IndyCar Returns to Toronto for Ontario Honda Dealers Indy This Weekend

Staff report

TORONTO — The streets of Toronto’s Exhibition Place will once again echo with the roar of IndyCar engines this weekend as the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto gears up for its 39th running from Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 20.

The 90-lap, 1.786-mile (2.874-kilometer) temporary street circuit event is the 13th race of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Fans can expect a high-stakes showdown with series veterans and rising stars battling not only for victory but for momentum as the championship race tightens.

Key contenders and storylines:

• Colton Herta, the 2024 race winner and polesitter, returns to defend his title on a track where starting up front has historically mattered — the polesitter has won nine times since 1986.
• Scott Dixon, who won most recently at Mid-Ohio and finished second at Iowa, leads the field in Toronto wins among active drivers with four (2013 twice, 2018, and 2022). He’ll be looking to extend his record 412th INDYCAR start and add to his ongoing streaks of 23 seasons with a win and 21 consecutive seasons with a win.
• Alex Palou, dominant this season with six wins, will look to rebound after a quiet Iowa weekend.
• Kyle Kirkwood, who has notched three wins this year, remains a strong threat on street courses.

Other past Toronto winners entered include Will Power (2007, 2010, 2016), Josef Newgarden (2015, 2017), and Christian Lundgaard (2023). Between them and the likes of Pato O’Ward, Graham Rahal, and Marcus Ericsson, the grid is stacked with experience and potential.

Schedule highlights (all times local):

• Friday, July 18
  3:05–4:25 p.m. — Practice 1 (FS2, TSN+)
• Saturday, July 19
  10:30–11:30 a.m. — Practice 2 (FS1, TSN+)
  2:30–4 p.m. — Qualifying for NTT P1 Award (FS1, TSN+)
• Sunday, July 20
  8:32–8:57 a.m. — Warm-up (FS1, TSN+)
  12:15 p.m. — Race Start (FOX, TSN4, TSN+)

New tech elements:

• Hybrid systems debut this season, with unlimited energy deployment capped at 295 kJ per lap.
• Push-to-pass remains at 200 seconds total, 20 seconds max per activation.

Tires and rules:
Each team receives five sets of primary and five sets of alternate Firestone tires. Rookie teams get an additional set of primaries, and all competitors must run both compounds for at least two laps during the race.

Broadcast coverage:
FOX will air the race live in the U.S. at noon ET, with Will Buxton, Townsend Bell, and James Hinchcliffe on the call. Canadian viewers can tune in via TSN4 and TSN+. Full practice and qualifying sessions will also be broadcast across FOX Sports channels and TSN+.

Radio coverage:
Live flag-to-flag audio will be available via the INDYCAR Radio Network, SiriusXM Channel 218, and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

Historic milestones:

• Dixon will extend his all-time starts record.
• Graham Rahal and Josef Newgarden continue their own impressive streaks of consecutive starts.
• Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing remain the most successful teams at this venue.

For full event info, visit www.HondaIndy.com or follow @HondaIndy and @INDYCAR across social media with hashtags #IndyTO and #INDYCAR.

The post IndyCar Returns to Toronto for Ontario Honda Dealers Indy This Weekend first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.