MARKHAM, Ontario — INDYCAR’s first visit to the Toronto suburb of Markham was delayed, as course workers needed more time to construct the track ahead of Sunday’s Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham (noon ET on FOX and FOX One).
Support series were scheduled to get on the 2.19-mile track at 9 a.m. ET Friday, and INDYCAR drivers were scheduled to get their first taste of the 12-turn track at 3 p.m.
Neither of those scheduled times was met, and after several delays, INDYCAR scrapped the entire day at 5:30 p.m.
“Ensuring the safety of the drivers and the completion of the certification process of competing on a brand-new racetrack delayed all on-track activities today,” the track said in a statement.
Unfinished business in Markham as crews scrambled to get the track ready for Saturday.
INDYCAR added a practice to the schedule for Saturday at 10 a.m., another practice at 2:30 p.m. (when qualifying was originally scheduled), followed by qualifying at 6:30 p.m.
“INDYCAR is incredibly disappointed that our promoter was not able to complete the track build on time, despite significant support from our team on site,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement.
“Ontario has always been a magnificent market for our sport and the number of spectators that attended today is a shining example of that. New events can always pose logistical challenges and we join in the frustration of our loyal fans and apologize.”
Drivers were hopeful to get on track on Friday but knew it was going to be a scramble.
“I wouldn’t say I’m nervous or anything like that,” Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin told me and other reporters on Friday morning. “I’m excited. It looks like an awesome layout.
“Once it’s done, it’s going to be wicked.”
It was apparent as teams loaded in on Thursday that there could be issues as a significant amount of wall and fencing remained and not enough personnel and equipment to finish quick enough for everything to be inspected and approved by the FIA representative.
The track walk for teams was postponed until Friday morning. While significant progress was made overnight, persistent safety concerns of some walls and tire barriers remained. Additional tire packs were still needed for runoff areas and a few other places and the plan was to be able to install those overnight to be ready for Saturday.
That happened as scheduled and track activity began promptly at 8 a.m. with the NASCAR Canada Series drivers taking to the track.
INDYCAR drivers had their first practice session without any major incidents. The drivers complained about a lack of grip from the tires, something somewhat unusual considering the newly repaved surface.
But overall, they were good with the course.
Tire barrier bundles line the course at Markham as INDYCAR prepares for Sunday’s race.
The one area that was different than expected was the hairpin, which was supposed to be a curved wall. Instead, it was just a turn around a wall that ends with a few tire packs around it to make for a very tight turn.
“It’s going to be interesting in the race, especially Lap 1. It’s going to be a bit of a traffic jam,” Meyer Shank Racing driver Marcus Armstrong said during a post-practice news conference on Saturday. “Then even when you’re following people, like on out laps, I was following a couple of guys … [and] I saw two very different lines from both of them. Everyone has their own philosophy there.”
But back to the delay.
Drivers were itching Friday to get on the track. All the streets had been repaved, meaning there is only one type of asphalt for the entire course. Typically, street courses are a mix of asphalt used on the various roads that have been repaved at different times.
“It’s a bit of a pain that we make it all the way here and it’s not ready,” INDYCAR points leader Alex Palou told me and other reporters Friday morning. “Markham has done an incredible job with the investment, with the layout and everything.
Alex Palou noted that it was “a pain” that the course wasn’t completed for Friday practice.
“But they need to complete the track. I’m excited [because] so far it looks incredible. The tarmac being brand new. That’s something we don’t have. We’ve never had it on a street course. There’s some overtaking spots. It’s super wide at some areas, narrow at some others.”
This is the first race at Markham after 40 years in Toronto at Exhibition Place. That area has been a challenge in recent years because of construction and then it was not available this summer because of the World Cup.
With those insurmountable hurdles, last year, Toronto race promoter Green Savoree made a five-year deal with the City of Markham, which is about 25 minutes from Toronto, to have the INDYCAR race.
“It is what it is,” Will Power noted about the delay in Markham.
Track build woes and delays at new street courses are not unprecedented but certainly put a damper on the city’s debut.
“I guess they’re about a day behind, but it is what it is,” Andretti Global driver Will Power told me and other reporters.
“It’s a very nice track. Very, very nice, probably the nicest street course we’re going to go to.”
