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- Category: Road Racing
By: Indy Car
July 20, 2024
July 20, 2024
Toronto, Ontario – Five Honda-powered drivers topped the overall time sheet in Friday’s first practice for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place, although it likely doesn’t reflect the competitiveness of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field at the final street race of the season.
The final minutes of Friday’s practice saw two drivers – Alexander Rossi and rookie Linus Lundqvist – hit tire barriers on the 11-turn, 1.786-mile temporary street circuit, reducing the amount of time left for half of the field to complete a final timed lap.
Rossi was seen and released from INDYCAR Medical Unit, but the incident resulted in a broken right thumb, knocking the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner out of the weekend’s race.
Andretti Global w/Curb-Agajanian driver Colton Herta finished with the day’s fastest lap at 1 minute, 1.0399 seconds, but he knows others will be coming for the top spot the rest of the weekend.
“Overall, the car was really nice,” said Herta, who has a pair of top-three finishes on street circuits this season and won the pole for last month’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. “(It) feels like the same car that we brought last two years, which we've had podium results. And so hopefully that bodes well for us.”
Herta finished third in last year’s race and was second in 2022.
Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda) had Friday’s second-quickest time at 1:01.3323 and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Armstrong (No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) was third at 1:01.7791.
Rounding out the top five was Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) at 1:01.8717 and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal (No. 15 United Rentals Honda) at 1:02.0162.
AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 AJ FOYT RACING/SEXTON PROPERTIES Chevrolet) had the day’s fastest lap by a Chevrolet driver at 1:02.0519.
Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award is Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET, and recent history suggests it will be important for drivers to perform well in the session. The past four Toronto race winners have started on the front row -- two from the pole, two from the No. 2 starting position. This race is the last of four on street circuits this season. Dixon has won the past two.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard (No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda) won last year’s Toronto race from the pole, and he led 54 of the 85 laps. While his margin at the finish line was 11.7893 seconds – the third-largest of the season – Alex Palou and Herta drove from the 15th and 14th starting positions to finish on the podium. Lundgaard’s best lap Friday ranked 12th on the speed chart.
Three-time Toronto race winner Will Power had the first incident of Friday’s practice. He spun his No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet without contact in Turn 9, then was able to use the series’ new hybrid until to restart the car and continue without requiring a caution flag. Agustin Canapino spun his No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet harmlessly minutes later in Turn 8, and he kept the car running.
Later, Rossi and Lundqvist hit the tire barrier in nearly the same fashion.
Series points leader Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda), who was seventh Friday, has a 35-point lead over Power in the standings as both drivers try to score their third series championship. Sunday’s race is one of six remaining events on the calendar. Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) has climbed from sixth in points to third in recent weeks. He is 52 points behind Palou as he chases his first series title. O’Ward’s best lap Friday was good for 16th place.
This field includes Hunter McElrea, who finished second last season in the INDY NXT by Firestone standings. Driving the No. 18 Courtesy Corporation Honda, the 24-year-old New Zealander became the 44th driver to make their series debut with Dale Coyne Racing, including four this season. That group includes Toby Sowery, who is making his second series start this weekend in the team’s No. 51 Global Karting League/Vuzix Honda. They finished 18th and 25th, respectively, in Friday’s practice.
Saturday’s action begins with the weekend’s second practice at 10:30 a.m. ET. The final practice is Sunday at 10 a.m. ET. All sessions will air live on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: Ontario Honda Dealers Toronto Indy
July 16, 2024
July 16, 2024
Toronto, Ontario - The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is excited to announce that members of the legendary Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip will serve as honorary grand marshals for Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Exhibition Place. Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay will be on the starting grid as part of pre-race festivities and offer the command for drivers to start their engines.
The Tragically Hip are a critically acclaimed rock band that has been a fixture in Canadian music for over 30 years and are beloved by fans across the country and the world. They’ve won 17 Juno awards and sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.
“It’s such a thrill to be a part of this awesome tradition in Toronto,” said The Hip. “We’re grateful for the experience and we can’t wait to give the command and hear the engines roar!”
On Sunday (July 21) at 1:23 p.m. ET, Langlois, Baker, Sinclair and Fay will announce the most famous words in motorsports, "Drivers, start your engines!" for the 85-lap race on the 11-turn, 2.874 kilometre (1.786-mile) temporary street circuit constructed at Exhibition Place. In addition to their on site presence, a special livery on the No. 66 SiriusXM Honda driven by David Malukas will display SiriusXM’s The Tragically Hip Radio channel.
“Thank you to SiriusXM Canada and Meyer Shank Racing for collaborating with the Ontario Honda Dealers and the Toronto Indy to make this special appearance by these remarkable artists from The Tragically Hip possible,” said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. “It’s an honour to have them join us for this great Toronto event. This is another memorable moment for our fans to witness Paul (Langlois), Rob (Baker), Gord (Sinclair) and Johnny (Fay) shout the command before the field of world-class IndyCar drivers roll off the grid to take the green flag.”
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is Round 12 of 17 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season championship battle. Drivers expected on the starting grid include multi-time Toronto winners Scott Dixon, Will Power and Josef Newgarden, the back-to-back Indianapolis 500 champion, plus last year’s race winner Christian Lundgaard. The weekend schedule will also feature exciting sports car action from Sports Car Championship Canada and Radicals Cup, plus additional open-wheel competition from USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire.
All attendees are encouraged to use Toronto’s GO Lakeshore West Train to Exhibition Station for the easiest commute without the worry of traffic or parking at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. For $85, GO Transit is offering a combo ticket which includes 2-Day General Admission and two daily round trip fares for convenient transportation to and from the event. Single-day combo options are also available at hondaindy.com/GO. Children 12 and under ride free on Go Transit.
For ticket pricing, hospitality options, schedule and additional festival information, visit hondaindy.com.
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 offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation. To date, over $1 million has been raised for Make-A-Wish® Canada. As one of Ontario's largest annual sporting events, the first race held in 1986 was known as the Molson Indy, later became the Honda Indy Toronto and is now titled Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto.
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 (March 8-10, 2024), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid (July 5-7, 2024) and BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 23-25, 2024).
For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @IndyToronto or follow the event on X (formerly Twitter) @HondaIndy and Instagram @HondaIndy using #indyTO.
About SiriusXM Canada
Sirius XM Canada Inc., operating as SiriusXM Canada, is the country’s leading audio entertainment company. SiriusXM creates and offers ad-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy; news; podcasts; and exclusive talk and entertainment. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company, as well as on smartphones and all connected devices on the SiriusXM app. For more information, visit siriusxm.ca.
Join SiriusXM Canada on Facebook, on X (formerly Twitter), on Instagram and on YouTube.
SiriusXM radios and accessories are available from retailers nationwide and online at SiriusXM. In addition, SiriusXM Music for Business provides ad-free music to a variety of businesses. SiriusXM is also a leading provider of connected vehicles services, giving customers access to a suite of safety, security, and convenience services including automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle recovery assistance, enhanced roadside assistance and turn-by-turn navigation.
SiriusXM Canada has been designated one of Canada's Best Managed Companies 15 years in a row and is currently a Platinum Club Member.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: Ontario Honda Dealers Toronto Indy
July 15, 2024
July 15, 2024
Toronto, Ontario - One week from today a new era begins for the 36th edition of the motorsports festival at Exhibition Place when the gates open to fans and festival-goers. The event is now named the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, and for the 13th time, another significant tradition continues with Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday in support of Make-A-Wish® Canada.
To kick off the exciting festival weekend set for July 19-21, in lieu of paid admission, spectators can make a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish® Canada and receive complimentary gate admission on Friday, July 19. More than $1 million has been raised for children with critical illnesses to grant their wishes through these efforts over the past 12 years. Honda Canada Foundation will match donations dollar-for-dollar made by generous race fans up to a total of $50,000 during the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto weekend.
There are multiple ways for fans and festival-goers to make contributions this year. Attendees will be prompted to donate upon entering the festival grounds, but are also encouraged to visit the Racing Towards Wishes Make-A-Wish® Canada Zone located inside the Enercare Centre. It will feature fun activities for kids, chances to win prizes, an opportunity to take a picture of the friendly Make-A-Wish® Canada mascot Roary, and more. Online donations are also accepted at https://makeawish.ca/honda-indy-donation/.
Additionally, Make-A-Wish® Canada will again hold a 50-50 raffle contest that is accessible at Exhibition Place during the race weekend or online at https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/mawc-on3. The drawing will be held Monday, July 22 after the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto concludes.
“We encourage all our fans and festival-goers to get involved and make a life-changing impact with a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada as part of Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday,” said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. “Our team is honoured to be a part of this alongside Honda Canada Foundation and the Ontario Honda Dealers Association. We look forward to seeing all our great fans at Exhibition Place in just one week when gates open.”
Attendees at Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday on July 19 will be treated to a jam-packed on-track schedule featuring open-wheel racing from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and two series from USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire, plus exciting sports car action from Sports Car Championship Canada presented by Michelin, Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin and Radical Cup North America. An all-driver NTT INDYCAR SERIES autograph session is planned for 12:30 p.m. ET in Heritage Court, and the first Radicals Cup race takes the green flag at 5:05 p.m. ET.
Fans will also have access to an array of off-track features to experience at Exhibition Place. Festival-goers can explore premium food and drink offerings in the Truck Stop section or head to the Ontario Honda Dealers Pit Stop area inside the Enercare Centre to beat the heat. Merchandise stands to buy souvenirs to commemorate the trip, interactive displays and beer gardens fill Thunder Alley.
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto 2-Day General Admission tickets are available for $80, offering the best weekend value. Single Day General Admission is $50 for Saturday and $65 for Sunday.
All spectators are encouraged to use Toronto’s GO Lakeshore West Train to Exhibition Station for the easiest commute without the worry of traffic or parking at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. Go Transit has a special offer of general admission plus round trip fare at hondaindy.com/GO. Children 12 and under are admitted free throughout the event when attending with a ticketed adult and can also ride Go Transit for free. For complete ticket pricing and event information, visit hondaindy.com.
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 offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation. To date, over $1 million has been raised for Make-A-Wish® Canada.
As one of Ontario's largest annual sporting events, the first race held in 1986 was known as the Molson Indy, later became the Honda Indy Toronto and is now titled Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. 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 (March 8-10, 2024), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid (July 5-7, 2024) and BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 23-25, 2024).
For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @IndyToronto or follow the event on X (formerly Twitter) @HondaIndy and Instagram @HondaIndy using #indyTO.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: Jeff Olson/IMSA Wire Service
July 15, 2024
July 15, 2024
Daytona Beach, Florida – Blind corners, long straightaways and high speeds met a new headlining class Sunday in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The combination did not disappoint.
Here’s what we took away from the seventh IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race of the 2024 season.
LMP2 Can Handle the Spotlight
After he won the Motul Pole Award on Saturday, PJ Hyett was asked if he enjoyed the opportunity to lead the 34-car field to the green flag.
“I like that part,” Hyett said with a smile. “I like that part a lot.”
The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class rarely finds itself the fastest class during a race weekend – nor does it often have a chance to emerge from the shadow of the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.
Visiting CTMP for the first time since 2019, LMP2 put on a show as the headliner. The 0.658-second margin of victory between Tom Dillmann in the No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 and Felipe Fraga in the No. 74 Riley ORECA at race’s end proved the class can carry a weekend.
One added bonus: Not getting lapped by GTP cars.
“It’s nice to not have to worry about anyone outside your class passing you,” said Gar Robinson, Fraga’s co-driver. “That was pretty cool.”
Perfect Effort, Perfect Timing
When your manufacturer holds the race title sponsorship, it’s wise to put forth your best effort.
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports nailed it, with Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia taking the team’s No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R to victory over the No. 4 Corvette, co-driven by Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg, by 0.408 seconds in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class.
The performance carried weight for an organization accustomed to hefty achievements. It was the first win for the new generation of the Z06 and the 116th victory by a Corvette, including wins in American Le Mans Series, GRAND-AM and the WeatherTech Championship.
"This is huge for the entire Corvette program,” said Garcia, who notched his 30th career win. “I'm glad that we could finally get the first win in IMSA for the Z06 GT3.R and to get my first win with Alex. We just need to carry on like this and build on the things we have been doing. More wins will come.”
Everything about This Place Is Special
With its high speeds, elevation changes and robust fan base, the track formerly known as Mosport is unique.
It’s a jewel among North American road courses, one that isn’t often seen but must be experienced. Drivers who race it regularly know the challenge the circuit presents and what it means to prevail at CTMP.
“I just love this track, I love these fans,” said Spencer Pumpelly, who teamed with Roman De Angelis to win the GT Daytona (GTD) class in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. “I always love getting an opportunity to come up and race here. These cars are so much fun around this track. I’m going to be reliving this moment for the next couple of weeks coming up.”
All four classes of the WeatherTech Championship return to action Aug. 2-4 in the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: Mike Sullivan/RaceCanada.ca
July 13, 2024
July 13, 2024
On the drop of the green, Jack Hawksworth took the pole sitting Toyota to lead immediately, but it didn’t take long afterwards for contact on the opening lap to send the #57 Winward Mercedes driven by Bryce Ward (Daniel Morad) into the wall in turn 2. A coolant leak would put the car out on the spot.
Under the ensuing yellow, the #98 Hyundai of Mason Filippi (Mark Wilkins) was in the pits to repair a puncture, taking two tires and back out without losing a lap.
In TCR Harry Gotsacker (Robert Wickens) took the lead from the Audi of Chris Miller’s Audi, with Sam Baker in 3rd.
Lap 9 was a tough one for the BHA Audi’s as Miller took the lead from Gotsacker and Filippi in the sister car went a lap down.
On lap 14 the #6 Honda of Jon Brel came in, looking to be without drive. Standard fueling is happening, along with some work in the cockpit and they were back out, albeit 2 laps down.
At the 40 minute mark, with minimum drive times met, the pit stops began, the top three in both classes, Hawksworth, de Quesada and McAleer in GS and Miller, Gotsacker and Baker in TCR all stayed out.
At the 55 minute mark, the GS leaders come down pit lane, Jaden Conwright taking over the Toyota from Jack Hawsworth with Jesse Lazare getting into the McLaren in place of de Quesada, with Conwrigth coming back out in 10th, Lazare in 11th.
Quickly following the GS pit stops were the TCR pitstops got under way, with Sam Baker the first of the leaders to come in, and handing the 3rd placed Audi over to his father, Dean Baker who came back out in 7th place.
On lap 42, an hour in, the #33 Hyundai came in, with Gotsacker handing over to Robert Wickens. A great job in the pits got Wickens out in the lead of the TCR class.
The next lap saw the sister BHA Hyundai come into the pits, with Filippi handing over to Mark Wilkins.
On lap 44, at 1 hour and 5 minutes, the Twooth Porsche pulled off on the back straight with no drive, bringing out the full course yellow.
A couple of GS cars chose to pit under the yellow, with the Motorsports In Action McLaren getting past the Conwright Toyota, while Trent Hindman kept the Porsche 718 on track to take the lead of the race. The top 8 runners all stayed out, leaving Lazare in 9th and Conwritght in 10th. This would be the turning point in the race as neither the McLaren nor the Toyota would be able to get back to the front.
The Twooth Porsche that brought out the yellow got a fresh set of tires and a full tank of gas, got back out, 5 laps down.
On lap 50, the Audi got back around Robert Wickens, coming out of 3 and into 4 to take the lead with just over 40 minutes to go. Karl Wittmer and Dean Baker remain 3rd and 4th.
With just 27 minutes to go, TCR leader Mikely Taylor pulled the Audi off in turn 5, handing the lead to Robert Wickens, followed by Karl Wittmer and Dean Baker.
The final half hour didn’t change much, the length of the yellows helped ensure that the GS cars that didn’t stop for a splash would be able to run to the end, and that Motorsports In Action McLaren and Hattori Motorsports Toyota would be mired in the mid-pack, hoping the leader would need a spalsh before the end. Lazare would end up the top Canadian in 9th, followed by the JMF Mercedes of Jesse Webb in 10th, Justin di Benedetto and Travis Hill, after running out of fuel came home in 22nd in GS.
At the checkered flag, Trent Hindman gave him and Steven McAleer the win, never having to pit, while Robert Wickens maintained the lead he took after the Audi pulled off to grab his first win of the season. Karl Wittmer followed Wickens home, keeping him honest to the checkered flag, into second place, while Dean Baker brought the Baker Racing Audi home in 5th, with Mark Wilkins fighting from a lap down to 6th, with the Brel/Montour Honda coming home 7th. It was a great day for Candian drivers, standing on the top two steps of the podium, and taking 3 of the top 5 places.
The Michelin Pilot Cup is back in action next at Road America, Aug 1-4.