Image: YellowstoneTrinity, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 Public Domain. IndyCar Series race action — the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham runs August 14–16, 2026.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is racing in Ontario for the first time in Markham this August, under a multi-year agreement between Green Savoree Toronto ULC, INDYCAR, and the City of Markham. The event — officially the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham — runs August 14–16, 2026 on a new 12-turn, 3.52-kilometre street circuit in Markham Centre, designed by Tony Cotman of NZR Consulting. Organizers expect over 140,000 attendees across three days, with supporting races from NASCAR Canada, USF Pro 2000, USF2000, and Emzone Radical Cup Canada. The Ontario Honda Dealers Association renewed as title sponsor when the Markham move was first proposed, reportedly without hesitation. Honda Indy
What it means: The race originated in 1986 as the Molson Indy on the streets of downtown Toronto. Moving it to Markham after 40 years in the province isn't just a venue change — it's a statement about where Ontario's car-buying population has shifted. York Region now has over 1.25 million residents, and Markham is home to dozens of Canadian corporate headquarters and a dense, affluent suburban demographic that maps almost exactly onto Honda's core buyer profile. The Ontario Honda Dealers didn't renew title sponsorship of a shrinking event. They renewed because they see 140,000 people, concentrated in their own backyard, and they want the brand in front of every one of them. For Maple Honda in Vaughan, this race is 40 minutes away. It's practically local.
My prediction: At least one formal Honda dealer activation — a trackside display, a test-drive incentive, or a sweepstakes tied to the race weekend — will be announced for the August 14–16 event, because title sponsorship at this scale is never purely a brand play. The OHDA has been running "Free Fan Friday" since 2010 and has raised over $1 million for Make-A-Wish Canada through those gate donations. They know how to turn an event into a dealer moment. When 140,000 people walk past a Honda-branded circuit, someone's handing out brochures.
If you're buying right now: Free Fan Friday on August 14 gets you general admission via a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada — the easiest way to see professional open-wheel racing without planning around ticket prices. If you're in the market for a new Honda this summer, Q3 is historically when incentive cycles accelerate. The Markham event lands right in the middle of that window. Worth connecting with your dealer before the weekend rather than after.
Planning to attend the Honda Indy at Markham?
If you're heading to the race in August and want to talk Honda before or after, I'm at Maple Honda in Vaughan — 40 minutes from the circuit. Happy to run through what's on the lot and what incentives look like in August.