When was the track built?

Markham is one of those modern circuits that exists because a city wanted to create an event, not because a permanent track happened to be there first. The race was announced in 2025 after the long-running Ontario Indy outgrew its Exhibition Place home, and construction work began quickly around Markham Centre and Unionville GO Station. That work involved far more than dropping in barriers. Pit lanes and pit boxes were built into the station area, access roads were widened, and public roads including Enterprise Boulevard, YMCA Boulevard, Unionville Gate, University Boulevard and Kennedy Road were modified or resurfaced to make them race-ready. The result is a purpose-built temporary circuit that still feels very street-race in character, but with more preparation baked into the asphalt than fans usually associate with a downtown layout.

When was its first race?

As things stand, Markham has not hosted a race yet. Its first scheduled race weekend is the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham from August 14-16, 2026. That makes this a rare opening weekend where every pole, podium and fastest race lap will be a first. The headline event is the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Sunday, August 16, 2026, but the festival also carries the weight of Ontario's long Indy history. This event lineage goes back to 1986, when Toronto joined the North American street-racing map and winners such as Michael Andretti, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser Jr., Dario Franchitti, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon and Will Power turned the province into one of open-wheel racing's traditional summer stops.

What's the circuit like?

• Street circuit with a real headline feature: Turn 5 is the key corner on the map - a wide hairpin with multiple lines that feeds onto the long Enterprise Boulevard straight. Nail the exit there and the whole lap opens up.
• Big speed into Turn 6: Cars are expected to exceed 180 mph along Enterprise before braking for the right-hand Turn 6. That should make it the obvious first-lap drama point and one of the best passing opportunities all weekend.
• Passing built into the middle sector: Official previews also point to good attacking zones between Turns 8 and 10, so this should not be a one-corner street track. Drivers will need to think about positioning and exits, not just one desperate dive.
• Unusual urban rhythm: The lap passes under the Unionville GO train line between Turns 4 and 5, then again after the Turn 5 exit. That gives the circuit a distinctive visual identity and breaks up the lap in a way few street courses can match.
• Grip evolution will be a major story: Even with the resurfacing work, this is still a temporary public-road circuit. Expect a green track early, dust off line, and a steady gain in grip as support categories lay rubber down.
• Close walls, no wasted space: Markham should race more like a proper urban circuit than a wide-open temporary venue. Precision on turn-in, clean traction out of slow corners and confidence over a changing surface will matter every bit as much as raw speed.

Lap records and benchmarks

• INDYCAR - official race lap (3.52 km): No official record yet. The inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is scheduled for 16 Aug 2026.
• NASCAR Canada - official race lap: No official record yet. The series returns to the Ontario Indy weekend on the streets of Markham in Aug 2026.
• USF Pro 2000 - official race lap: No official record yet. Markham is listed as rounds 13 and 14 on the 2026 schedule.
• USF2000 - official race lap: No official record yet. The junior open-wheel category is also scheduled to set its first Markham benchmarks during the debut weekend.
• Radical Cup Canada - official race lap: No official record yet. The Radicals should add a very different speed and braking reference to the opening weekend story.

With a new street circuit, the first benchmarks usually tumble quickly. The most meaningful laps may not come in the first practice, but once the surface rubbers in, braking points sharpen up and drivers start trusting the walls enough to attack properly.

Why go?

Because first editions always have a different energy. Nobody in the crowd has seen a real race there, nobody fully knows which corner will become the signature flashpoint, and every session feels like discovery. Markham also has practical advantages that matter to fans planning a trip: easy regional access, Unionville GO right by the venue, a denser festival footprint than many suburban events and Toronto close enough to turn the weekend into a bigger city break. The event is set to be the largest sporting event York Region has hosted, so the atmosphere should feel less like a quiet new stop and more like a statement launch. Add in the Ontario Indy legacy, and this is not just another new circuit - it is a fresh chapter for one of Canada's historic race weekends.

Where's the best place to watch?

• Turn 5 hairpin: The smartest all-round pick. You get the slowest major corner, multiple lines on entry and the critical launch onto Enterprise Boulevard. It should be a magnet for out-braking attempts and traction battles.
• Turn 6 at the end of the straight: For pure IndyCar theatre, this should be one of the best spots on the circuit. Cars arrive at very high speed and have to get the right-hander slowed down without losing the next sequence.
• Turns 8-10: Officially highlighted as a good passing zone, this part of the lap should reward fans who want to see racecraft rather than just top speed. Expect attacks, crossovers and the occasional bold late move.
• Turns 4-5 under the train line: One of the most distinctive visual areas of the whole track. Even before anyone turns a race lap, it already feels like the place TV directors will love.
• Start-finish and pit lane area: The double-sided pit setup should make strategy and pit entry-exit worth watching in its own right, especially once the IndyCar race starts to unfold on fuel and caution timing.

Not just one series - headline events at Markham Street Course

NTT INDYCAR SERIES: The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is the headline event and the race that officially brings top-level North American open-wheel racing to the new circuit.

NASCAR Canada: A big addition for fans who want variety. Canada's national stock car series brings heavier machinery, different braking points and a completely different style of street-race aggression.

USF Pro 2000 and USF2000: The junior ladder categories matter on a new street track because they help shape the racing line and create the first real competitive references before the IndyCar main event.

Radical Cup Canada: Lightweight prototypes on a fresh city circuit should be a terrific watch, especially through the quicker changes of direction and under heavy braking.

The bigger picture: Markham is not being launched as a one-race novelty. From day one it arrives as a full multi-series motorsport festival, carrying forward the Ontario Indy tradition while giving fans more categories and more track action than a simple Sunday headline alone.