Honda Indy Toronto race day

The first running of the Honda Indy Toronto starts at 1:00 pm today. 23 drivers are expected in the race with Dario Franchitti in the pole position.

Gene Simmons will get the cars started as Grand Marshall. Two sets of fireworks are scheduled, one at the national anthems and the other during the victory celebrations.

Time to get my camera working.

First on the track are the Vintage GT racers driving a mixture of everything from vettes to mini coopers.



The IndyCars came on next for a quick practice (one of two today) before todays main event.



The Touring class vehicles had a race to finish up this morning's races.

Honda Indy Touring Class racing

Fun at the Honda Indy

There were a lot of families and couples attending the Honda Indy over the weekend schedule of events. It's a great place to bond with your children - just remember to take some ear protection.



Yeah, Bud girls.



And all the other race girls.

Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Toronto

Polesitter Sebastian Saavedra lost and regained the lead to take the checkered flag with J.R. Hildebrand second and James Hinchcliffe rounding out the top three in the Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Toronto. The exciting race was a tight competition with the lead changing several times. In the photo below it is J.R., Sebastian and James.



The drivers work hard around turns moving from turn 4 towards turn 5 with Ontario Place in the background.




The Lights is a series created to develop talent for progression into IndyCar racing. In 2008 IndyCar driver, then Indy Lights driver won the 2008 Championship - so you might see some of these drivers, including Sebastian, and the next Honda Indy Toronto.





Hometime driver James Hinchcliffe has some fans.

Dario Franchitti wins the pole position

With 23 cars in the field there will be twelves row of 2 (except for Richard Antinucci all alone in row 12) in tomorrow's IndyCar race in Toronto, with Dario Francitti (in the pole position, photo above left, Scott Dixon right) and Will Power in the leading row. Justin Wilson is in row 2, Alex Tagliani is in row 3 and Paul Tracy will start in row 8. Danica Patrick joins Marco Andretti (photo below) in row 9.



Movie actress Ashley Judd joined hubby Dario in the pits to offer her support - I think it worked.



The day was slippery and there were several spins and contacts including Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter and Danica Patrick. The cars ran after the heavy rain and the course was still slick. The spray coming off the back of the tires during the race down straight aways was pretty impressive. In the picture below the rain pours into the pits, hampering the start of the practice.

Honda Indy Toronto - Day 2, no rain yet

We're back. Day two of the Honda Indy Toronto jam packed weekend of racing and entertainment. We have been lucky with the weather so far, yesterday was gorgeous and today looks nice - even a bit of sun. We shall see what the rest of the day brings - a lot of times Toronto escapes the rain and snow so I am hoping it will work out.

Some cool vintage GT race qualifications are on right now with a Indy Light's practice scheduled for 8:50am with an IndyCar series practice at 9:40am.

UPDATE: Well the rain and lightning did show up - just when the Indycar practice was starting. Fans were cleared from the grandstands during the thunder storm. I tried to keep my cameras dry but I am a little moist. The qualifying started but had to be halted due to the lightning so the cars came back into the pits.




Most of the rain stopped at about quarter to eleven and the practice got started at 11:00am. The qualifying in the afternoon has been combined from the original proposed two groups. The rain does make for some interesting pictures - keep coming back to see the photos.







The hot tires smoke in the rain.

Honda Indy drivers

The world of IndyCar is certainly international with drivers of many nationalities, you can always cheer for your hometown favourite. The drivers are a pretty serious bunch during racetime but they occasionally laugh. The athletes themselves are generally very fit and shorter than you would think. Part of that is being able to fit into those racecars. It is also hard to take pictures of the drivers because many of them don't like to have their pictures taken and their crews also help to keep them covered up from the media. Marco Andretti looks relaxed in the pits, photo above. Will Power is in the picture below.



Raphael Matos.

Helio Castroneves

Spotlight on Danica Patrick

Honda Indycar practice sessions - Day One

There were two IndyCar qualifying events today, both ran for one hour with the fastest combined speed going to #2 Rapael Matos with a speed of 102.775 mph. Next were Justin Wilson, Will Power, Robert Doornbos and rounding out the top five is Ryab Briscoe with a speed of 102.164 mph.

Paul Tracy was ranked 15 while the lovely and ever popular Danica Patrick finished 22 out of 23.

Raising a little dust in turn number 8.



The Honda Indy Lites were also out on the track today.




Tomorrow (Saturday) will see another IndyCar practice starting at 9:40pm and then the qualification event from 2:05 to 3:35pm. So far the weather looks like it could be a little wet tomorrow so be prepared. Hopefully we will miss the worst of it. If not it looks pretty cool when the cars whip up streams of water flying from the tires as they race around the track.

The qualifying is comprised of three steps with the drivers broken into two separate groups. One, each group gets twenty minutes of track time with the six fastest cars from each group advancing to step two. Two, the 12 advancing cars receive 15 more minutes of track time with the fastest six going into a shootout (wow, those cowboy Americans), and three, these six cars go 10 more minutes (with additional tires for this step) and are then ranked based on their fastest laps.

For Sunday's IndyCar race the cars are placed two wide and take the green flag from a rolling start.

Honda IndyCar Practice

The action has already started at the 2009 Honda Indy Toronto as the IndyCar morning practice has roared through the streets of Toronto. The weather for the day is perfect, warm and sunny and no hint of rain. The international motor stars share a few laughs between colleagues and teammates (Danica Patrick #7 Andretti Green Racing plays with her hair above).

Tony Kanaan (left, #11) and Marco Andretti (#26) both of Andretti Green Racing talk before the practice.



Raphael Matos (#6 Panther Racing) walks through the paddock.



Justin Wilson (#18 Dale Coyne Racing) gets his helmet on.



Dario Franchitti (#10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing) certainly seems relaxed as he laughs prior to the practice run.



Then they begin the serious work of squeezing into the cockpit of a modern open wheel race car - ladies and gentlemen, get your butter out and get into those cars.




After they get into the car their handlers help with the safety gear then they put in the small, high tech steering wheel and they go racing, or in this case practicing.





Oh, I almost forgot, there was some Girls, Girls, Girls at the race. Here are some friendly Budweiser girls.