The angel atop the Princes' Gates will no longer overlook Turn 1 of Canada's only NTT IndyCar Series race, with the event moving to suburban Markham, Ont.
The open-wheel auto racing series announced on Wednesday that it's moving the Grand Prix of Toronto from Exhibition Place in the city's downtown core to the northeastern suburb and that the race will now be held later in the summer. Mayor Frank Scarpitti made the five-year deal official at a news conference in Markham Centre, the municipality's business core.
"Markham, start your engines, the Indy race is coming to our city," said Scarpitti. "This is a major milestone for the city of Markham, which officially becomes the starting line for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham in 2026, and we are thrilled and honoured to be named as the host city for this prestigious world-class, three-day auto racing event around this time next year."
The Grand Prix of Toronto is one of the oldest races on the IndyCar schedule, with the first race held in 1986. Exhibition Place, Toronto's fairgrounds, has hosted the event since its inaugural race.
Most recently called the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, it was usually held in July, but the 2026 Markham race will run Aug. 14-16. The City of Markham has started construction on the festival site and temporary track in coordination with public transport agency Metrolinx and other area partners.
Neil Lumsden, Ontario's Minister of Sport, said moving the event to York Region will help encourage the commercial growth of Markham.
"When I talk about sport, typically, people will say, 'Well, yeah, you're a sport guy,' yeah, but I'm a business guy too, and I want to see our communities grow and build as a result of sport," said Lumsden at the same conference. "In 2024, Indy drew over 150,000 people with more than a $50-million economic impact.
"That is making a difference through sport."
The Ontario government announced on July 18 that it would invest $1.5 million to support the 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place. Mexico's Pato O'Ward won the race on July 20.
Toronto was one of four IndyCar races on street courses this year, with the new Markham track also planned around regular roads.
The proposed temporary course will be built in the eastern precinct of Markham’s downtown, between Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard, Unionville GO tracks and Highway 407. Tony Cotman of NZR Consulting is leading the design of the 12-turn, 3.52-kilometre track.
An important feature of the Markham course will be dual pit lanes on both sides of the track, a new but uncommon trait at IndyCar races.
"Three years ago, we designed the first dual pit lane track in Detroit," said Bud Denker, the president of the Penske Corporation, which owns IndyCar. "The drivers said, 'How is this ever going to work? It's going to be chaotic.' The fans love it.
"You're going to be only the third track in the world to have a dual pit lane, where the drivers are going to pit their cars and gas their cars."
Moving from Exhibition Place was necessitated by next year's World Cup, when BMO Field — centrally located in Toronto's fairgrounds — will host six matches of the international men's soccer tournament between June and July. The Toronto Argonauts will also spend much of the Canadian Football League's regular season on the road.
"Ultimately, the FIFA World Cup was a catalyst, but that was not the only factor in our move," said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham. "If you look at Exhibition Place, it's a great property, but they have a lot of development happening in the future.
"There's a lot of cities lining up right now to be an NTT IndyCar Series host. If we took a year off from Exhibition Place in Ontario, this event may never come back. We did not want to be on a series of one-year revolving contracts like we have been."
Not all Markham residents were happy with the announcement.
Users on Markham's Reddit page noted that Exhibition Place is made up of typically empty parking lots and convention space, while the proposed site for the Markham track is mixed-use, with residential and commercial properties lining the course, including several condo buildings, York University's Markham campus and Amica Unionville, a retirement community.
Others wondered how the course would affect the GO Train station on the course's western border, as the track seems to cut through its parking lot. Kennedy Road, a major thoroughfare in York Region, will also be part of the course.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2025.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
