# Marcus Ericsson wins inaugural Markham IndyCar race > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/indycar-markham-street-circuit-debut > Updated: 2026-08-16T18:39:29.000Z. Sources: 70. Developments: 4. The NTT IndyCar Series successfully completed its inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at the new 3.52-kilometre Markham street circuit, despite a weekend defined by logistical challenges and on-track incidents. Following initial delays caused by incomplete track construction—which forced the cancellation of Friday sessions—the race proceeded on Sunday, August 16. Marcus Ericsson, driving for Andretti Global, won the 90-lap event, ending a 63-race winless drought. Ericsson secured the victory by utilizing a bold strategy, pitting on lap 69 and dropping to seventh place before charging through the field to overtake leader Romain Grosjean with just four to five laps remaining. Ericsson ultimately won with a margin of approximately 7.5 seconds. Grosjean, driving for Dale Coyne Racing, finished second, marking his first top-five result of the season. Grosjean noted that his team had calculated fuel levels to the limit, which left him unable to defend against Ericsson’s fresher tires. Will Power completed the podium in third place after a significant recovery from starting 25th on the grid following a grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. Championship leader Alex Palou, who had started 12th following a qualifying setback, finished fourth. This result extended his championship lead to 133 points over Kyle Kirkwood as the series prepares to move to Washington, D.C. The race featured six caution periods and notable accidents. Pole-sitter Louis Foster, driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, crashed on lap 43 while attempting to overtake Ericsson, striking the inner wall at turn 3. Foster reported being uninjured but expressed frustration regarding the circuit’s wall design. Other notable retirements included Kyle Kirkwood and Mick Schumacher, while Caio Collet finished 19th following early contact. The Markham event marks a significant transition for the series, replacing Toronto’s Exhibition Place as the host of the Canadian IndyCar race. ## Claims - Romain Grosjean finished in second place. (corroborated by 12 sources) - Marcus Ericsson won the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham. (corroborated by 10 sources) - Will Power finished in third place. (corroborated by 10 sources) - Marcus Ericsson ended a 63-race winless streak with his victory. (corroborated by 7 sources) - Alex Palou finished in fourth place and holds a 133-point lead in the championship. (corroborated by 7 sources) - Pole-sitter Louis Foster crashed on lap 43. (corroborated by 6 sources) - Louis Foster secured pole position at the Streets of Markham street course with a lap time of 1:13.238. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Christian Lundgaard will start second on the grid. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Championship leader Alex Palou failed to qualify in the top 10 after hitting a barrier, resulting in an 11th or 12th place starting position. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Kyle Kirkwood crashed out on lap 53. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Markham race is the inaugural event at the Streets of Markham, replacing Toronto's Exhibition Place. (corroborated by 3 sources) - This marks Louis Foster's second career series pole. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-16: Marcus Ericsson wins inaugural Markham IndyCar race Marcus Ericsson snapped a 63-race drought by winning the inaugural IndyCar race in Markham, Ontario, overtaking Romain Grosjean late in the race. Will Power finished third. 43 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/marcus-ericsson-wins-inaugural-markham-indycar-race ### 2026-08-16: Louis Foster secures pole in Markham but crashes out of IndyCar race Louis Foster secured pole position at the Markham street circuit but crashed out of the race on lap 43. Marcus Ericsson took the victory, while Alex Palou recovered to finish fourth. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/louis-foster-takes-pole-at-markham-indycar-street-race ### 2026-08-14: IndyCar Markham race faces delays after track construction failures IndyCar's inaugural Markham race weekend faced major delays after incomplete track construction forced the cancellation of Friday's sessions. Louis Foster secured pole position for Sunday's race. 39 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indycar-moves-canadian-race-to-new-markham-street-circuit ### 2026-08-11: IndyCar debuts new street circuit in Markham, Ontario The NTT IndyCar Series debuts a new 12-turn street circuit in Markham, Ontario, featuring special Arrow McLaren liveries sponsored by SmartStop Self Storage. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indycar-debuts-new-street-circuit-in-markham-ontario --- Cite as: Marcus Ericsson wins inaugural Markham IndyCar race. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/indycar-markham-street-circuit-debut