Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 16
Louis Foster Takes Markham IndyCar Pole for 90-Lap Debut Race as 6 Drivers Draw Grid Penalties
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 16

Louis Foster Takes Markham IndyCar Pole for 90-Lap Debut Race as 6 Drivers Draw Grid Penalties

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 16

Summary

  • Louis Foster will start first in IndyCar’s first race at Markham, Ontario, with Christian Lundgaard alongside him for Sunday’s 90-lap Ontario Honda Dealers Indy.
  • Six drivers — Alexander Rossi, Christian Rasmussen, Marcus Armstrong, Will Power, Kyle Kirkwood and Pato O’Ward — were dropped six spots each for excessive engine changes.
  • Crashes in practice or qualifying also hurt several contenders: points leader Alex Palou starts 11th, Josef Newgarden 22nd, Caio Collet 20th and Will Power 25th.
  • Markham replaces the former Toronto street race on the 2026 calendar, with the green flag scheduled for 12:22 p.m. ET.
  • Palou enters the weekend with 510 points and six wins, giving the new Canadian street race added title-race weight despite his compromised starting spot.

Insights

Does replacing the historic Toronto race with Markham's downtown layout signal a permanent shift in IndyCar's approach to Canadian street circuits?
How will the looming thunderstorms impact the inaugural Markham race now that Alex Palou's historic 30-race top-10 streak has shattered?
With top contenders penalized, will Foster's extra tires secure a win, or will Markham's wide passing lanes favor a massive comeback?