MARKHAM – August 16th, 2026
The late‑summer sun hung over downtown Markham as crowds filled the grandstands and pressed against the fencing lining the brand‑new 12‑turn, 3.52‑km street circuit, a temporary ribbon of asphalt carved between Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard, the Unionville GO tracks, and Highway 407. For the first time, Markham, not Toronto, hosted Canada’s lone IndyCar Series stop after a four‑decade run at Exhibition Place. The sense of novelty was unmistakable. Fans arrived early, eager to witness a new chapter in Canadian motorsport history. The view from the grandstand at turn five displayed a very entertaining tight hairpin turn.
The paddock still buzzed with the fallout from Friday’s embarrassment: a full day of running was scrapped when safety inspectors deemed the circuit incomplete. Overnight, crews scrambled to finish barriers, fencing, and runoffs. By Saturday morning, the track finally earned FIA approval, but the frustration lingered.
Predictions of “carnage” materialized early… Louis Foster (#45), dominant in practice and qualifying, clipped the inside wall on Lap 43 and slammed into the outside barrier, a violent end to what had looked like a breakthrough weekend.
Race day washed that tension in adrenaline. The pit lane crackled with energy. Mechanics bent over open engine bays, radios hissed with last‑minute adjustments, and the smell of fuel mingled with the sweetness of street‑vendor snacks drifting across the grandstands. Drivers paced with helmets tucked under their arms, studying the unfamiliar high‑speed sweeps of turns and the brutal braking zones.
When engines fired, the sound ricocheted off glass towers, some still under construction. The green flag unleashed a torrent of speed, tires clawing at the narrow high‑grip racing line while anything off‑line proved slick and unforgiving. Predictions of “carnage” materialized early. Polesitter Louis Foster (#45), dominant in practice and qualifying, clipped the inside wall on Lap 43 and slammed into the outside barrier, a violent end to what had looked like a breakthrough weekend.
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Caution periods fractured the race as drivers fought the circuit’s tight margins. Romain Grosjean (#18) controlled the middle stages, leading 28 laps with a daring two‑stop strategy that demanded ruthless fuel saving. His Dale Coyne Racing Honda danced between precision and peril, threading through the downtown corners with surgical intent.
… [Ericsson] praised the track’s speed and difficulty, calling it a street circuit with “no margin for error.”
Behind him, Marcus Ericsson (#28) mounted a quiet, relentless charge. After falling to ninth during pit cycles, the Andretti Global driver carved through the field with calculated aggression. He later praised the track’s speed and difficulty, calling it a street circuit with “no margin for error.”
With four laps remaining, Ericsson struck. Grosjean, deep into fuel conservation, couldn’t defend. The Swede swept past and never looked back, securing his fifth career IndyCar victory, and his first since joining Andretti Global.
Behind them, Will Power (#26), who had started last, clawed his way to third place, completing a 1-2-3 sweep of Honda-affiliated drivers. Championship leader Alex Palou (#10) finished fourth, extending his season lead despite starting outside the top ten for the first time in thirty races.
As Ericsson crossed the finish line, photographers surged forward, shutters firing in rapid bursts. The crowd erupted; there was a blend of relief, excitement, and pride for Markham’s inaugural hosting. Children waved Honda flags, drivers embraced their crews, and the golden light washed over the podium where Ericsson, Grosjean, and Power celebrated the city’s historic debut on the IndyCar calendar.
Photos and text by Toomas Kald
