Car FYI

Winner of the 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto Pato O'Ward celebrates (Photo Credit: Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment) IndyCar’s only visit outside of the states, the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto has been a classic attraction where some of the greatest open wheel racers tested their talents on a tricky, tight temporary street course nestled within Exhibition Place. The 2025 edition of the event headlined by the NTT IndyCar Series drew a consistently large crowd of Canadian race fans throughout the weekend who were rewarded with plenty of off-track and on-track excitement.  By virtue of a magnificent defence of pole position for a third consecutive year, Colton Herta and his Gainbridge #26 Andretti Global team earned the honours of leading the field to the green flag for Sunday’s main event. Whether or not he would be able to defend his 2024 victory would depend on the outcome of 90 laps on the 11-turn, 2.874-kilometer (1.786-miles) race track. Following time trials, ...

Close-up of Scott Dixon's Honda-branded Engine Cover (Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada)   A company maintaining an uninterrupted 30-year association with motorsports is a commitment involving a great deal of mutual appreciation and respect. Back in 1994, the Honda name’s appearance on Indy cars was a new sight for many racing fans. While the auto marker had gained a reputation for winning in Formula 1 through the 1980s and early 1990s, the North American open wheel racing scene presented a much different challenge. Honda Racing’s endeavour into IndyCar immediately demonstrated that some first steps may be uneasy but the capacity to endure these early struggles can amount to greatness.   Honda had explored involvement with Indy car racing during the early 1980s partnering with Engine Development Limited (a company jointly founded by Jack Brabham and John Judd) to create a competition powerplant. While Honda opted not to officially enter the CART Indy car racing, work on t...

  Photo Credit: Chris Owens/IndyCar For all race drivers, there is a desire to conquer the clock. Although it may seem to be an accomplishable goal to spare some movement on a stopwatch, certain elements in time no one can stop. For this reason, many of us want to achieve goals so early in our life. For NTT IndyCar Series driver Colton Herta, his entrance into full time competition in the tour resulted in him becoming the youngest-ever race driver as he took the checkered flag at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Six years removed from a first taste of victory, the driver of the Honda-powered #26 Andretti Global Dallara is a steady veteran behind the wheel while only 24 years of age. At the age of 18, the IndyCar career of Colton Herta started in the 2018 season finale at Sonoma Raceway. Although he finished 20th in the Harding Racing #88 car, many saw potential on the driver who finished runner-up in the Indy Lights championship to Pato O’Ward. The young American racer en...

Photo Credit: Chris Owens/IndyCar 2021 NTT IndyCar Series Drivers and Teams 2 Josef Newgarden United States Team Penske Chevrolet A two-time IndyCar champion, 30-year-old Tennessee driver Josef Newgarden enters his fifth season with Team Penske after a strong 2020 run. Newgarden is once-again considered a contender once more for the year's title. Winning a total of 18 IndyCar events since starting his career in the series in 2012, the pilot of the #2 Team Penske race car has keen sights on capturing this year's Indianapolis 500. 3 Scott McLaughlin New Zealand Team Penske Chevrolet After securing three consecutive driver titles in the Supercars Championship in a Ford Mustang co-owned by Roger Penske, Scott McLaughlin has been promoted to run his full first season in the NTT IndyCar Series competition with the prestigious group. Though he sp...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada Auto racing has long been a showcase forecasting the advancement of automotive technology. Countless aspects found in modern passenger cars owe their existence towards innovative engineers, designers and drivers finding a competitive edge on the race car. Even though the technology transfer is less pronounced in an era where rules in motorsports is more policed then in earlier racing decades, a push remains by auto manufacturers and racing leagues to give audiences the impression that the vehicles on track have some connection to the production cars attached to a brand. As automakers are pushing towards greater use of electric-powered or electrified powertrain vehicles present a new opportunity for motorsports to promote a new future for road cars. In preparation for their 2022 season, the NTT IndyCar Series has announced intentions to introduce hybrid powerplants. When competitors take the grid for the 2022 IndyCar Series, their veh...

Photo Credit: Chris Owens Having already introduced you to the 16 races part of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar schedule , it's time to shed light on the drivers and teams contending for the various trophies. With the entry list for the season-opening race in St. Petersburg posting a healthy 24-car field, drivers connected to the superteams of Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport are still the favoured forces to be reckoned with. However, expansion and consolidations for 2015 has the potential of creating some surprising developments as the IndyCar season progresses.  The following tidbits of information considers the 2015 Verizon IndyCar season as a whole discounting all the special deal put together for the Indianapolis 500. Reigning Champion Power Accepts #1 Photo Credit: Chris Owens For only fourth time in 15 years, the defending champion of the IRL/IndyCar Series has decided to accept a special perk. Wi...

Photo Credit: Chris Owens/IndyCar The start of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar season was delayed three weeks due to the cancellation of the opening round in Brazil. Having planned to run the feature race on March 8th at  Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, the round was withdrawn by promoters. Reportedly, government funding to the race was pulled resulting the IndyCar season having to wait until March 29th's race in St. Petersburg to open the 2015 series. With 16 points-paying races including 'the month of May' festivities at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series tour consists of ten road courses and six ovals. Big Easy Debut One new race venue added to the 2015 Verizon IndyCar tour is the series' first-ever stop in the state of Louisiana. To be held on a 13-turn, 2.74-mile course at NOLA Motorsports Park, the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana is taking place at facility opened just four years ago. Located in Avondale, the race tr...