Written by Dan Jones
Passport? Check. Documents? Check. IndyCar racing? Check. That's right, it's time to step across the border, as IndyCar travels north to Exhibition Place on the Streets of Toronto, for the final street course race of 2024. With the championship battle heating up, and it being the penultimate non-oval race of the year, it's all to play for in Toronto, Round 12 of 17 in the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series.
Toronto marks the fourth race in three weeks, after Iowa Speedway hosted a pair of races, as it has done in recent years. However, with a fresh repave done to the lower lane of the circuit, as well as low tyre degredation and the much heavier hybrid in the cars, it caused both races to be particularly processional, with passes outside of starts and restarts frankly non-existent.
With that said, it marked a first oval win for Scott McLaughlin, the same day he broke the qualifying track record for race two, as he jumped Colton Herta in the pits and cruised to victory, ahead of Pato O'Ward and Josef Newgarden. Race two would be similarly processional, Will Power taking the honours after starting 22nd after a particularly convenient caution for the Aussie, before he later jumped Álex Palou in the pits to claim his first oval victory since 2019.
Palou would finish second, but made a major error on Saturday, as he spun exiting Turn 4, his first DNF in over two years. Palou's weekend has somewhat opened up the standings, the top ten are as follows:
Palou - 379
Power - 344
O'Ward - 327
Dixon - 322
McLaughlin - 314
Herta - 300
Kirkwood - 274
Rossi - 265
Newgarden - 247
Ferrucci - 221
But let's talk Toronto, the only round of the 17 that comprise the 2024 calendar that is outside the United States. A race that has been going since 1986, and IndyCar's second longest-running street course on the schedule. The circuit, 1.786 miles (2.874km) is nestled in Exhibition Place.
The lap starts down Prince's Boulevard, with the iconic Prince's Gate overlooking the exit of Turn 1, which saw a major Lap 1 incident last year, which saw four cars eliminated. A kink at Turn 2 leads drivers onto the backstretch, the best overtaking opportunity on the circuit down Lakeshore Boulevard, before a tight right-hand hairpin into Turn 3. Drivers navigate a fast left before a narrower left into Turns 4 and 5, before a longer corner in the right-hander at Turn 6.
Drivers head town Manitoba Drive, as they take the flat-out kink at Turn 7, before heavy braking for the 90 degree right-hander at Turn 8 down Nova Scotia Avenue. Entry to the pitlane is met on your left before a slow speed left-right-left complex brings you back onto Nova Scotia Avenue to complete the 1.786 mile lap, which drivers will navigate 85 times on Sunday,
And looking at the championship, this has been a happy hunting ground for several of the contenders. Scott Dixon has the most wins of anybody in the current field, taking home both races in the doubleheader weekend way back in 2013, before further victories in 2018 and 2022. Dixon also has a further two runner-up spots at the venue.
The other championship contender with good form in Toronto is Will Power, who found victory lane in 2007, 2010 and 2016. However, since Power's last victory here, he has not taken a single top 10 finish at the circuit. A repeat of those fortunes would put a potential championship fight in jeopardy, considering the tightness of the fight.
Josef Newgarden took the honours back in 2017, but that remains his only podium at the venue. Christian Lundgaard claimed his maiden IndyCar victory here last year, as he dominated proceedings after taking a surprise pole position to bring Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing back into victory lane for the first time in three years, and saw him shave off his moustache in victory lane. With Lundgaard leaving the team for Arrow McLaren at the conclusion of 2024, he will be hoping for similar results this weekend.
With Toronto being off the calendar in both 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, many of the field have only raced here on a handful of occasions, including championship contenders, Palou, O'Ward and McLaughlin. Palou has unsurprisingly run well here though, taking second last year despite having a dislodged front wing for the majority of the race whilst finishing sixth the year prior. This is not O'Ward's preferred circuit, finishing 11th in 2022 and eighth last season, whilst McLaughlin has achieved a sixth and a ninth on his two visits to the circuit.
Ahead of the weekend, there has been the usual driver changes. Being a road/street course, Christian Rasmussen returns to the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing car, in his penultimate race of 2024. After Jack Harvey had medical concerns during the Iowa weekend, which forced him to park after 28 laps in Race 1, and Conor Daly to sub in for Race 2, the team have opted to rest the Brit (albeit Harvey was never confirmed for this race due to the initial expectation that Nolan Siegel would race).
Instead of Harvey, Hunter McElrea will become the ninth driver to race for Dale Coyne Racing this year as the 2023 Indy Lights vice-champion makes his full IndyCar debut in the No.18. McElrea completed his maiden IndyCar test at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago, and now has the opportunity to race.
Alongside him, Toby Sowery will return to the No. 51 after an impressive outing at Mid-Ohio. The Brit has also been confirmed for the remaining road course race at Portland International Raceway. With Katherine Legge expected to ruin the remaining four oval rounds that compromise the 2024 calendar, the never-ending uncertainty over the entry may finally be put to rest.
The race will also see the first use of the hybrid on a street course. The hybrid has never formally been tested on a street course for obvious reasons, the series utilising the particularly bumpy Sebring International Raceway as an alternative. After the events at Mid-Ohio and Iowa, the major question mark has been relating to overtaking ability, with 'trains' becoming a more frequent nature of races and overtaking clearly more difficult.
Toronto has never been the easiest place to overtake, much like Mid-Ohio, so may not be the fairest representative into it's performance. However, with it coming under scrutiny from both fans and drivers, IndyCar will hope that overtaking will be aplenty.
Who to look out for this weekend? Colton Herta has had an agonisingly frustrating two-year wait for victory, but has run very well here in Toronto, as well as street courses in general. Herta has had an upturn in form in 2024, and can probably be deemed unfortunate to not find himself in victory lane thus far. Herta has claimed a podium in each of the last two races in Toronto, and finished seventh at his first appearance when racing for Harding Steinbrenner Autosport. Herta also took pole here in 2022, and Toronto might represent his best chance for the remainder of the year for Herta to find himself back on the top step of the podium.
With every round becoming more and more pivotal as the races run out to decide and IndyCar champion, IndyCar's visit across the border could be more significant than ever. Will a Lundgaard-type fairytale repeat itself, or will somebody cement themselves firmly in the championship box seat? Stay tuned for updates over the weekend from the Indy Toronto.
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