The Honda Indy Toronto has been racing on the streets of Exhibition Place for more than a quarter century and it’s become a summer staple in the city. While the event is not as big as it once was, I still consider it my home race. Even though I’ve moved away from the area, I grew up with the event and it will bring back a lot of vivid memories again this year.
It’s hard to believe that this event was initially turned down by City Council. When a deal was finally reached and the cars hit the track (then sanctioned by CART, Champ Car World Series), Bobby Rahal won the first-ever Toronto race in 1986. A few years later (1990), I watched from the stands when Al Unser Jr., won driving in a nasty rain storm.
I also watched Paul Tracy wave the Canadian flag in 1993 after winning his first race in Toronto. I was there to see Dario Franchitti capture his first IndyCar pole in an all-white car and subsequently getting punted by Bobby Rahal in the first corner of the race.
Paul Tracy won his first Toronto Indy in 1993. (John Hryniuk/CP)
Ah yes, that famous first corner where the cars take the green flag and hurtle toward Prince’s Gate before funneling down into that right-hand turn. Then, they build back up to speed along Lakeshore Road, making every Toronto commuter jealous that they can’t move that quickly during rush hour. After the twists and turns around the CNE grounds, it’s on to that final Corner 11. That corner changed with the new building known as the Direct Energy Centre — it’s not quite as diabolical as it used to be when it was referred to by many as the corner that separated the men from the boys. It was off camber, meaning it pushed you towards the right side concrete wall as you tried to make the left-hand turn, and not everyone was successful at completing it unscathed.
There are also some unfortunate incidents that are part of the Toronto Indy history. I watched from pit lane as Bryan Herta slammed into that outside wall of Turn 11, breaking his pelvis. There was that awful afternoon in 1996 when driver Jeff Krosnoff and track worker Gary Avrin were killed in a crash. Of course, there have been many other crashes, but fortunately, none as tragic as that one.
Related: Honda Indy Toronto Live — Latest tweets, photos
Michael Andretti captured his first of seven Toronto victories in 1989, driving for Newman/Hass Racing. His final victory here was in 2001, which was the first IndyCar race I worked as a pit reporter. I got to interview Michael after that win and, having watched him capture so many victories before, it was quite a surreal moment.
My perspective of this race has changed since then. I’m still a fan of course, but now I’m fortunate enough to be experiencing a kind of dream that many never realize – I’m doing something I enjoy so much, that it’s difficult to describe in words. But, you have to moderate your excitement for the event with the reporting perspective.
It’s still a joy to return each year and spend a good deal of the first day at the track catching up with so many friends made over the years. I was worried the race was dead after the dark year of 2008, but it has come back and now pretty much reflects the state of the IndyCar series.
There are some great moments of racing competition to go along with so many exciting stories. The fans are passionate, even though they may be fewer in numbers. The sponsorship dollars have dwindled and there’s always concern about the future of the event. But none of that changes the fact that IndyCar on the streets of Toronto is still a premiere event on the series calendar.