With Alex Palou over 100 points ahead in the championship standings, IndyCar heads north to the streets of Toronto.
Alex Palou, for lack of better phrasing, is on fire. Having won three races in a row and still without a finish lower than eighth on the season, the Spaniard has pulled a 110-point gap on teammate Scott Dixon, who sits second in the standings. With nine races down and eight to go this season, it isn’t too much of a stretch to say that Palou has already secured the Astor Cup.
Palou finished sixth in Toronto a year ago, with Dixon grabbing his fourth win at Exhibition Place. Will Power comes in with three wins at the track dating back to 2007, and Josef Newgarden has two of his own.
Who do you think wins the #IndyTO on Sunday?#INDYCAR // @hondaindy pic.twitter.com/vUhqjOFWHq
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 12, 2023
The Track
Located three miles from downtown Toronto, Exhibition Place has hosted American open-wheel racing since 1986, only taking breaks for reunification in 2008 and COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. The circuit starts out on Toronto’s Princes Boulevard, heading toward the Princes’ Gate before it takes a right towards Lake Shore Boulevard. The track curves right onto its longest straight before taking an even harder right at turn three back toward land. Turn four curves back to the left, setting drivers up for the bumpy turn five back onto Princes Boulevard. Turn six is a slow right-handed curve onto Manitoba Boulevard before turn eight, another 90-degree, right-handed turn. To finish off the circuit, drivers whip through some esses before dashing back down towards the finish line to finish off a quick, chaotic lap around the 11-turn, 1.7-mile circuit.
Championship Standings
- Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing – 377 points
- Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing – 267 points
- Josef Newgarden, Team Penske – 261 points
- Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing – 255 points
- Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren – 250 points
For a full rundown of the championship standings, click here.
Race Predictions – Honda Indy Toronto
With him being second in the championship and this race being in Toronto, it is hard not to pick Scott Dixon
- Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
- Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
How to Watch (All Times in EST)
- Practice 1: Friday, 7/14 – 3:00 P.M. on Peacock
- Practice 2: Saturday, 7/15 – 10:35 A.M. on Peacock
- Qualifying: Saturday, 7/15 – 2:50 P.M. on Peacock
- Warmup: Sunday, 7/16 – 10:15 A.M. on Peacock
- Honda Indy Toronto: Sunday, 7/16 – 1:30 P.M. on Peacock (Green flag at 2:00)
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For the 2023 season, all IndyCar and Indy Lights sessions will be streamed worldwide through IndyCar Live. For a full list of international availability, click here.
