Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Honda Indy Toronto 2017 coming mid-July

Track construction which started on June 7 is well underway in Exhibition Place and the 11-turn temporary street circuit is taking shape as the concrete block barrier and fencing are put in place. With over 10 million pounds of concrete barriers and almost a half million pounds of steel fence put in place to keep fans safe you can see why the build takes almost a month. At the same time as track construction is happening, the grandstands are also being put in place. Jim Tario, Director of Track Operations manages a crew of almost 200 in a mostly night operation to minimize the impact upon commuters.
The Mayor of Hinchtown rides into the pits on Friday, July 13, 2017

Update: See coverage of the 2017 race weekend on my post here.

Pit Lane and a stockpile of barriers

Honda Indy Toronto track build 2017
360 degree sphere panorama photo of pit lane

Lake Shore Boulevard West will close on midnight of July 12 as the final track sections are placed, ready for the July 14-16 Honda Indy Toronto. “Each year the crew gets more efficient with the construction and tear down process. The logistics of night construction comes at a greater cost to us, but the time savings is significant in completing the track build,” said Jeff Atkinson, president of Honda Indy Toronto. “We transform the streets into a world-class race track while showcasing the beauty of our city to a worldwide TV audience.” As the weekend event finishes, the track tear down will begin right away on Sunday, July 16.
Festival Map
Panorama of Pit Lane across from BMO Field

The headline races will be the NASCAR Pinty's Series Grand Prix of Toronto on Saturday, June 15 and the Verizon IndyCar race on Sunday, June 16. Other races on the card are the Global MX5 Cup, USF2000, Porsche Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge and the Indy Lights series. You can see the race schedule later in this post.
In addition to the on-track excitement there is plenty of entertainment with a lot of family friendly areas just for children. "One of the new family initiatives is the creation of a kids club dubbed "Honda Indy Toronto Rookie Racers," best suited for children aged five to 12 years. Club registration is now open for $20 each with a limited number of memberships made available. Kids 12 and under get free general admission to the Honda Indy Toronto making this an exceptional value." Benefits of the Rookie Club including gifts and apparel from race series and event sponsors like Tires, Honda Canada, NASCAR and Tim Hortons.

Adjacent to Thunder Alley will be the Honda SpeedZone which will have fan activities all weekend and the infield also will hold the NASCAR Pinty's Series Garage and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Paddock. Honda World will be near BMO Field across from Pit Lane and will feature the Honda Canada's Junior Red Riders program which allows children to ride dirt bikes with full safety gear provided. "The enthusiasm from our partners in supporting this new Honda Indy Toronto Rookie Racers program has been phenomenal," said Jeff Atkinson, president of Honda Indy Toronto. "Our youngest fans are in for an exceptional experience which will create an impactful connection to the sport for a lifetime."

Prior to race weekend will be the inaugural Indy Cycling Challenge in support of Prostate Cancer Canada on the afternoon of Thursday, July 13 with circuits of ten and twenty-five kilometres. Racers will compete for prizes in the timed event.

Fan Friday sponsored by the Ontario Honda Dealers Association returns again with free entrance with a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada.

Honda Indy Toronto has introduced the Great Canadian Combo ticket which includes one single day general admission ticket, one Smoke's Poutinerie Poutine and one Tim Hortons $10 gift card all for a purchase price of $45. Tim Hortons joined the Honda Indy as a sponsor in 2016 and continues as the event's official coffee and baked goods provider. "Tim Hortons joined as a partner of the race for the first time last year, and we're proud to have them return again," said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Honda Indy Toronto. "As Canada celebrates its 150th, this is a truly Canadian ticket package combining our country's iconic race weekend, coffee and food at a fantastic value."

Daily Schedule and Festival Information after the jump.
Honda Indy Toronto track build 2017
360 degree sphere panorama of the track along Princes' Boulevard

Friday July 14th Gates Open 7:45 a.m - 6 p.m
Fan Friday is brought to you by the Ontario Honda Dealers Association. Gate Entry is granted with a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada. The schedule can change so keep checking the Honda Indy website.

8:00 AM - Global MX5 Cup Practice
8:35 AM - USF2000 Practice
9:20 AM - Porsche Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge Practice
10:05 AM - Global MX5 Cup Qualifying
10:40 AM - Verizon IndyCar Series Practice
11:40 AM - NASCAR Pinty's Series Grand Prix of Toronto Practice
12:55 PM - USF2000 Qualifying
1:30 PM - Indy Lights Practice
2:15 PM - Verizon IndyCar Series Practice
3:35 PM - NASCAR Pinty's Series Grand Prix of Toronto Qualifying
4:50 PM - Porsche Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge
Autograph Session
11:00 AM - USF2000
11:45 AM - Indy Lights
12:30 - Verizon IndyCar Series

Saturday July 15th Gates Open 7:45 a.m - 6 p.m
8:00 AM - USF2000 Qualifying
8:35 AM - Indy Lights Qualifying
9:15 AM - Porsche Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge Qualifying
10:00 AM - Verizon IndyCar Series Practice
11:00 AM - Global MX5 Cup Race
12:00 PM - USF2000 Race
1:00 PM - Indy Lights Race
2:15 PM - Verizon IndyCar Series Pit Stop Qualifying/ Firestone Fast 6
3:45 PM - NASCAR Pinty's Series Grand Prix of Toronto Race
5:20 PM - Porsche Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge Race
Autograph Session
12:30 PM - NASCAR Pinty's Series

Sunday July 16th Gates Open 8 a.m - 6 p.m
9:00 AM - Indy Lights Qualifying
9:40 AM - USF2000 Race
10:35 AM - Global MX5 Cup Race
11:30 AM - Verizon Indy Car Series Warm Up
12:15 PM - Indy Lights Race
1:40 PM - Porsche Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge Race
3:00 PM - Verizon IndyCar Series Pre Race
3:40 PM - Verizon Indy Car Series Race
Honda Indy Toronto track build 2017
360 degree sphere photo near Victory Circle

FESTIVAL CHECKLIST

THUNDER ALLEY
+ The Cooper Tire Mobile Tour
+ Food & Drink Samples
+ Complimentary Cotton Candy presented by Honda
+ Complimentary Snow Cones presented by Honda
+ Complimentary Popcorn presented by Honda
+ Live Entertainment
+ NHL Centennial Fan Arena
+ Hockey Skills Challenge Game
+ Toronto Blue Jays Game
+ Golf Game for kids
+ Growing Connections Trailer
+ Pinty's Products
+ Pizza Pizza
+ Driver Autograph Sessions
+ Piloti Apparel and Merchandise
+ Official Verizon IndyCar Series Merchandise
+ Tim Hortons
+ Interactive Exhibits
+ And Many More!
At turn 11
BEER GARDENS
+ Pinty's Pub & Grill @ Turn 1 (Trackside)
+ Turn 4 (Trackside)
+ Thunder Alley
+ Full Site License
+ Domestic/Imported Beer Options
Lake Shore Boulevard West and Turn 3 grandstands

PADDOCK/GARAGE ACCESS
+ Verizon IndyCar Series (Enercare Centre - Credential Required)
+ NASCAR Pinty's Series (Infield - Open to the Public)
+ Mazda Road to Indy (Enercare Centre - Open to the Public)
+ Porsche GT3 Cup (Infield - Open to the Public)
+ Victory Circle Pre-Race Ceremonies & Champagne Celebration

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