IndyCar postponed all scheduled Friday activities for the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham after race organizers failed to complete the track build on time.
"IndyCar is incredibly disappointed that our promoter was not able to complete the track build on time, despite significant support from our team on site," said IndyCar President Doug Boles in an official statement.
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SubscribeGreen Savoree Racing Promotions continued working intensively on the track construction and preparation overnight to ensure that the revised racing schedule could proceed safely on Saturday.
Boles acknowledged the strong turnout of enthusiastic spectators who showed up despite the delays, expressing gratitude to the city of Markham for its cooperation and support.
Revised Saturday Schedule Set for Markham Debut
"New events can always pose logistical challenges, and we join in the frustration of our loyal fans and apologize," Boles added, emphasizing that the layout will deliver a spectacular show once cars hit the pavement.
The unexpected delay prompted series officials to compress the weekend timetable, packing practice and knockout qualifying sessions tightly into Saturday ahead of Sunday's main race.
The revised NTT IndyCar weekend format features a condensed schedule on Saturday to make up for lost time on track, kicking off with morning practice.
Practice 1 is scheduled from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time with a live broadcast on FS2, followed by a second practice session from 2:30 to 4 p.m. shown live on FS1.