Honda Indy heads north to York Region
By Matthew Fletcher
The Toronto Indy heads north, finding its way just a drive up the Don Valley Parkway to its new home in Markham where it features a new city circuit which is only one of six in all of North America. “Markham, start your engines, the Indy race is coming to our city,” shared Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti earlier this month, announcing some of the biggest news for York Region in years.
Many members of the community worked together to secure this deal in our city. Between the private and public sectors, many months of planning have been going on behind the scenes. Scarpitti credited Markham Councillor Andrew Keyes for first bringing the opportunity forward.
The Honda Indy race is an annual event where Indy cars built for speeds up to 185mph race through a temporary circuit. The 2026 circuit will be constructed through the streets of Downtown Markham, consisting of 12 turns and a 3.52km track. The Indy event is a three-day spectacle that will be held from August 14-16 of next year.
The Honda Indy race will be York Region’s biggest sporting event ever. The move north alleviates the worry of travelling down the Don Valley Parkway to get to the Exhibition Place in Toronto to see the event, where it was formerly held since 1986. Organizers mentioned one of the many benefits of having the event in Markham is that 71 per cent of Indy attendees will have a more convenient commute to Markham, and 12 per cent out-of-province guests will benefit from affordable hotels and transportation. As indicated by these statistics, our hospitality market in Markham will see a huge boost in revenue thanks to this event. According to Scarpitti, this event will give way to 10,000 new jobs as well.
The economic value for our region will be pivotal; the implementation of this event will boost many markets. Markham holds great pride in its diversity. For example, its rich culinary experience from the diverse set of restaurant options in the surrounding area of where the Indy event will take place will be a great draw for visitors to enjoy and thus provide another reason for these visitors to come back in following years to see the event again.
“(The) 2024 Indy drew over 150,000 people with more than a $50 million economic impact…local restaurants, hotels, corner stores, gasoline shops, everyone benefits,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport. “So, when they roll in, pardon the pun, and then roll out, the impact is massive.”
The Honda Indy race, coming to York Region, will no doubt provide great benefits for our community and economy alike. Local residents, as well as all Indy fans, will be waiting patiently until next year, when we see the races first hand; as the Markham mayor said, “Buckle up, everyone. We’re off to the races.”
Photo: Markham Mayor Frank Scapitti (centre), along with local dignitaries and Indy stakeholders. (Matthew Fletcher photo)