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- Category: Road Racing
By: Anthony Bruno/RaceCanada.ca
July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025
A dominate beginning and a wild ending encapsulate an action-packed Sunday afternoon at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
AO Racing take “Spike” to the top step of the podium of the Chevrolet Grand Prix on the back of a late race incident, an otherworldly stint from PJ Hyett and a great drive from Dane Cameron.
The number 99 machine finished ahead of the Daniel Goldburg and Tom Blomqvist driven United Autosport number 22, with the Riley Oreca of Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga rounding out the podium after an unserved TDS Racing drive-through was converted into a time penalty.
After dominance in the early portions of the race, it almost wasn’t capped of with a win for AO Racing.
Despite an electric stint from Hyett, one which saw him lead by upwards of 15+ seconds, they lost the lead in the final pit stop cycle and the Inter Europol car, piloted by Tom Dillmann, always seemed out of reach, even after a restart. That was until the number 43 crashed into the tire barrier in turn three with around 15 minutes remaining, handing the lead back to Cameron and forcing the race to end under full course yellow conditions.
This gives AO Racing their first win in LMP2, converting a hard-earned pole from Saturday. They were not the only team to grab their first victory in their class.
In GTD Pro, the DragonSpeed Ferrari of Albert Costa and Giacomo Altoe, with some gutsy strategy calls and a couple timely full course yellows, take the top spot ahead of the Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg Corvette and Lauren Heinrich and Klaus Bachler in AO Racing’s Porsche, also known as “Rexy”.
The GTD class saw Wayne Taylor Racing pick up the win with an audible of their own.
The Danny Formal and Trent Hindman driven Lamborghini finished ahead of the Windward Racing Mercedes of Russell Ward and Philip Ellis, with Parker Thompson, the only Canadian on any of the podiums, and Jack Hawksworth rounding things out in the Vasser Sullivan Lexus.
In terms of the hometown contingent, it was rather hit and miss for them.
In LMP2, Tower Motorsports, driven by John Farano and Renger van der Zande, managed to top both practice sessions, however faltered in qualifying and had a rough start to the race, ultimately finishing ninth, three laps off the pace from the rest of the class.
Meanwhile, Phil Fryer of the United Autosports no.2 was the highest finishing Canadian overall, coming home in P4.
GTD Pro was much of the same, with the Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini of Andrea Caldarelli and Marco Mapelli finishing in fifth, while both Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustangs struggled for pace all race long.
GTD had the highs of Robert Wickens of DXDT Racing and Romain De Angelis of Heart of Racing ending up fourth and fifth in class respectively, adding on to the Thompson podium, and the lows of AWA struggling throughout the day and the Forte Racing Lamborghini, piloted by Misha Goikhberg and Mario Farnbacher, ending up in the tire barrier in Turn Eight to bring out the full course yellow with around 30 minutes remaining.
The series heads to Road America next, with the GTP class returning as the tip of the spear for a sprint round around another famous circuit from Aug. 1-3.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: Honda Dealers Indy Toronto
July 11, 2025
July 11, 2025
WHAT:
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto festival features world-class racing, international food, beer gardens, live entertainment and activities with lots to see and do for families and festival-goers of all ages. The on-track action for the 37th edition of this downtown summer festival includes the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Additional races from USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire, USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire, Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin and Miata Canada Cup round out a jam-packed weekend.
WHEN:
July 18-20, 2025
WHERE:
Held on the streets of Toronto surrounding Exhibition Place, a unique site situated along the shores of Lake Ontario on the west edge of downtown Toronto, the 192-acre property is home to more than 100 special events and trade and consumer shows annually.
OWNERS:
Kim Green and Kevin Savoree of Green Savoree Racing Promotions
RACES:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire
USF2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tire
Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin
Miata Canada Cup
TEAMS:
Chip Ganassi Racing has the most victories on the streets of Toronto at eight (8) race wins.
TRACK:
2.874-kilometer (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary street circuit
TORONTO:
Round 13 of 17 for the U.S.-based NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the 90-lap Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto covers 258.69 km (160.74 miles) and is the only international race on the 2025 INDYCAR schedule.
TV / STREAMING / RADIO:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Sunday, July 20 - Live race coverage nationally on TSN and CTV2 begins at Noon ET and airing on FOX in the U.S. The race starts at 12:22 p.m. ET. All on-track sessions can also be streamed via INDYCAR LIVE. Radio coverage available through INDYCAR Radio Network and SiriusXM Channel 218.
USF Pro 2000 and USF2000: Global live streaming can be found on the USF Pro Championships App, and on the series respective websites - usfpro2000.com and usf2000.com.
FREE FAN FRIDAY:
Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday which offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish® Canada. Over $1 million dollars have been raised through various contributions from this initiative.
REV & RUN:
Rev & Run happens on the race track on the evening of Friday, July 18 in 5000m and 1000m formats and raises funds for the Parkdale Community Food Bank, which supports over 10,000 local families every month.
RIDE THE TRACK:
Ride the Track 2025 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the public to ride their bicycles on the legendary Toronto Indy Track on Saturday evening, July 19. All proceeds directly support The Children's Breakfast Clubs, funding hot, nutritious meals for children in Toronto and the GTA.
VOLUNTEERS:
Over 500 dedicated local volunteers including support from British Automobile Racing Club-Ontario Centre (BARC) contribute to making the event a success.
RACE SERIES:
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series. It features an international field of the world's most versatile drivers – including championship contenders Josef Newgarden (USA), Alex Palou (Spain) and Pato O’Ward (Mexico) – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2025 season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDYCAR, INDY NXT by Firestone, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.
USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire (formerly Indy Pro 2000) has served as a vital step on the career path of many of today’s top drivers. It is the third official step on the USF Pro Championships ladder. The series is sanctioned by USAC and owned and operated by Andersen Promotions. The 2025 USF Pro 2000 champion will receive a scholarship valued at $546,500 to advance to INDY NXT in 2026. Six of the past seven USF Pro 2000 champions have made it to the top level of INDYCAR with 2023 champion Myles Rowe set to continue to hone his skills in INDY NXT with ABEL Motorsports with Force Indy. In total, the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire will distribute over $1.43M in prize money and awards.
USF2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tire debuted in 2010 and is a continuation of the highly regarded USF2000 series which ran from 1990 through 2006, launching the careers of many of today’s top drivers. The series is the second official step on the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire ladder - a clearly defined path to reach the top echelons of the sport. In addition to providing a vital training ground for rising stars, the 2025 USF2000 champion will receive a scholarship valued at $405,040 to advance to USF Pro 2000 in 2026. Graduates include Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Rasmussen, Myles Rowe and reigning champion Max Garcia.
Radical Canada is the national distributor for Radical Motorsport, offering lightweight, high-downforce SR3 racecars and a true prototype-style experience. With full-service car rentals, arrive-and-drive programs, and white-glove support for customer cars, they make it easy for drivers to compete at a high level in regional and national championships.
The Miata Canada Cup is part of the CASC-OR Road Racing Series. Regularly attracting fields of two dozen or more, with most teams running in the MCC1 class for “spec cars” that places the focus clearly on the drivers’ skill and experience. The MCCU class is for any car that does not meet the spec requirements. Grassroots racing at its best – very close and very exciting.
TICKETS:
2-Day Grandstand and General Admission are available offering the best weekend value. Pricing starts at $110 for 2-Day Grandstand seating, and 2-Day Weekend General Admission is $85. Single Day General Admission is $50 for Saturday and $70 for Sunday while Single Day Grandstand tickets start at $75 and $100 for Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Children 12 and under are admitted free (general admission) with a ticketed adult providing an exceptional family value. The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto Rookie Racers program offers the youngest spectators a chance to go behind the scenes and interact with motorsports in a unique way. Tickets and information are available at hondaindy.com.
FOLLOW THE EVENT:
hondaindy.com
Facebook: facebook.com/indytoronto
X: @hondaindy
Instagram: @hondaindy
#indyTO
HISTORY & RECORDS:
Click HERE to DOWNLOAD Fact Sheet on history and records of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto.
2024 INDY TORONTO HIGHLIGHTS:
Download race highlights from the 2024 Indy Toronto HERE.
SCHEDULE:
View weekend's festival schedule at hondaindy.com/schedule.
About Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto:
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is a world-class motorsports festival which takes place annually on a 2.874-kilometre (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary circuit using the streets surrounding Exhibition Place near Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto. The event features many attractions, food trucks, interactive displays and activities, and supports local charities. Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday which offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish® Canada. Since 2010, event fundraising has raised over $1 million for charity.
As one of Ontario's largest annual sporting events with the first race held in 1986 first known as the Molson Indy, it has become a prestigious meeting place for some of the world’s fastest race car drivers including past NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions like Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou and Will Power as well as Canadian racing greats Scott Goodyear, James Hinchcliffe, Greg Moore, Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Wickens and more. Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is owned and operated by Green Savoree Toronto, ULC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (Feb. 28 - March 2, 2025), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport (July 4-6, 2025) and BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 8-10, 2025).
For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @IndyToronto or follow the event on X @HondaIndy and Instagram @HondaIndy using #indyTO.
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
By: David Phillips/IMSA Wire Service
July 9, 2025
July 9, 2025
Daytona Beach, Florida – It’s safe to say Robert Wickens circled this weekend in red when he and DXDT Racing announced plans to compete in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) category of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. After all, Wickens originally hails from Guelph, Ontario – a Toronto suburb – and the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) is the WeatherTech Championship’s only visit to Canada this year.
“There’s lots to be excited about and I’m just trying to embrace a home race. It's been a long time since I've been in the headline event at a hometown race,” admits Wickens. “The last was IndyCar in 2018 (streets of Toronto, where he finished third). The Canadian fans are always passionate and always super loyal, and it's going to be awesome to see everybody out there.”
It’s also safe to say that having run countless number of laps at CTMP, Wickens knows the 10-turn, 2.459-mile circuit inside and out – witness his two IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Touring Car (TCR) class wins there for Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA). Call it advantage number one for Wickens who was injured in a crash back in 2018 and now operates the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R using hand controls including Bosch’s electronic braking system.
It's equally safe to say Wickens will heavily lean on another advantage this weekend, namely Josh Gibbs. After all, Gibbs plays a uniquely vital role in the Wickens + DXDT equation for he is the crew member responsible for lifting Wickens into and out of the No. 36 DXDT Corvette during driver changes with Wickens’ co-driver, Alec Udell. Efficiently executing Wickens’ ingress and egress from the cockpit during pit stops can win or lose positions on the track.
“It’s a cliche, but you can win and lose a race during a pit stop,” says Gibbs. “You’re literally carrying a human body around the car, around the tires and the rest of the crew doing their jobs, other cars coming in and out of the pits and constantly keeping your head on a swivel for safety sake.”
Prior to Wickens’ GTD debut at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach this season, he and Gibbs joined the team in spending a full day practicing pit stops at the DXDT shop in Charlotte, North Carolina under the watchful eyes (and remorseless stopwatch) of team manager Bryan Sellers.
“But by the end of the day we were under six seconds for getting Robert out of the car,” Gibbs says. “So the next target was five seconds …”
Gibbs did not come by this job by accident. A standout center on the Saginaw Valley State University football team, he didn’t hear his name called during the National Football League draft so, instead, he turned his attention to becoming a strength and conditioning coach for the Arena Football League’s Reno Express and later worked with AMA Motocross/Supercross champion Nico Izzi.
Subsequently, Gibbs worked in a spinal cord recovery clinic, where he met Michael Johnson who was paralyzed in a motocross accident at age 12 but who returned to racing go-karts and, later, using hand controls, race cars.
When Johnson moved to race cars, Gibbs took on the added responsibilities of assisting his driver getting into and out of the cockpit, successfully as it turned out. Johnson won the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Lime Rock Park in 2018 before joining BHA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge effort in 2021. Fortuitously, when Johnson brought the curtain down on his racing career, one Robert Wickens was quick to contact Gibbs.
“When Michael took the personal family ‘out’ Robert called and said ‘Hey, I’ll take you!’” Gibbs recalls.
“It’s crazy how effortlessly Josh can toss me around getting in and out of the car,” says Wickens.
However, it turns out there’s more to the job than brute strength. As Gibbs noted, helping Wickens in and out of the DXDT Corvette amid the helter-skelter action in the pits is daunting enough. Ultimately, doing it quickly takes second place to doing it carefully.
“It’s a strong and powerful grip,” says Gibbs, “but it’s actually not hurting the way I do it. There is an art to it. I guess over the years I’ve perfected the grip and the moves, such that it’s not a ripping grab. I’m looking at the head. I’m looking at the arms. I’m looking at the body. I’m looking at which path we’re taking so that we’re not hurting anything.”
With Wickens’ GTD program limited to the non-endurance races on the WeatherTech Championship schedule, this weekend marks just the third time this season the Wickens/Gibbs tandem will be working together in the heat of competition. Wickens concedes there is work to do.
“We’re still working to find time getting me into the car,” he says. “We’re quick but not as consistent as we’d like. Getting out is relatively easy, but there’s a lot more moving parts to get connected getting into the car.
“We got the pit stops down to 16 seconds at Long Beach but even then we lost some time. At Laguna Seca the whole pit stop was a disaster, beginning with our car getting hit by another car. But like anything else in racing, we keep practicing, keep working to do what we need to do to be competitive.”
And to continue developing their fair advantage.
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
By: John Oreovicz/IMSA Wire Service
July 9, 2025
July 9, 2025
Daytona Beach, Florida – AWA didn’t win the LMGT3 class in the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, but its Canadian maple leaf-liveried Corvette Z06 GT3.R won the hearts of the international racing community from the heart of France.
Now the only Canadian team to participate in this year’s 24-hour classic at the Circuit de la Sarthe is back on home soil to compete in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the sixth of 10 races on the slate for Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class competitors in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The GTD, GTD PRO, and Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) classes take the spotlight at CTMP, while the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class enjoys a mid-summer break before returning to top the bill August 1-3 at the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America.
Etobicoke, Ontario (town near Mississauga, Ontario near Toronto) native Orey Fidani secured Andrew Wojteczko Autosport’s invitation to Le Mans by winning IMSA’s Bob Akin Award, presented to the top Bronze-rated full-time driver in the GTD class. Fidani and his AWA co-drivers Lars Kern and Matt Bell claimed the ’24 Akin prize on consistency, then opened the 2025 IMSA campaign with a Rolex 24 At Daytona class victory.
Fidani and Brendan Iribe (No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3) are tied with 1590 points to lead this year’s Akin Award standings. It appears set to be a two-horse race between Fidani and Iribe for the 2025 Bob Akin Award the rest of the season. Fidani and Bell rank eighth in the overall GTD standings.
Fans at CTMP – located about 50 miles northeast of Toronto’s City Centre in Bowmanville and colloquially known by its original name of Mosport – are in for a treat, because AWA’s No. 13 Corvette will be wrapped in a Canadian-themed livery almost identical to the one its Europe-based twin sported on the way to its top-10 class finish at Le Mans.
“Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is my home track, and just being there is a great feeling,” Fidani said. “I honestly couldn’t tell you how many laps I’ve done there; I feel like I could probably drive it with my eyes closed. It’s a challenging layout, and no matter how many times I drive it, it never gets old.
“This race means so much to the whole team,” he added. “CTMP is an extremely special place for me. It's where this whole journey began and it’s very sentimental to be able to compete at my home track in front of friends and family.
Fidani has remained fiercely loyal to his co-drivers and team as they worked up the sports car ladder together as a group since 2022, and Wojteczko is extremely grateful Fidani insisted on taking on the Le Mans effort as AWA rather than just trying to find a ride on his own.
Fidani also praised Bell, who had competed twice before at Le Mans in the LMP2 class and has consistently lent a veteran presence to the AWA effort.
“I’m not sure I’m comfortable of the title of veteran just yet,” laughed Bell, a 35-year-old Englishman. “It was definitely different to be essentially the only driver there that’s done Le Mans before.
“You have to have your routine ready, and in the race, you can’t sit and watch the TV screens the whole time, because when you jump in you feel tired. Le Mans is not a track to drive around tired. It’s a pretty high commitment circuit.
“I was just trying to make sure everybody was as prepped off the track as they were on it, and it seems to have gone alright.”
The AWA team notched a 10th-place class finish at Le Mans, which was a positive achievement that left everyone wanting more.
“We’re obviously a very competitive team,” Bell said. “We want to win; we won the Akin Award last year and we won Daytona this year. We fell a little short on pace at Le Mans. We learned some lessons; we’re pretty sure immediately that we know why, and what went wrong. But you never know that until you’ve done it wrong, and then you’re in the race. So, we weren’t quite as competitive as we hoped to be, and it really is a pace race these days for all classes.
“Having Jeff Braun (respected racing engineer and father of IMSA driver Colin Braun) along with us was important, as he’s done it a couple times,” Bell added. “He’s been both keeping our team moving forward in the IMSA paddock and going to Le Mans. I think bringing Jeff in was a really big jump for the team and he’s done a great job bringing all the people together.”
Bell and his teammates didn’t bring home a trophy from Le Mans, but they brought home a suitcase full of memories. There’s no doubt they’ll get a huge round of applause every time AWA’s rolling homage to Canada turns a lap of CTMP.
“After seeing the massive amount of support we received in Le Mans, we knew we had to bring back the red livery for the Canadian crowd,” Fidani said. “I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car and we’ll be doing everything we can to put on a good show and get a great result here.”
Bell added, “The whole Fidani family and the team were proud to be, I believe, the only Canadian team to be flying the flag. It just added an extra little element to everything for everyone.
“It was cool to see such a positive reception to guys proud of where the team was coming from and the national pride. Definitely a big hit and a big fan favorite – as the IMSA car has been as well this year (in the black and gold livery it ran from Daytona through the June 22 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International). We seem to have resonated on the livery front with the fans so far this year, so they are doing a great job.
“The parade day (at Le Mans) was such a cool day,” Bell continued. “It’s easy to forget how crazy that all is, and to do it again and see Orey and Lars experience it. Such fun to see so much engagement from so many fans of the race. You always want to make sure the people coming to watch the event are having as much enjoyment as you are. We had some great times on that parade and that will stay with me for a while.”
Practice for the Chevrolet Grand Prix starts Friday, July 11, with the 2-hour, 40-minute race slated for 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 13. Domestic coverage is on USA and Peacock, while international viewers have the option of IMSA.TV or the official IMSA YouTube Channel.
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
By: JWR Racing
July 4, 2025
July 4, 2025
Whitby, Ontario — Jonathan Woolridge Racing is proud to announce a new partnership with Oro Station, Canada’s newest premier motorsport and automotive innovation campus, ahead of the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). The collaboration brings together one of the country’s rising racing talents with an organization shaping the future of Canadian motorsport.
Located in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, Oro Station Motor Circuit features a 4.1-kilometre FIA Grade 3 circuit integrated into a state-of-the-art automotive campus focused on performance engineering, research, and education. As Woolridge prepares to race in front of a hometown crowd, the support from Oro Station adds both local pride and forward-thinking synergy to his campaign.
Currently competing in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Woolridge drives the #54 Ligier JS P320 LMP3 for MLT Motorsports and has already made headlines with a standout victory at Circuit of the Americas earlier this season. His sights are firmly set on progressing to the LMP2 category, and the partnership with Oro Station further reinforces his upward trajectory.
“Teaming up with Oro Station for my home race at CTMP is incredibly special,” says Woolridge. “Their commitment to innovation and engineering excellence aligns perfectly with the values I carry onto the racetrack every weekend. To represent such a forward-thinking Canadian organization at a track that means so much to me is a real honour.”
Oro Station branding will be featured on Woolridge’s #54 LMP3 machine and across team assets throughout the race weekend. The partnership also includes exclusive digital content that will give fans a deeper look into the shared ambition to elevate Canadian motorsport on the world stage.
The Chevrolet Grand Prix takes place July 11–13 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, and is one of the most anticipated events on the IMSA calendar. For Woolridge, the weekend is more than just a race, it’s a celebration of hometown roots and a bold step forward.
About Oro Station
Oro Station is a new automotive innovation park under construction in Oro-Medonte, Ontario,Canada. Oro Station will be home to the future of automotive technology and education, while providing specialized services in motorsports, automotive restoration, and advanced engineering. The site will feature 500,000 square feet of industrial space dedicated to automotive research, engineering, education and development, including a 4.1km FIA Grade 3 motor circuit with dynamic driving areas. Oro Station will create connections between enthusiasts and experts alike, and establish a vibrant community with an eye towards advancing the automotive industry in Canada.
For more information about Oro Station please visit www.orostation.ca