Honda Indy to leave Toronto after almost 40 years in the city

One of the biggest annual summer sporting events in Toronto is leaving town.

The Grand Prix of Toronto, also known as the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, but known to most simply as the "Honda Indy," will relocate for its 2026 race and onwards.

But it's not going all that far, as it will be held in the nearby city of Markham moving forward.

The Indy has been held at Toronto's Exhibition Place since its inception in 1986. Interestingly, Exhibition Place had previously been floated as a destination throughout the 1960s and 1970s to host a Formula One race, but a proposal was rejected in 1978 that eventually opened the door for the IndyCar circuit to take over.

The new temporary track will circle through Markham's downtown core.

"Markham is ready to build on its strong sports legacy and offer a new home where this celebrated summer tradition can thrive," Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti said in a statement, via the Toronto Star's Mark Colley. "I am extremely proud of our team at the City of Markham for bringing this initiative across the finish line in just a matter of months."

While the mid-July race had been a staple of many Toronto residents' summer plans, it was also the centre of more than a few noise complaints from local residents.

Much like the recently wrapped airshow on the same grounds at the Canadian National Exhibition, the engines from the racecars by nature produce ear-splitting noises that aren't exactly the most relaxing day out.

The schedule and further details for next year's race have yet to be announced.