By: Spencer Neff
July 20, 2024

2024 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto Results

Andretti Global’s Colton Herta led Friday practice, Saturday practice, won the pole and was fastest in this morning’s warmup.

During the 85-lap Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, he led 81 laps on the 1.786-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place circuit en route to his first win in 41 races (2022 GMR Grand Prix-IMS Road Course),

Before today, the Californian had finished second and third in his last two starts in Canada.

Teammate Kyle Kirkwood finished second, securing his first podium of 2024 to go along with Andretti Global’s first win of 2024.

It is the eighth win of Herta’s career and second on a temporary street circuit. Andretti Global earns their first win at Toronto since 2012 (Ryan Hunter-Reay) go along with Team Owner Michael Andretti’s record seven wins as a driver.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and Alex Palou rebounded from disappointing qualifyings to finish third and fourth. Palou maintains a lead of 49 over Team Penske’s Will Power in the standings with five races to go in the 17-race season.

Honda would occupy the first seven positions on the final running order as Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay equaled Palou’s mark of improving 14 positions. The Dutchman went from 22nd to eighth.

CGR would also boast the highest-finishing rookie of the day as Linus Lundqvist ended the afternoon in 13th.

Recap

At the start of the race, a pair of drivers found trouble as Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen and Santino Ferrucci of A.J. Foyt Racing found the retaining wall between Turns 1 and 2 in separate incidents.

Both drivers sustained damage but Rasmussen’s first start in Canada would end before he completed a lap. Ferrucci’s crew replaced the front wing on his car and continued on.

During the Lap 5 restart, Agustin Canapino made contact with Dixon in Turn 4, sending the Juncos Holinger Racing driver into the outside retaining wall. The Argentinian’s No. 78 entry sustained heavy damage, particularly to the front end of the car and did not continue on.

Dixon would run until Lap 37 on the first stint of the race before handing the lead back over to Herta.

On the last sequence of pit stops, a number of drivers would see their days begin to unravel. During his Lap 53 pit stop, Josef Newgarden would lose time as his Team Penske crew needed secure the lug nut on his left-rear tire.

While Arrow McLaren’s Théo Pourchaire and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Linus Lundqvist went off course in Turns 3 and 4, they continued on, despite a flat tire for the former.

Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson, who also led at Lap 55, would go off course in Turn 3 following contact with Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist.

Ericsson dropped to 11th but continued on while Rosenqvist dropped out with electrical issues.

With 18 laps to go, Kyffin Simpson slide off line and made contact with the tire barrier on the inside wall in Turn 8. Although the Chip Ganassi Racing rookie climbed from his damaged car unscathed, the caution was brought out and his day ended prematurely.

Following the Lap 72 restart, the carnage would continue on Lap 73. Pato O’Ward got lose exiting Turn 1, initiating a multi-car crash that included teammate Nolan Siegel, Ericsson, Hunter McElrea and Ferrucci, who launched over the car of Pietro Fittipaldi into the catch fence before landing upside down.

While the cleanup began, INDYCAR prompted the red flag on the event.

The Lap 76 restart was met with another incident as Penske teammates Power and McLaughlin would make contact in Turn 5, sending the latter into the wall and prompting the sixth caution of the afternoon on Lap 77.

Power would be assessed a drive-through penalty for the incident but finished 12th.

Following the restart with 5 laps to go, Herta and Kirkwood stayed out front to put the finishing touches on a dominant weekend.

The average speed of the race was 91.568 mph, slowed by five cautions spanning 15 laps. Herta, Dixon and Ericsson. exchanged the lead five times during the afternoon

Up Next

Following a three-week break, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to action in August for the Bomamrito Automotive Group 500 at Worldwide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.

Opening practice is scheduled for 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Friday, August 16, with qualifying at 5:00 p.m. and the final practice at 8:30 p.m.

The 260-lap race on the 1.25-mile oval will bee run on Saturday, August 17. USA Network will have broadcast coverage at 6:00 p.m. ET. Stay with IndyCar1909 for all the latest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR