IndyCar is building a new street circuit from scratch in the Toronto suburbs this weekend, and the series’ dominant driver and dominant manufacturer both arrive with something to prove on unfamiliar pavement.
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham goes green Sunday at 12 PM ET on Fox, contested on a temporary circuit laid through Markham Centre, a suburb of roughly 300,000 people just north of Toronto. The race is the first IndyCar event ever held in Markham, part of a five-year deal announced in September 2025 that relocated the traditional Toronto-area round from Exhibition Place, where it had run since 1986, to its new home. Organizers expect the three-day festival to draw more than 160,000 spectators and generate tens of millions of dollars in economic activity across Ontario.
For teams and drivers, a brand-new circuit means a heavy reliance on simulation. HRC US’s Driver-in-the-Loop simulator has been the primary preparation tool, generating a virtual version of the Markham layout before a single practice session turns a wheel on the real thing. Andretti Global’s Will Power was among those who completed virtual laps of the circuit ahead of the event.
The on-track story centers on Alex Palou, who is having one of the more dominant IndyCar seasons in recent memory. His sixth win of the year at Portland International Raceway extended his championship lead to 110 points, which is 11 points larger than his margin at this same point in 2025. Palou became only the third driver in NTT INDYCAR Series history to win six or more races in back-to-back seasons, with previous 2026 victories at St. Petersburg, Barber, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Detroit, and Nashville. A Markham win would be his first north of the border. His best Toronto-area result is a second-place finish on the streets of Exhibition Place.
Honda’s broader street-circuit record in 2026 is just as striking. Honda-powered drivers have won every street circuit event on the calendar so far, with three of those finishing as all-Honda podium sweeps. Palou led the sweeps at Long Beach and Detroit. Kyle Kirkwood fronted the all-Honda top three at the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. Street course wins account for four of Honda’s eight victories in 2026, and the manufacturer holds a 1,129-to-996 lead over Chevrolet in the manufacturers’ championship.
That street-course dominance has been building for several seasons. Honda swept all five street circuit events in 2023, then won three of four in both 2024 and 2025. Arriving at a circuit none of the drivers have contested in race conditions, Honda’s simulator preparation and recent street-course pedigree give its teams a credible edge, at least on paper.
The Toronto area itself has been friendly to Honda over a longer arc. Honda-powered drivers have won 13 times in combined CART and IndyCar competition in the region. The most recent came in 2024, when Colton Herta led a Honda 1-7 finish at Exhibition Place, capping three consecutive Toronto wins for Honda. Christian Lundgaard took his first IndyCar victory there in 2023, and Scott Dixon scored his fourth Toronto win in 2022. Earlier Honda wins in the city belong to names including Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Michael Andretti, Alex Zanardi, and Adrian Fernandez.
Power, now at Andretti Global alongside Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson, features prominently in that history and is among the Honda drivers with legitimate title ambitions heading into the season’s final stretch. Chip Ganassi Racing fields Dixon alongside Palou and Kyffin Simpson. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing brings Graham Rahal, Louis Foster, and rookie Mick Schumacher. Dale Coyne Racing runs Romain Grosjean and rookie Dennis Hauger, while Meyer Shank Racing fields Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Armstrong.
Practice and warm-up air on FS2, Saturday qualifying on FS1, and the full race on Fox. IndyCar Radio Network and SiriusXM IndyCar Nation (Channel 160) carry flag-to-flag audio.
Palou has 110 points in hand and six wins on his résumé. Markham is an unknown. Those two facts make Sunday’s race worth watching regardless of which side of the championship math you find more interesting.
Source: Honda. Images courtesy of Honda.
