Marcus Ericsson emerged victorious at the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy in Markham, securing his fifth IndyCar career win after overtaking Romain Grosjean in the final laps. Following Ericsson, Grosjean claimed the second spot, with Will Power in third and Alex Palou, the season leader, finishing fourth.
This year marked Markham, Ont.’s debut as the event host, moving from Toronto’s Exhibition Place, where it had been held since 1986. Notably, it was Palou’s first time qualifying outside the top 10 in 30 races, as he started 12th on the grid. Palou entered the race with a comfortable 110-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood in the driver standings, nearing his fifth IndyCar title.
Unfortunately, Kirkwood’s race came to an abrupt end on the 53rd lap when he made contact with the inside wall at Turn 3 before colliding with the outer barrier. In practice and qualifying, Louis Foster showcased impressive speed, capturing his first pole position of the season. Foster had foreseen chaos on the 3.52-kilometre road course around downtown Markham, running between Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard, Unionville GO tracks, and Highway 407, a prediction that unfolded as he crashed on Sunday’s race day after a collision with Ericsson and hitting the outside wall at Turn 3.