IndyCar: 5 Toronto Indycar facts you probably didn’t know

The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is all set to take place from July 18-20. The IndyCar race will kick off on July 20 at 12:00 pm ET on Fox and will be held for 90 laps on the 160.74 mile track.

The first race was held in 1986 and was called the Molson Indy. It also became the Series' longest running street circuit behind Long Beach. Here are 5 facts about the Toronto race you probably didn't know.

1. Title indicator?

The Toronto street circuit has been known as the title indicator as to who will win the IndyCar championship title in that particular year. However, that is not entirely true as only 35% of the Toronto Indy winners have won a championship title in the same season.

Some of the drivers include Bobby Rahal (1986), Michael Andretti (1991), Alex Zanadri (1998), Cristiano De Matta (2002), Paul Tracy (2003), Sebastian Bourdais (2004), Dario Franchitti (2009/2011), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012) and Scott Dixon (2013).

2. Michael Andretti's seven wins

The former Andretti Global team owner Michael Andretti holds the record for most wins at the Toronto Grand Prix, with seven victories in 16 races. He secured his first win at the track in 1989 and continued his success through 2001. Andretti achieved these wins with multiple teams and engine manufacturers, including Chevrolet, Ford, and Honda. To date, no other driver has matched his remarkable success at this circuit.

3. USA has the most wins

Drivers from various nationalities have participated in and won the Toronto IndyCar race. However, it is USA that holds the record for the most wins at the street circuit. The United States have 13 victories, most of which were won by Michael Andretti, followed by Al Unser Jr with 2 wins.

The United Kingdom is in second place with six wins. Canada, France, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand, all have two victories each, while Mexico and Italy have a single victory to their credit.

4. Maiden IndyCar victory at Toronto Indy

Up until 2023, only two drivers had won their maiden race in IndyCar at the Toronto Indy. However, this stat was changed by Christian Lundgaard in 2023 after he won his maiden race at the event with Rahal Letterman Racing.

This record was previously shared by two drivers- Adrian Fernandez, who won his first career race in the series in 1996 and Late Justin Wilson who won his maiden career race in 2005.

5. Fastest Lap record at IndyCar Toronto race

The record for fastest lap at the Toronto Grand Prix was set by late Brazilian driver Gil De Ferran. He set the record time of 57.143 second in his Honda-powered Reynard in 1999. He had set the fastest lap with an average speed of 110.565 mph.