MARKHAM, Ontario — All track action scheduled for Friday at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy At Markham have been canceled.
According to IndyCar, construction for the circuit is not complete and at 5:35 p.m. Eastern Time, IndyCar officially announced the day was over.
The updated schedule for Saturday is Practice 1 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, Practice 2 at 2:30 p.m. ET and Qualifying at 6:30 p.m. ET.
According to several IndyCar team managers in the paddock, SPEED SPORT was told the issue is getting enough tires into the race course for the tire barriers.
It’s a lengthy process where tires have to be banded together, installed into the proper areas, then covered with protective covering.
IndyCar President Doug Boles expressed disappointment in the situation.
Because it’s a temporary street course, tires barriers are used because it would be unfeasible to use a SAFER Barrier because that has to be attached to a permanent barrier.
The unfortunate thing is enthusiasm for this race was very high as a large number of fans came to the race course early on Friday and stayed throughout a long day where nothing really happened except track construction.
IndyCar Series drivers thanked the fans during the long delay by going into the grandstands to pose with fans and sign autographs, including NTT IndyCar Series championship leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing and Pato to O’Ward of Arrow McLaren, among others.
As the fans and teams filed out of the facility, the track construction crews continued to work to get the course complete. Several trucks with tires were seen by TSO entering the race course, and heading to the hairpin turn to continue construction.
The track build for the 2.19-mile, 12-turn street course race in Markham, Ontario began on July 19. The course is on the site of a GO Train station, which is still in use but the parking lots are the location of the double pit lane being used by IndyCar.
The parking lots closest to the pit lane were fully turned over to race promoters Green Savoree Promotions at end of day on Wednesday, August 12.
The actual track surface drew high praise from drivers in the IndyCar Series as it was recently repaved and will provide a smooth surface. The grandstands are immaculate and were filled with loyal and enthusiastic fans as early as 9 a.m. ET.
“I think honestly the track looks fantastic,” six-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing said. “It looks really cool. It looks like just most of the other street stuff, but yeah, this is typically expected.
“I think for a first-time event, the surface looks really good. Track layout looks really good. A ton of fans here already, which is really cool.”
With so much enthusiasm from the fans that came to Markham, hopefully that enthusiastic welcome won’t dissipate over the course of the race weekend.
