MARKHAM, Ontario — Alex Palou leads the NTT IndyCar Series championship with five races to go for the fifth time in his career.
He also led the championship with five races to go in his championship-winning seasons in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Palou, who took the points lead at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in April, has led the point standings after 10 of the 13 races this season.
• There are 12 drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series championship: Alex Palou, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Christian Lundgaard, Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Ericsson, Rinus VeeKay, Will Power and Scott Dixon. Any driver who trails the points leader by 216 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.
• Since 2008 when IndyCar racing unified under the NTT IndyCar Series banner, the eventual series champion has won the 14th race of the season six times. The most recent occurrence was 2025 when Alex Palou won at Laguna Seca.
He also won the 14th race of 2021 at Portland. Other drivers to win the 14th race of their championship season were Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Dario Franchitti (2009 and 2010) and Scott Dixon (2008).
• From 2009-2019, the eventual champion won the Toronto race six times. Dario Franchitti won in 2009 and 2011. Ryan Hunter-Reay won in 2012, Scott Dixon swept both races in 2013 and won the single race in 2018, and Josef Newgarden won in 2017.
Seven other drivers have claimed the IndyCar Series championship in the same season they won at Toronto: Bobby Rahal (1986), Al Unser Jr. (1990), Michael Andretti (1991), Alex Zanardi (1998), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Paul Tracy (2003) and Sebastien Bourdais (2004).
• Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the championship leader with five races to go has gone on to win the championship 11 times. Those drivers were: Scott Dixon (2008, 2018 and 2020), Dario Franchitti (2011), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Simon Pagenaud (2016), Josef Newgarden (2019) and Alex Palou (2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025).
• The 110 points that separate Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood are the second-largest point margin since IndyCar racing was unified in 2008. Before this season, the average lead with five races to go since 2008 was 48.8 points.
• The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham will be the 14th race of the 2026 season. There have been six winners in the first 13 races this season. Alex Palou (Streets of St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park, Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Detroit, Nashville Superspeedway, Portland International Raceway), Josef Newgarden (Phoenix Raceway, World Wide Technology Raceway), Christian Lundgaard (Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Road America), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Arlington), Felix Rosenqvist (Indianapolis 500) and Pato O’Ward (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course).
• The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham will be first event held on the streets of Markham and the 40th IndyCar race held in the Greater Toronto Area.
Scott Dixon is the winningest active driver in the GTA with four victories (Dixon won both races in 2013, the 2018 race and the 2022 race). Michael Andretti has the most wins in Toronto with seven.
Dixon, three-time Toronto winner Will Power (2007, 2010, 2016), Josef Newgarden (2015, 2017), Christian Lundgaard (2023) and Pato O’Ward (2025) are previous race winners entered this year.
• Drivers who have won poles at Toronto entered in this year’s race are Will Power (2011, 2015), Scott Dixon (2013 Race 2, 2016), Josef Newgarden (2018) and Christian Lundgaard (2023). The polesitter has won the race nine times since the first race in 1986, most recently by Colton Herta in 2024.
• Chip Ganassi Racing has won eight times at Toronto: Michael Andretti (1994), Alex Zanardi (1998), Dario Franchitti (2009, 2011) and Scott Dixon (2013 both races, 2018, 2022). Team Penske has five wins at the track: Paul Tracy (1993), Will Power (2010, 2016), Josef Newgarden (2017) and Simon Pagenaud (2019).
Team Penske has 10 pole positions at the track: Danny Sullivan (1988, 1990), Emerson Fittipaldi (1993), Helio Castroneves (2000), Gil de Ferran (2001), Will Power (2011, 2015), Simon Pagenaud (2017, 2019) and Josef Newgarden (2018).
