Free admission with a voluntary donation to the Make-A-Wish Canada brought a lot of families into Exhibition Place to enjoy the races as well as Thunder Alley, Speed Zone and Honda World. Today had a lot of practices and qualifying races for the many series, including NASCAR Pinty's Series, Verizon IndyCar Series and the Stadium Super Trucks.
The day was hot and steamy and while it threatened rain, it only spit a bit so it was a nice day to enjoy some cold beverages and watch the races. USF2000 took to the streets first with practice number 1 starting at 8am. The Verizon IndyCar had two practices, one in the morning and one in the afternoon while NASCAR Pinty's Series had one practice in the morning and the qualification in the afternoon at 5pm. NASCAR headlines the Saturday races with the Pinty's Grand Prix of Toronto scheduled from 3:45 to 5:05pm. Andrew Ranger of the 27 car, who has previously won the NASCAR race at the Honda Indy Toronto, captured the pole position.
Verizon IndyCar through turn number 5. Their Chevrolet twin-turbocharged V-6 engine gets these beasts going pretty fast along the 11-turn, 1.786-mile temporary streets of Toronto track
Saturday, July 16 will have the third practice for the IndyCars starting at 9:45am, followed by an afternoon Qualification at 1:30pm. Their big race is Sunday, July 17 with the pre-race starting at 2:30pm and the green flag dropping on the 85 lap race at 3:15pm. Josef Newgarden of the number 67 car won the 2015 Honda Indy Toronto and holds the record for this season with the most laps led with 282 in the Iowa Corn 300.
The Stadium Super Trucks (SST) will have a race on Saturday (3pm) and another on Sunday (1:40pm). The course was narrowed through spots in the ripple effects caused by the construction of the new hotel and it gets really tight through turns 9 to 11, especially out of the pits.
From the Big Boy's with Cool Toys area of Thunder Alley
The overall layout of the Honda Indy Toronto, both the track and the associated attractions, have been changing over the years due to the impact of the BMO Field extension, the Hotel X construction and a number of sponsorships changes. As the hotel cut off pit lane, the pits were relocated across the road - cars now come in to the left as opposed to the right. The pit lane begins at turn 9 and into turn 11, it is more curved now than how it used to be in the past, and brought about tighter spots for the crews, as well as narrowed the road and pit lane throughout the series of turns.
The pit lane entrance also caused the change with the IndyCar and Road to IndyCar Paddocks which have been moved into the Enercare Centre. The new Speed Zone and the re-introduced Thunder Alley moved into the former home of the IndyCar Paddocks while the new NASCAR Pinty's Series Paddock moved into the spot near Hotel X. There is also quite a bit of general admission viewing locations, both along Lake Shore Boulevard West and elsewhere along the track
Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe takes the pedestrian bridge
See more MotorFest after the jump.
Learning to ride at Honda World
Taking a look at the pits in turn number 11
Fans gather in the grandstands to catch the airborne Stadium Super Trucks
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