Scott Dixon ready to defend title on Honda Indy Toronto
This just feels like home for Scott Dixon.
The New Zealand native often jokes that the Honda Indy Toronto, as the only IndyCar race in a Commonwealth country, is essentially his backyard.
He has also won four times on the street course around Exhibition Place, including a dominant performance in 2022, and has the second most wins in racing history. He won both races here in 2013 and again in 2018.
“I think you can never really rest on last year’s performance,” said Dixon. “The track changes over time, right? It’s city streets. What was a year will certainly be different.”
The track has changed since Dixon’s win a year ago, with the road surface between Turns 8 and 11 being resurfaced for a less bumpy ride. So is the pit lane – nestled between BMO Field and the Horse Palace – which has been expanded by two bays this year to accommodate 27 cars.
Dixon said those little changes are what make street courses so much fun.
“It looks much smoother and much more consistent, at least one kind of material,” Dixon said of the resurfacing. “Going into Turn 1 it looks like they changed a bit too with a pretty big patch there.
“They also have a big painted crosswalk there that would be very slippery, especially when it rains.”
There is an 80% chance of rain for Saturday qualifying and a 40% chance for Sunday race day with thunderstorms on both days.
Dixon is second in IndyCar points behind Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Alex Palou of Spain. Palou has 377 points after four wins, two poles, eight top-fives and nine top-10s this season in a Honda.
Dixon has 267 with five top-fives and eight top-10s. Josef Newgarden (Chevy) of Team Penske is third with 261.
Devlin DeFrancesco, the only Canadian currently in IndyCar, is tied for 20th with 104 points. He is eager to get back to racing in his hometown after making his Toronto debut last year.
“Even when I came last year I felt no pressure, I felt more support than anything,” said DeFrancesco, who drives for Andretti-Steinbrenner Autosport. “I’m excited to be back here.”
Two-time defending Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona winner Tom Blomqvist will make his IndyCar debut, replacing the injured Simon Pagenaud in the No. 60 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing.
The 2019 Indy Toronto champion was injured just over a week ago during practice in Mid-Ohio when his brakes failed, forcing him to spin his car in a desperate attempt to slow down. The car hit a gravel trap exiting a corner and rolled seven times as pieces flew into the air before finally coming to rest on its side against a barrier.
Blomqvist did not learn until Tuesday that he would be driving in Toronto.
“The only source I have is YouTube videos, so yeah, I’m coming into this pretty blind,” said Blomqvist, who spoke to Pagenaud about the course. “Simon did say it will be fine, the song isn’t that hard, but when you listen to these guys it sounds like he was lying.
“I don’t really have high expectations of myself.”
DeFrancesco agreed to some support for the Briton. ‘It will be fine. Just send it.’
Green Savoree Race Promotions, which hosts four of the 17 annual IndyCar races, is in the final year of its contract with Penske Entertainment to host the only Canadian event on the schedule. Honda Indy Toronto president Jeff Atkinson said negotiations are going “very well” and his organization will provide an update on the future of the race soon.
