2022 Honda Indy Toronto burns rubber this weekend

Monday, July 11, 2022

2022 Honda Indy Toronto burns rubber this weekend

Racing through the streets of Toronto begins Friday, July 15 and continues through the weekend as the headlining NTT IndyCar Series gets the green flag on Sunday, July 17. In between, the Honda Indy Toronto race festival is filled with practice, qualifying and a full schedule of ten races over the weekend. Updated with photos from July 13th and 17th, 2022.

Princes' Gates and Turn 1

Painting the Start/Finish Line

Turn 11 and Pit Lane

The NTT IndyCar race on Sunday is an 85 lap, 244 kilometre which will be broadcast from 3-6pm on Sportsnet's World, Now Standard and 360 in Canada. Taking place on the 11 turn street course winding through Exhibition Place and onto Lake Shore Boulevard West. Action happens fast with speeds of around 370km/h and primo passing spots being the start/finish stretch leading into Turn 1 and along Lake Shore Boulevard.

This year's participating race series includes two open-wheel development ladder series from the Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires, NASCAR Pinty's Series stock cars, Porsche Carrera Cup North America and Sports Car Championship Canada. The Indy Lights series did not make an appearance in Toronto for 2022 but they will join back with IndyCar in Iowa next week.

IndyCar driver Christian Lundgaard of the No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda shows the car's new livery for the Honda Indy Toronto 2022 race. Hub International is now the primary sponsor of the #30 car. July 13, 2022

The setup in Exhibition Place is very similar to the 2019 race with IndyCar and the Road to Indy Paddock in the Enercare Centre. NASCAR Pinty's Series garage remained outdoors to the east of Thunder Alley. Some changes included the Team Hospitality Centre moved to the north edge of Thunder Alley and the Honda World area reduced to allow for the Truck Stop food and beverage area as well as improved and expanded General Admission viewing spots. The Pinty's outdoor Pub & Grill beside the Princes' Gates was not there for 2022.

Honda Indy Toronto 2022 on track schedule

Fan Friday: Free general admission with a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada (matched by the Honda Canada Foundation), sponsored by the Ontario Honda Dealers Association. There will be practices, qualifications and Friday's headline race by NASCAR Pinty's Series starting at 4pm. Off track you can find autograph sessions and other activities and entertainment.

Free Fan Friday, July 15
GATE HOURS 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM USF2000 Practice 1
8:45 AM - 9:10 AM Indy Pro 2000 Practice 1
9:25 AM - 10:00 AM Porsche Carrera Cup Practice 1
10:15 AM - 11:35 AM NASCAR Pinty's Series Practice 1 & Qualifying
11:50 AM - 12:20 PM Sports Car Championship Canada Practice 1
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Autograph Session
12:35 PM - 12:55 PM USF2000 Qualifying 1
1:10 PM - 1:40 PM Porsche Carrera Cup Practice 2
1:55 PM - 2:15 PM Indy Pro 2000 Qualifying 1
2:30 PM - 3:45 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1
4:00 PM - 5:20 PM NASCAR Pinty's Series Race (GRAND PRIX OF TORONTO)

Saturday, July 16
GATE HOURS 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
8:00 AM - 8:20 AM USF2000 Qualifying 2
8:35 AM - 8:55 AM Indy Pro 2000 Qualifying 2
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Porsche Carrera Cup Qualifying 1
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM Sports Car Championship Canada Qualifying
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM USF2000 Race 1
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM Indy Pro 2000 Race 1
2:00 PM - 3:15 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM Porsche Carrera Cup Race 1
4:30 PM - 5:10 PM Sports Car Championship Canada Race 1

2022 IndyCar Streets of Toronto race

Sunday, July 17
GATE HOURS 8:45 AM - 5:00 PM
9:45 AM - 10:25 AM USF2000 Race 2
11:05 AM - 11:35 AM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm-Up
11:40 AM - 12:20 PM Indy Pro 2000 Race 2
12:35 PM - 1:15 PM Sports Car Championship Canada Race 2
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM Porsche Carrera Cup Race 2
2:40 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Introductions
3:30 PM NTT INDYCAR SERIES Honda Indy Toronto

As of now the top 3 NTT IndyCar drivers are Marcus Ericsson, Will Power and Josef Newgarden. Marcus is a former F1 driver and won the Indy 500 in 2022. Will has won three races in Toronto; 2007, 2010 and 2016. Josef has already won three of the nine 2022 races and has won in Toronto twice - once in 2015 and then in 2017. Will and Josef are my top picks for the 2022 Toronto race.

The Toronto race was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 precautions. Since then the IndyCars have added the aeroscreen safety device otherwise they continue to use the 2.2 litre V6, twin-turbocharged Honda or Chevy engines (will change in 2024 to a 2.4 litre engine) along with the Dallara IR-12 chassis.

Canadian stock car racing by NASCAR Pinty's Series will take place on the Friday during the 2022 Grand Prix of Toronto. Current driver top 3 standings have Marc-Antoine Camirand, Kevin Lacroix and Gary Klutt in the lead. Kevin has won the Toronto race once in 2017. Top contenders for the 2022 race favour Andrew Ranger and Alex Tagliani.