Friday at the races: Honda Indy Toronto 2013

IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti, winner of the 2011 #Toronto race, takes the pole position for the first of two races at the 2inTO double header race weekend. The inside lane position is the 32nd for Dario and makes for two years in a row for Toronto. Race 1 is Saturday, July 13, 2013 and will feature a standing start for the 85 lap street course through Exhibition Place and onto Lake Shore Boulevard. Defending Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay qualified 6th in the 24 car field. Josef Newgarden, former Indy Lights driver, with the #67 IndyCar enters turn 1 in the photo at top.

UPDATE: See photos from Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and the pretty Grid Girls of the 2013 Honda Indy Toronto.

Dario Franchitti in the #10 Target car passes Princes' Gates

"I'm just delighted for the Target crew to get the pole," said Franchitti, who moved into a tie with Michael Andretti for sixth on the all-time Indy car list by claiming the Verizon P1 Award. "We've had a tough stretch and it just feels good to come back and get the pole."

Tilted Kilt ladies selling calendars

Sports cars run through pit lane and head into turn 1

Today was Fan Friday and the crowds were filling the festival areas while Pro Mazda, Indy Lights, USF2000 and the IndyCars were practicing or qualifying for their respective series. The setup fits quite well with the large chunk of property formerly known as Thunder Alley is off limits due to the ongoing hotel construction. With no Thunder Alley bleachers or the former beer tent gone the hill along Lake Shore Boulevard provides a perfect place for general admission ticket holders to sit in the shade and get a good view of the exciting straight away.

Sometimes these cars go a little slower than race track speeds

Check out the paddocks for exciting mechanical action and see some drivers up close

Pit lane during actual IndyCar races are full of fire suits, otherwise it can be quiet until the cars come onto the track

A streak of colour passes by in the blink of an ee

Indy Lights

The opening ceremonies of the IndyCar double header races, including the driver parade begins at  3 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. The Stadium Super Trucks also race on Saturday and Sunday and Paul Tracy will race one of the trucks on Sunday.

See more photos of Friday's fun after the jump.

Free Smirnoff Ice in #Toronto

The gods of booze decided to bless us with free cans of Smirnoff Ice. I found these guys checking IDs, stamping hands and passing out a free, full sized sample of the adult beverage. The were located on Queen Street West, just in front of the Much Music building. Hmmm, new refresed taste.

@HondaIndy #Toronto 2013 is here

UPDATE: See photos from Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and the pretty Grid Girls of the 2013 Honda Indy Toronto.

The pits and equipment are in place, trailers have been unpacked and the beer garden is setup ready for a hot, hot weekend in the city. Cripes, even the army is here. Like poking a bees nest, Exhibition Place will soon be buzzing with the sounds and smells of a high octane race weekend blowout.

These trucks look amazing. Looking at YouTube videos these guys do a lot of drifting and take some long air over some metal ramps placed in the track.

The pit stands and suites give great views of the drivers and teams working to get the cars in tip top shape

Here are more pictures from the race weekend.

@HondaIndy #Toronto 2013 Schedule

2inTO at Exhibition Place will have a pair of Maple Leafs as official Grand Marshals during the IndyCar July 12-14 weekend. Players Dave Bolland and David Clarkson will announce "drivers, start your engines" and will also be in the Drivers Parade.

UPDATE: See photos from Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and the pretty Grid Girls of the 2013 Honda Indy Toronto.

Canadian IndyCar drivers James Hinchcliffe and Alex Tagliani

James and his girlfriend Kirsten Dee wander pit row in Toronto

"The local natives of Mimico will perform the standard Grand Marshal duties that include giving the famous “drivers, start your engines” command to start the afternoon races: Bolland on Saturday, July 13 and Clarkson on Sunday, July 14. They will also meet the INDYCAR drivers, tour the INDYCAR paddocks and will participate in the Drivers Parades for each respective race. Bolland is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, most recently scoring the winning goal for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins just last month. Scoring in the final minute of the game, he set a new record for the latest Stanley Cup-winning goal scored in regulation time. In 2012, he officially launched the Dave Bolland Foundation to help empower youth from marginalized communities in shaping their futures for success."

Dario Franchitti

The city has announced that the following road closures will take place to accomodate the Streets of Toronto  Honda Indy race course: Wednesday, July 10 at noon: Strachan Avenue from Lake Shore Boulevard to Fleet Street will be closed. And Wednesday, July 10 at 9 p.m.: Lake Shore Boulevard from Strachan Avenue to British Columbia Drive will be closed. Both closures are in effect until Sunday, July 14 at 12 midnight. There will be no eastbound or westbound traffic during this closure. The only available access to Ontario Place will be from Lake Shore Boulevard at the foot of Strachan Avenue. Alternate east/west routes are the Gardiner Expressway or King Street.

Friday, July 12 On Track Schedule (check the Honda Indy Toronto website for up to date information on the on and off track schedules).

7:30am-8:00am USF2000 practice

8:05am-8:35am Pro Mazda practice

8:50am-9:30am Indy Lights practice

9:45am-10:15am Accura Sports Car Challenge: World Challenge practice

10:25am-11:55am IndyCar practice

12:10am-12:40pm USF2000 practice

12:45pm-1:15pm Pro Mazda practice

1:30pm-2:00pm Accura Sports Car Challenge: World Challenge practice

2:15pm-3:25pm IndyCar qualifying

3:40pm-4:10pm USF2000 qualifying

4:15pm-4:45pm Pro Mazda qualifying

5:00pm-5:40pm Indy Lights practice

5:55pm-6:30pm Accura Sports Car Challenge: World Challenge qualifying

Saturday, July 13 On Track Schedule

7:45am-8:30am Indy Lights qualifying

8:45am-9:25am Pro Mazda race #1

9:40am-10:20am USF2000 race #1

10:35am-11:05am IndyCar qualifying

11:30am-12:30pm Indy Lights race #1

12:45pma-2:05pm Accura Sports Car Challenge: World Challenge race #1

2:15pm-2:45pm Speed Super Trucks race #1

2:30pm-6:00pm IndyCar race #1

Sunday, July 14 On Track Schedule

8:00am-8:45am Accura Sports Car Challenge: World Challenge qualifying

9:55am-10:35am Pro Mazda race #2

10:50am-11:20am IndyCar practice

11:35am-12:15pm USF2000 race #2

12:30pm-1:50pm Accura Sports Car Challenge: World Challenge race #2

2:05pm-2:35pm Speed Super Trucks race #2

2:40pm-6:00pm IndyCar race #2

Caribbean Carnival #Toronto 2013

The colours of the @CarnivalToronto were breathtaking as Mayor Rob Ford, Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak and others launched the 46th annual celebration. The new stage at City Hall's Nathan Phillips Square was put to use as the ladies in Masquerade, or Mas costumes lined up behind the politicians. During the 2013 parade they estimate 17,000 Mas participants will march in costume.

The Grand Parade is coming to Toronto on Saturday, August 3, starting in Exhibition Place and heading out along Lakeshore. and the festival has many events over the coming weeks - it is billed as North America's largest street festival! Watch as they celebrate harmony and innovation in this multicultural sensation that also showcases the music and culinary of the Caribbean.

"Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts. In its 46th year it has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Hip Hop, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands. This colourful exhibition and display of genius is truly a musical panorama that is certain to bring a pleasing smile to the ancestral titans of Pan and Calypso music."

CTV is a proud sponsor

Mayor Rob Ford reads the proclamation

Festival organizers provide a framed photo from the King and Queen Ball. Festival CEO Denise Herrera Jackson and Festival CAO Christopher Alexander with the Mayor.

Tim Hudak

See more beauty after the jump.

Follow the yellow bridge road

A cheerful yellow bridge crossing the #Toronto railway tracks leads to the growing number of condos along the Gardiner Expressway and Railway Lands. Designed by sculptor Francisco Gazitua of Chile and  structural engineer Peter Sheffield the pedestrian bridge is named 'Puente de Luz' which means bridge of light. I like the colour more than the shape of the crossing, it breaks up the walls of grey concrete.

The side entrances to the steel bridge head westward on both sides, a long ramp to get to the 125m span between Spadina & Bathurst streets and bridging Front & the new roads north of Fort York Blvd.

looking from the bridge east towards the CN Tower

and west towards the Bathurst Street bridge

Afrofest

Music Africa presents the 25th annual #Toronto celebration of African culture at Woodbine Park in the Beaches. The music and the party continues from July 6th to the 7th, 2013. The event started in 1989 and has become the largest festival of African communities in Canada with an estimated weekend attendance of 100,000.

"Afrofest is a showcase of a rich and diverse African culture. With a bustling marketplace, food and craft vendors, artistic displays, a Children’s Village, a drum stage, music workshops, and organized fun and educational activities for youth and children, the festival provides guaranteed fun for the whole family. Afrofest is the biggest African music event of the summer. The free festival welcomes people of all ethnicities and communities and is a chance to discover Africa in the heart of Toronto."

I'm on a boat

#Mthrfckr. Well, I'm not on the boat but these ladies were pointing out the way to the booze cruise and after party down at #Toronto Harbourfront. I wonder if Samuel L Jackson was on the boat, with snakes?

Steve Hofstetter comedy at Hard Rock

While the @HardRockToronto screwed up their headline star's name @SteveHofstetter on the event calendar, it would be hard not to take to heart the comedians claim that he hates people, probably more so for people that make screwed up signs! He might not like us much, but the crowd loved the tall comedian who is based in Los Angeles. He made the flight up from the States to entertain us while his country went crazy with Independence Day celebrations on the 4th of July. My wife and I loved the show and it was cool going up to the second floor of the Yonge Street restaurant.

His bits about fighting with an airline stewardess over a pillow and face mask is hilarious. Delving into current affairs brought out his Snowden parody and his support of gay marriage. Definitely worth going to see so check him out if you can.

They sent me an email after I attended the show and it is a good place to start to find more information about the comedian.

James-

We wanted to thank you for spending a night at a Steve Hofstetter show. We hope you had a wonderful time, and look forward to seeing you again soon! Your support certainly does not go unnoticed. If you enjoyed the show, please tell your friends, post on Facebook, etc - the more people in a market excited about a show, the sooner he'll schedule another one!

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And if you'd like to purchase any CDs or T-Shirts, visit http://www.SteveHofstetter.com/stetterobilia.cfm

Thank you!
The Team at SteveHofstetter.com

#Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2013

Rain was a bummer but the art was protected by the army camp style, row upon row of white tents in Nathan Phillips Square for the 52nd annual TOAE. All manner of art and jewelry was available for perusal and purchase down at City Hall from July 5-7. The top two photos of this post are sculptures by TickTock Tom.

"The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is the largest outdoor art exhibition in Canada and has established itself as an important event within the Canadian arts community. For 50 years, TOAE has partnered with the City of Toronto and private business to bring an engaging and exciting selection of visual art to the Toronto community. On the 2nd weekend of each July - rain or shine - TOAE presents a juried showcase of visual artists working in a wide range of traditional and experimental art forms."

Daniel Bombardier

Wesley Rasko

See more of the show after the jump.