. The event marks a new chapter for Ontario’s IndyCar tradition after the race moved from Toronto to Markham under a multi-year agreement.
The inaugural weekend will feature five racing series, with INDYCAR headlining a programme that also includes NASCAR Canada, USF Pro 2000, USF2000 and Emzone Radical Cup Canada. With a new circuit, a fresh competitive challenge and a full festival programme, there is plenty for fans to anticipate.
From the weekend schedule and circuit layout to the drivers expected to contend at the front, here is what you need to know ahead of the first Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham.
When Is The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham?
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is scheduled for Friday 14th to Sunday 16th August 2026. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will headline the three-day event, with practice on Friday and Saturday, qualifying on Saturday afternoon and the main race on Sunday.
According to the published INDYCAR schedule, the opening practice session for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday 14th August. Saturday begins with a second practice session at 10:00 a.m., followed by qualifying at 2:25 p.m. Sunday starts with warmup at 8:30 a.m., while the 2026 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy is scheduled to get underway at noon ET.
The wider weekend programme also includes NASCAR Canada and the USF and Radical Cup categories, giving fans a full schedule of racing beyond the headline INDYCAR event.
With the inaugural race weekend approaching, attention naturally turns to the new street circuit and the challenge it will present to drivers and teams.
Where Is The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham Held?
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham will be held in Markham Centre, in the eastern part of Markham’s downtown core. The temporary circuit is positioned between Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard, the Unionville GO tracks and Highway 407.
Rather than an existing permanent race track, the event uses a purpose-built 12-turn temporary street circuit designed by renowned track designer Tony Cotman of NRC Consulting. The layout measures 3.52 kilometres (2.19 miles) and incorporates long straights, technically demanding sections and a double-sided pit lane.
The new circuit means there is no previous INDYCAR race history at Markham for teams to rely on. Drivers will therefore have to learn the layout quickly during practice and qualifying while engineers work from simulation, testing and data gathered during the weekend itself.
The race site is also close to Markham Pan Am Centre, York University’s Markham campus and other facilities in Markham Centre. Fans should also be aware that streets forming part of the circuit will be subject to event-related road closures.
With no previous Markham winner to defend the crown, the inaugural event presents a genuine unknown for the entire field.
Who Won The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham 2025?
There was no Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham in 2025. The Markham event is making its debut in 2026 after the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy moved from Toronto to Markham under a multi-year agreement.
The 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy was held at Toronto’s Exhibition Place, where Pato O’Ward took victory for Arrow McLaren. O’Ward started 10th and moved into the lead late in the race, securing his first victory on the Toronto street circuit. Rinus VeeKay finished second and Kyffin Simpson was third.
Alex Palou, who had already established himself as one of the series’ leading road- and street-course performers, finished 12th in the 2025 Toronto race. Palou nevertheless entered the 2026 season as a major championship contender after winning his fourth NTT INDYCAR SERIES title in 2025.
Because Markham is a completely new venue, there is no previous race result that can be used as a direct benchmark. The inaugural event will instead establish the first reference point for future editions of the race.
Who Is Favourite To Win The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham?
Alex Palou is an obvious contender for the inaugural Markham race. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has been exceptionally strong on road and street courses and entered 2026 as the reigning series champion. INDYCAR noted ahead of the 2026 season that Palou had won 13 of the previous 38 series races, underlining his record on the types of circuits most relevant to Markham.
Pato O’Ward is another leading candidate. The Arrow McLaren driver won the 2025 Toronto race and finished second in the 2025 championship, making him one of the most obvious names to watch when INDYCAR returns to Ontario.
Josef Newgarden also deserves consideration, although his recent statistical strength has been particularly pronounced on oval circuits rather than road and street courses. INDYCAR reported in July 2026 that Newgarden had won 13 of the previous 30 oval races, while his most recent road-course victory came at Road America in 2022.
Other drivers, including Scott Dixon, Christian Lundgaard and Scott McLaughlin, could also feature depending on how their cars perform on the new layout. Ultimately, there is a greater degree of uncertainty than at an established circuit because nobody has raced an INDYCAR on the Markham course before.
Track position, qualifying performance, tyre management, pit-stop execution and the ability to adapt to changing grip levels will all be important. The first Markham race should therefore provide a particularly interesting test of how quickly teams can understand a completely new street circuit.
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