The NTT IndyCar Series makes history today with the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham, a brand-new street race just north of Toronto. Qualifying flipped the script on Saturday. Rookie sensation Louis Foster claimed a track-record pole, while championship leader Alex Palou, Will Power and Josef Newgarden all crashed and will start deep in the field. On a tight temporary circuit where passing is hard, that shakeup reshapes the picture. Our headline pick leans on track position, and we build the full card below. For the pre-qualifying market read, see our Markham odds preview.
Last Updated: Sunday, August 16, 2026
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Streets of Markham, Markham, Ontario, Canada |
| When | Sunday, August 16 – Noon ET |
| TV | FOX |
Pre-Race Report
Louis Foster delivered the drive of his young career on Saturday. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver set a track record of 1:13.2383 to win the first pole in Markham history. Christian Lundgaard qualified second for Arrow McLaren at 1:13.6352, and Scott McLaughlin put his Team Penske entry third. Marcus Ericsson, Dennis Hauger and Rinus VeeKay round out the top six on the grid.
The bigger story was the carnage behind them. Palou, Power and Newgarden all crashed in qualifying on the unforgiving new layout. Palou lost his Chip Ganassi car at the Turn 10 wall and will start 12th, ending a long run of top-10 starts. Power and Newgarden had their own incidents and will line up near the back of the 25-car field. On a narrow street course, that is a serious handicap for three of the series’ strongest names.
The layout itself matters. Markham is a 2.19-mile, 12-turn temporary street circuit, and the race runs 90 laps for roughly 197 miles. Street tracks reward clean air and clean restarts. Overtaking is limited, so where a driver starts often shapes where they finish. That single fact drives most of the picks that follow.
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham — Top Odds to Win
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alex Palou | +200 |
| Christian Lundgaard | +300 |
| Scott McLaughlin | +650 |
| Louis Foster | +700 |
| Marcus Ericsson | +700 |
| David Malukas | +1000 |
| Kyle Kirkwood | +1000 |
| Scott Dixon | +2000 |
| Pato O’Ward | +2500 |
| Rinus VeeKay | +4000 |
Odds accurate as of Sunday, August 16, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest IndyCar Odds – Props
Top Pick to Win — Christian Lundgaard
The Pick: Christian Lundgaard to win (+300)
Palou opens as the +200 favorite, but he starts 12th after his crash. On a circuit this tight, that price asks bettors to trust a long charge through traffic. We would rather back the fastest car that also starts up front. That points to Lundgaard, who qualified second and lines up on the outside of row one with clear track ahead. His +300 price carries an implied probability near 25 percent, and a front-row start on a pass-resistant street course is worth real equity here.
Lundgaard has been a model of consistency for Arrow McLaren in 2026. He sits fourth in the championship standings and has the road- and street-course speed to convert a strong grid slot. With the nominal favorite buried in the pack, the front row is where the value concentrates. Lundgaard is the best-priced driver in that group.
The case against is straightforward. Foster sits on pole with the track record and the clean air that comes with it, and a rookie leading his home-region race could ride that momentum. Lundgaard also owns a modest IndyCar win total, so closing the deal is not a given. First-lap contact and a chaotic restart or two on a brand-new surface could scramble the order in a hurry. Still, at +300 from the front row, the risk-reward lands in his favor.
Value Play — Louis Foster
The Pick: Louis Foster to win (+700)
If track position is king today, the pole sitter deserves a longer look. Foster was in a class of his own in qualifying, beating Lundgaard by four tenths and resetting the track record on the way. He will lead the field to green with clean air in front of him. On a street course where passing is difficult, a driver out front can control the pace, manage his tires and dictate strategy. At +700, that is a defensible price for the man on pole.
The counterpoint is experience. Foster is early in his IndyCar career and has limited winning pedigree at this level, and the pressure of leading an inaugural event is real. Stronger long-run cars start right behind him, and a single mistake or an ill-timed caution can erase a pole advantage fast. The upside is that he has already shown the raw speed. As a longer-priced outright next to our top pick, Foster offers genuine ceiling.
Race Day Outlook — Picks and Final Thoughts
The feed does not list head-to-head matchups or manufacturer props for Markham, so the outright board is where the action is. That said, one more front-runner is worth a play. Scott McLaughlin (+650) was among the few heavyweights to escape qualifying cleanly, and he starts third for Team Penske. On a track that rewards the opening stint, row two is a strong launch pad. His two-way risk is that he must clear the front row without contact and hope the leaders do not check out early.
The biggest watch item is Palou. He won again at Portland last weekend and leads the standings by 110 points over Kyle Kirkwood. His raw pace is unmatched, so a charge from 12th is very possible. We simply do not love paying +200 for a driver who must pass on a circuit that fights back. Watch the first round of pit stops and any early caution, since a well-timed yellow can hand a buried favorite back his track position. For more on his form, see our Portland predictions.
To recap the card: our top pick is Christian Lundgaard to win at +300 from the front row. Our value play is pole sitter Louis Foster at +700. And we add Scott McLaughlin at +650 as a third front-runner angle from third on the grid. Each pick leans on the same theme — on a brand-new street circuit, starting position is doing a lot of the heavy lifting today.
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham FAQ
Who is the favorite to win the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham?
Alex Palou is the betting favorite at +200 via TheSpread.com, despite starting 12th after a qualifying crash. Christian Lundgaard is next on the board at +300, followed by Scott McLaughlin at +650.
When is the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham?
The inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is scheduled for Sunday, August 16, 2026, with the green flag set for around Noon ET on the Streets of Markham in Markham, Ontario.
What channel is the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham on?
The race airs on FOX, with streaming available through FOX One.
Who is on pole for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham?
Louis Foster won the pole for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with a track-record lap of 1:13.2383. Christian Lundgaard qualified second and Scott McLaughlin third.
How many laps is the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham?
The race is scheduled for 90 laps around the 2.19-mile, 12-turn street circuit, a distance of roughly 197 miles.