Last Stand for Alex Palou's Rivals May Come at New Race in Markham

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES now has “The Loop” to go with “The Hairpin.”

The new 12-turn, 2.19-mile street circuit used for this weekend’s first Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham offers the former, a hard-turning maneuver similar to the one on the street circuit in Long Beach, California.

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Turn 5 in the Ontario city certainly figures to be a key part of Sunday’s 90-lap race, not only because of its complexity but also because, like Long Beach’s iconic Hairpin, it sets up drivers for the longest stretch of competitive real estate in the uphill run to Turn 6. Drivers likely will consider that the best passing opportunity, although there will be others.

A long, sweeping sprint to Turn 10 could be another hot spot for action. From there, it’s a quick left for the 25 drivers before deciding whether to pit or continue on the path.

Race teams will be able to differentiate themselves on another unique pit road, a double-sided service area like the one that debuted in 2023 with INDYCAR’s new street race in downtown Detroit. The new street circuit in Arlington, Texas, also features pit boxes on either side of pit lane.

The field will get its first taste of the Markham offerings during the weekend’s first practice, which is 3 p.m. ET Friday. Sunday’s race airs live on FOX at noon.

A look at other storylines in play for the 14th race of the season.

Palou in Commanding Position

Alex Palou, who has won the past three NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships, is primed for his record-tying fourth consecutive season title (and fifth overall), although he has taken a somewhat different path this year.

In 2024, the Spaniard (photo, above) won five of the first six season races to suffocate the field. He opened this season by “only” winning three of the first five races, but he has significantly dampened the hopes of his challengers in recent weeks.

Palou has won the past two races and is working on four consecutive top-five finishes. He has led 35.4 percent of the races in that stretch -- 170 of 480 laps – with three of those races on permanent road courses.

Palou can’t secure his latest championship this weekend as 12 drivers are still mathematically in contention for the prestigious Astor Challenge Cup, but he holds a 110-point lead over his nearest competitor – Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood – and believe it or not that’s 11 points more than he led by last year at this point.

Kirkwood’s Best Chance is at Hand

Here’s the good news for Kirkwood: Five of his six wins in this series, including one this season, have come on temporary street circuits like the ones being used this weekend and then next weekend in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.

But here’s the bad news for him: Palou has won three of this year’s four street races (in St. Petersburg, Long Beach and Detroit), and he finished second in the other (Arlington).

In Arlington, Kirkwood (photo, above) chased down and passed Palou in what surely was a big confidence boost for the Floridian. But unlike the others pursuing this year’s title, Palou and the crew of Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 10 Honda continue to seemingly make all the right strategy calls.

The most any driver can gain on Palou in a given event is 49 points. Thus, Kirkwood’s deficit to the lead is the equivalent of more than two races with five to go.

Three Multiple Winners in Toronto

This will be the first of 40 INDYCAR SERIES races held in the Toronto metro area outside of Canada’s largest city, with the first 39 held near downtown at Exhibition Place. The first race, won by Bobby Rahal, was in 1986.

Scott Dixon, Will Power and Josef Newgarden are drivers in this field with multiple Toronto victories. Power won the Champ Car race in 2007 before taking the 2010 victory under the banner of the unified sport.

Dixon swept the doubleheader held in 2013, and he won again in 2018 and 2022. Newgarden took victories in 2015 and 2017.

Christian Lundgaard (2023) and Pato O’Ward (2025) were the other active drivers to have won at Exhibition Place. Of course, that’s all for the past as this is a new circuit.

Street Race Success this Season

If not for Palou and Kirkwood, Arrow McLaren’s O’Ward would be the most successful driver on street circuits this season. He has produced top-five finishes in each of the four races, with a fourth-place finish and three fifth-place finishes.

But as is typical in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, competitive balance is high. For example, Palou, Kirkwood and O’Ward have accounted for 12 of the 20 top-five finishing positions on this year’s street circuits. Seven drivers have taken the other eight spots.

Arrow McLaren’s Lundgaard has two, with Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin (photo, above) and Newgarden, Andretti Global’s Power and Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dixon, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal and Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist earning one each.

McLaughlin finished second to Palou in St. Petersburg while Rosenqvist was second to the series points leader in Long Beach. Lundgaard (St. Petersburg), Power (Arlington), Dixon (Long Beach) and Rahal (Detroit) have third-place finishes.

With a new circuit on tap each of the next two weeks, it’s anyone’s guess who will be the top five finishers. This is INDYCAR, after all.

Weekend Schedule

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will be on track for three days, beginning at 3 p.m. ET Friday with a practice (FS2). The weekend’s second practice is at 10 a.m. Saturday (FS2).

NTT P1 Award qualifying is set for 2:25 p.m. Saturday (FS1) with the pre-race warmup session at 8:30 a.m. Sunday (FS2).

FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls also will have live coverage of the sessions.