IndyCar’s Grand Prix Of Markham Practice Delayed By Track Build Issues

Fans photograph way building during the NTT INDYCAR Series NTT INDYCAR Series Ontario Honda Dealers INDY astatine Markham connected August 14, 2026 successful Markham, Ontario. (Photo by Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images)

Lumen via Getty Images

The excitement was precocious for the Toronto suburb of Markham, Ontario arsenic fans came retired early and filled the grandstands astir the 12-turn, 2.19-mile thoroughfare people – tract of IndyCar’s Ontario Honda Dealers Grand Prix of Markham.

Unfortunately, for the adjacent 9 hours, the only action they saw were building vehicles attempting to complete the building of the title course.

Because of ongoing delays completing the way build, the NTT IndyCar Series Practice 1 connected Friday has been rescheduled from 3:05 p.m. Eastern Time to 6 p.m. ET.

Areas of the hairpin are being completed including fencing and barriers and are expected to beryllium vanished soon. After that, it needs to beryllium certified by an FIA typical connected site.

Cause For the Markham Track Build Delay

The way build for the 2.19-mile, 12-turn thoroughfare people title successful Markham, Ontario began connected July 19. The people is connected the tract of a GO Train station, which is still successful usage but the parking tons are the location of the double pit lane being utilized by IndyCar. The parking tons closest to the pit lane were afloat turned complete to title promoters Green Savoree Promotions astatine extremity of time connected Wednesday, August 12.

There are nary awesome issues pinch the course, it conscionable has to beryllium finalized, which is what title promoters and IndyCar were attempting to beryllium completed connected Friday, according to title officials.

Once Completed, IndyCar Drivers Expect A Great Course

The existent way aboveground drew precocious praise from drivers successful the IndyCar Series arsenic it was precocious repaved and will supply a soft surface. The grandstands are immaculate and were filled pinch loyal and enthusiastic fans arsenic early arsenic 9 a.m. ET.

“I deliberation honestly the way looks fantastic,” six-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing said. “It looks really cool. It looks for illustration conscionable astir of the different thoroughfare stuff, but yeah, this is typically expected.

“I deliberation for a first-time event, the aboveground looks really good. Track layout looks really good. A ton of fans present already, which is really cool.”

When asked really he expected the way to title erstwhile cars are connected course, Dixon believes it will beryllium a very bully way for Indy cars.

“Like the aboveground could beryllium 1 that grips up really good aliases doesn't astatine all,” Dixon explained. “I deliberation a batch of it will dangle connected conscionable really the tyre really useful pinch the surface. I deliberation from the simulation that we had, from what it's seen, it was a batch bumpier. But I deliberation each the scans were done earlier that really aboveground was really completed, truthful the way aboveground looks really good.”

Alex Palou’s Big Lead In IndyCar Championship Continues In Markham

Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing leads Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global by 110 points successful the title for the 2026 IndyCar Series Championship. Each IndyCar title has a maximum of 110 points for the victor if he besides wins the rod and leads the astir laps. If Palou sat retired the adjacent 2 races and the aforesaid driver won astatine Markham and adjacent week connected the streets of Washington, DC and scored maximum points successful some races, Palou would still lead the title by 2 points.

Of course, Palou is competing and is 1 of the favorites to triumph this weekend’s race.

Once completed, he believes it will beryllium a awesome thoroughfare course.

“It looks great, for illustration the layout and the caller tarmac,” Palou said. “I deliberation it’s going to beryllium 1 of our astir nosy thoroughfare courses of the twelvemonth and of the calendar. I deliberation Markham has done an unthinkable occupation pinch the investment, pinch the layout, and everything. So far, it looks incredible.

“As I said, the tarmac being marque new, for illustration that's thing we don't have. We've ne'er had it connected a thoroughfare people and the layout looks good. There are immoderate overtaking spots. It's ace wide astatine immoderate areas, constrictive astatine immoderate others, but it looks great.”

Alexander Rossi of ECR is different driver who is impressed pinch everything astir the thoroughfare circuit but remains inactive arsenic the way build is completed.

“I deliberation the layout is incredible,” Rossi said. “Obviously, the aboveground looks great. A batch of the fencing is awesome, Arlington spec. So, I deliberation there’s a batch of bully things astir what we person successful beforehand of us.”

Will Power of Andretti Global is 1 of the aged veterans of the series. He has knowledgeable galore first-day, first-year thoroughfare people delays while the way is completed included Baltimore 2011, Houston successful 2013, the San Jose Champ Car title successful 2005 and the first Music City Grand Prix of Nashville successful 2021. Each of those races had first-day delays for various issues while completing the way aliases the grandstands.

Power, however, is excited for this first-time event, moreover though it’s disconnected to a opinionated start.

“It’s astir apt the nicest thoroughfare people we’re going to spell to,” Power said. “Arlington was an arena (the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington successful March), and the position was very good. That was astir apt our champion thoroughfare people we spell to.

“But here, I’m conscionable talking astir a way surface. It's a afloat resurface. That's there's nary different spot we spell to that has done that.”

The adjacent step, however, is getting the people completed successful clip to resume the play schedule for the only world arena connected the 2026 IndyCar Series schedule.