Honda PR

RESEND: Honda Racing message points for the Honda Indy Toronto

Posted on by Patrick Stephan

Honda Indy Toronto

Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ont. Canada

1:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, July 16

NBC Peacock

IndyCar Radio Network and SiriusXM

[TSO NOTE: I believe I’ve fixed the latest fix that re-broke things…again. Thank you for your patience]
Manufacturer Competition

  • At the mid-point in the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Honda continues to lead the Manufacturers’ Championship standings, with six victories and eight poles in nine races this season.
  • Honda comes to Toronto with a 66-point advantage (759-693) over rival Chevrolet. Honda is seeking its fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship in the last six years.
  • Honda drivers come to Toronto ranked first, second and fourth in the INDYCAR Drivers’ Championship points standings. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou leads the title fight with 377 points; while teammate and six-time series champion Scott Dixon is second with 267 points. Marcus Ericsson, 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner is fourth in his Chip Ganassi Honda with 255 points.
  • Palou has four wins this season, including the last three consecutive races. The Spaniard dominated the GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis in May; and has gone on to win at Detroit, Road America and two weeks ago in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, Presented by the Accord Hybrid. Palou also qualified on the pole for the Indianapolis 500, finishing fourth; and has four additional top-five results in the nine races this season.

Of Note

  • When he takes the green flag on Sunday, Graham Rahal will claim the record for most INDYCAR starts by a driver. The Honda Indy Toronto will be Rahal’s 252nd INDYCAR start with Honda power, breaking a tie with Tony Kanaan. Rahal made his first start as a Honda driver and won at Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in April, 2008.

Honda at Toronto

  • Run for the first time in 1986 as a Championship Auto Racing Teams [CART] event, the Honda Indy Toronto is one of the oldest street circuit events in North America. In INDYCAR, it is preceded only by the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
  • Honda has served as title sponsor of the Toronto event since it returned to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule in 2009. The sponsorship is administered through Honda Canada, Inc., Honda Motor Company’s Canadian subsidiary.
  • American Honda, meanwhile, sponsored the most recent race, the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the Accord Hybrid, two weeks ago. The performance Acura brand is the title sponsor of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
  • Honda-powered drivers and teams have a history of success at Toronto, winning 11 times in both CART and INDYCAR competition, most recently with Scott Dixon’s victory last year and in 2018 (the race was not held in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
  • Dixon’s four career wins in Toronto makes him Honda’s most successful driver on the streets of Exhibition Place. Dario Franchitti is next with three victories.
  • Franchitti’s first Toronto victory came in 1999, and he also won in 2009 and 2011. Meanwhile, Dixon claimed both races of a doubleheader weekend in 2013 for his first two victories here. Other Honda-powered winners at Toronto include Adrian Fernandez in 1996, Alex Zanardi in 1998; Michael Andretti in 2001; and Will Power in 2010.
  • With corporate headquarters in the Toronto suburb of Markham, Honda Canada was formed in 1969. The company’s first manufacturing facility was opened in Alliston, Ontario, in 1986. A second Alliston manufacturing facility began operations in 1998 and an engine assembly plant opened in 2008.
  • Honda Canada Inc. supports a network of 237 Honda and 51 Acura authorized automotive dealers in Canada. There are also over 600 dealers for Honda motorcycle and power equipment products, including motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, snow blowers and lawnmowers.

Where to Watch

  • Television coverage from the Honda Indy Toronto on NBC Peacock begins with the opening practice Friday at 3 p.m. EDT, and continues through each practice and qualifying session of the race weekend.
  • Live NBC Peacock race coverage of the race from Toronto begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 16. Additional coverage can be found on the INDYCAR Radio Network and on Sirius/XM satellite radio.
  • Honda Racing social media content and video links can be found on:

Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd)

TikTok (www.tiktok.com/hondaracing_hpd)

Twitter (www.twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD)

Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD)

YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV)