Toronto, Ontario - William Ashley is back as an official partner and the trophy provider of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race this Sunday at Exhibition Place, headlining the 35th edition of the Honda Indy Toronto weekend, set for July 14-16.

The 2023 versions of the crystal trophies will be revealed tomorrow (July 13) at 10:30 a.m. ET inside William Ashley’s downtown Toronto flagship located at 131 Bloor St. West with help from six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion driver Scott Dixon. Dixon won last year’s Honda Indy Toronto adding to previous wins in 2018 and 2013 (twice).

The celebrated retailer for Tableware, Home Décor and Kitchenware has provided the spectacular William Ashley Waterford trophies to the Honda Indy Toronto winner at every race since 2011. These custom-made masterpieces are crafted by Waterford and hand blown at their factory in Waterford, Ireland. The first-place trophy takes an artisan 48 hours to make and is etched by hand with a remarkable rendering of the Toronto skyline.

Dixon took control of the 2022 edition of the race after passing pole-sitter Colton Herta on Lap 18. The veteran pilot led 40 of the 85 laps, including the final 25 laps, en route to his 52nd career win, tying him with fellow legend Mario Andretti for No. 2 on the all-time INDYCAR SERIES wins list. Dixon will look to repeat his success from last year and win his fifth Honda Indy Toronto in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR).

"It’s been a pretty fun track for us in the past. We've definitely had some great results as a team and obviously going back to where we won last year. I love the crowd here and wish we had more Canadian races,” said Dixon. “The one goal is to try to win it and to try and keep this championship headed in the right direction. All of CGR is looking really strong right now and Honda, as well. We'll keep working, keep our heads down and we'll see what it brings."

Media members are invited to attend the event at the William Ashley store at 131 Boor St. West. The trophy will be revealed, and then both Jeff Atkinson, Honda Indy Toronto president, and Scott Dixon will be available for interviews.

Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Honda Fan Friday returns this year for the 12th time at the Honda Indy Toronto, offering complimentary general admission on Friday, July 14, with a voluntary contribution to Make-A-Wish® Canada. Make-A-Wish fundraising activities have been an integral part of Toronto’s marquee racing event for more than a decade. To date, a cumulative total of $905,000 has been raised and each dollar will go toward granting wishes for children living with critical illnesses.

General Admission tickets for the weekend are still available with 2-Day Weekend General Admission tickets priced at $75. Single Day General Admission is $50 for Saturday and $60 for Sunday. Children 12 and under are admitted free (general admission) with a ticketed adult providing an exceptional family value.

About Honda Indy Toronto

Honda Indy Toronto is a world-class motorsports festival which takes place annually on a 2.874-kilometre (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary circuit using the streets surrounding Exhibition Place near Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto. The event features many attractions, food trucks, interactive displays and activities, and supports local charities. Honda Fan Friday offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation. To date, $905,000 has been raised for Make-A-Wish® Canada.

As one of Ontario's largest annual sporting events with the first race held in 1986 first known as the Molson Indy, it has become a prestigious meeting place for some of the world’s fastest race car drivers including past NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions like Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power as well as Canadian racing greats Scott Goodyear, James Hinchcliffe, Greg Moore, Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Wickens, and more. Canadian Devlin DeFrancesco is planned to be in the 2023 starting field.

Honda Indy Toronto is owned and operated by Green Savoree Toronto, ULC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (March 3-5, 2023), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2023 Accord Hybrid (June 30-July 2, 2023) and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 1-3, 2023).

For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @HondaIndyToronto or follow the event on Twitter @HondaIndy and Instagram @HondaIndy using #indyTO.

St. Catharines, Ontario – Three IMSA drivers will compete in the Sports Car Championship Canada presented by Michelin at the 2023 Honda Indy Toronto on July 14,15,16.

IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR driver, Mark Wilkins, will compete in a Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR car. Mark will represent Hyundai alongside Hyundai Racing Canada TCR drivers Connor and Quinn Attrell.

IMSA TCR and LMP3 stand-out, James Vance, will pilot the FEL Motorsports Hyundai Veloster N TCA car alongside Bob Attrell who will pilot the other FEL Motorsports-owned TCA vehicle. James is not only a long time IMSA competitor, he has also been an Instructor for FEL on several automotive manufacturer drive events. James played an instrumental role in the Audi FIA Race Licence Program that FEL delivered for Audi Canada in 2018. James has been living in Florida for the past few years as he pursues his dream of being a full time IMSA driver.

Driver, Nick Galante, will round out the IMSA group of three in the GT4 class. Nick will be piloting one of the VPX Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4’s in the three Honda Indy Toronto races. Nick has been driving for Phil Frengs, Racing 2 End Alzheimers’ various racing programs, for the past six years. Racing 2 End Alzheimers’ has raised over $750,000 USD since it conception and and one hundred percent of the proceeds raised go to various Alzheimers’ associations around North America. To learn more about Racing 2 End Alzheimer’s check out the website by clicking here.

About FEL Motorsports

FEL Motorsports grew out of a deep base of automotive roots from FEL Automotive Learning and Promotion. FEL Motorsports is focused on growth and sustainability in the Canadian Motorsports landscape by giving back to its teams through prizing and prize money.

For further information on FEL Motorsports visit felmotorsports.com

It is that time of the year that the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires program makes their one and only international stop of the season. Traveling to Toronto, Ontario to compete on the 1.786-mile, 11-turn temporary circuit on the Streets of Toronto, it will be the only event for Louka St-Jean on home soil as he once again shares the track with the USF Pro Championships ladder program and the NTT INDYCAR Series.

“It is great to race in Toronto but it is still six hours or so from my home in Montreal,” explained St-Jean. “While it is a Canadian event, I have adopted this weekend’s race as my home event as I will have a ton of family, friends, and partners make the trip to Toronto this weekend.”

Since leveling up from USF2000 to USF Pro 2000 and joining the potent Turn 3 Motorsport outfit, St-Jean has made four race starts and finished inside the top-eight on three different occasions. Showing speed in testing, practice, and qualifying, the young French Canadian will be aiming to reset his best result, this time on home soil.

St-Jean added, “Both the team and I have realistic goals for Toronto. It will be only my second temporary circuit event, and my first in the Pro 2000 machine, the goal is to approach the weekend with caution, complete every lap, and gain experience. If we can do all these well, I think we can maximize our results and come home with some very strong finishes.”

With only one practice session on Friday, Louka St-Jean will progress into qualifying that afternoon for race one. Saturday morning will see the second of two qualifying sessions that will set the grid for race two which will take place Sunday morning while the first wheel-to-wheel action of the weekend goes green on Saturday afternoon.

Be sure to follow Louka St-Jean via Live Timing and Live Video at USFPro2000.com for each official on-track session at the Honda Indy Toronto.

For more information on Louka St-Jean, be sure to check out his racing website at www.LoukaStJean.com. Additionally, be sure to follow Louka St-Jean on his social media pages by searching Louka St-Jean Racing.

Louka St-Jean prêt pour la seule course canadienne du calendrier 2023

C'est le moment de l'année où le programme USF Pro 2000 présenté par Cooper Tires effectue son unique arrêt international de la saison. En se rendant à Toronto, en Ontario, pour concourir sur le circuit urbain temporaire de 1,786 mile (2,875km) et 11 virages des rues de Toronto, ce sera le seul événement de Louka St-Jean sur dans son pays natal alors qu'il partage à nouveau la piste avec le programme d'escalade des championnats USF Pro et la série NTT INDYCAR.

"C'est génial de courir à Toronto, mais c'est quand même à environ six heures de chez moi à Montréal", explique St-Jean. "Bien que ce soit un événement canadien, je considère cette course comme mon événement national car j'aurai beaucoup de famille, d'amis et de partenaires qui feront le voyage jusqu'à Toronto ce week-end."

Depuis sa promotion du USF2000 au USF Pro 2000 et son intégration à la puissante équipe de Turn 3 Motorsport, St-Jean a disputé quatre courses et s'est classé parmi les huit premiers à trois reprises différentes. Montrant sa vitesse lors des essais, des séances d'entraînement et des qualifications, le jeune québécois visera à améliorer son meilleur résultat, cette fois dans son pays natal.

St-Jean ajoute : "L'équipe et moi avons des objectifs réalistes pour Toronto. Ce sera seulement ma deuxième course sur un circuit urbain temporaire et ma première avec la machine Pro 2000. L'objectif est d'aborder le week-end avec prudence, de terminer chaque tour et d'acquérir de l'expérience. Si nous pouvons bien faire tout cela, je pense que nous pouvons maximiser nos résultats et rentrer chez nous avec de très bonnes performances."

Avec une seule séance de pratique le vendredi, Louka St-Jean participera ensuite aux qualifications de première course en après-midi. Samedi matin aura lieu la deuxième des deux séances de qualifications qui déterminera la grille de départ pour la deuxième course, prévue le dimanche matin, tandis que la première course du week-end débutera samedi après-midi.

Assurez-vous de suivre les temps de Louka St-Jean en direct ainsi la vidéo en direct sur USFPro2000.com pour chaque séance officielle sur la piste du Honda Indy Toronto.

Pour plus d'informations sur Louka St-Jean, n'hésitez pas à consulter son site web de course à l'adresse www.LoukaStJean.com. De plus, assurez-vous de suivre Louka St-Jean sur ses pages de médias sociaux en recherchant Louka St-Jean Racing.

Los Angeles, California – The Racing to End Alzheimer's team will take on next weekend’s Honda Indy Toronto, with Nick Galante contesting the Sports Car Championship Canada presented by Michelin, behind the wheel of a very special Mercedes AMG GT4 prepared by Toronto-based VPX Motorsport.

“I appreciate that this opportunity came about,” said Galante. “I’ve known Chris Bye (President of St. Catharines-based FEL Motorsports, who owns the Canadian series) for a few years through the IMSA paddock. He’s been trying to help us find a way to come run with them and this came together with a local team – VPX Motorsport – for Phil and me to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s in Canada.”

The No. 77 Mercedes gives families the chance to honor loved ones who have suffered from alzheimer’s disease. For a $250 donation, the family member’s name and hometown is placed on the car, and their photo can be posted on the R2EndAlz website’s tribute page. All donations are matched by Legistics (Phil Frengs), VPX Motorsport (Vince Partap, M.D.) and FEL Motorsport (in the name of Barbara Glover), which means that a $250 donation becomes $1000 – with 100% going to the Alzheimer Society of Toronto.

Racing to End Alzheimer's partner in Toronto will be VPX Motorsport, led by Interventional Radiologist Dr. Vince Partap. He notes the similarities between the levels of precision and teamwork involved in both medicine and racing.

“The level of excellence we have to practice in medicine is what I am trying to replicate in racing, where every millisecond counts,” said Dr. Partap. “I accomplish this by giving people in my organization the guidance and opportunity to do just that. When I select partners, I select them not just for their name on the car, but their willingness to support people.

Because ultimately, supporting people is why racing succeeds, why medicine succeeds and why charity succeeds. I believe that Phil and I share similar principles and why we have so easily collaborated to bring that organization to Canada and can work together to drive its future success here.”

Galante and Frengs met in 2017 and formed a fast friendship. Frengs’ company Legistics began to sponsor Galante, who would go on to win 2016 and 2018 championship titles in what is now the Michelin Pilot Challenge.

But Frengs’ wife Mimi was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, and in 2017, he formed Racing to End Alzheimer’s as a way to help other families honor their loved ones, and to raise money and awareness about the terrible disease. Galante was happy to race in the new livery, as the fight is also a very personal one for him.

“Alzheimer’s affected my family as well – I lost my grandmother to the disease 10 years ago, and recently lost my aunt as well. There isn’t much you can do to help, but Phil wanted to do something in Mimi’s honor, so he created this charity to make a difference while she is going through what’s now her 10-year final journey.”

Galante has continued competing under the Racing to End Alzheimer’s banner, in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series and in GT4 America. They plan to make the most of the opportunity to compete in Toronto and bring the message of hope north of the border. For Frengs, the race car presents an opportunity to raise money for the cause – and to help loved ones feel as though they, too, had made a difference.

“My job at the racetrack is to educate, but probably my most important job is to be chief hugger, because we end up doing a lot of hugging,” said Frengs. “People will be having a conversation with me and, all of the sudden, their eyes glass up thinking about the person that’s been affected. For most of them, I reach out and give them a hug and say, ‘It’s okay. It’s my wife, too. I know.’

“This gives me some purpose,” Frengs continued.

“Watching someone go through this disease, the two things that come to mind are how helpless you feel and how hopeless you feel. So, I feel this is my calling and my opportunity to do something.”

The Sports Car Championship Canada joins the NTT INDYCAR SERIES at the Honda Indy Toronto, contesting a tripleheader of races: Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and 4:35 p.m., and Sunday at Noon. The races will be live streamed on the FEL Motorsports YouTube channel.

About Racing to End Alzheimer's

In 2013, Phil Frengs’ wife Mimi was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Their experience with the disease led Frengs to a seminal moment: his company, Legistics, had long sponsored a team in IMSA sports car racing and he realized an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the fight against the disease. In 2017, he formed Racing to End Alzheimer's, giving fans the opportunity to honor loved ones by putting their names on the race car via donation – with Legistics matching each contribution.

https://www.r2endalz.org/

About the Alzheimer Society of Toronto

The Alzheimer Society of Toronto provides free counselling and education to people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, their families, and caregivers. They deliver specialised training and professional development for frontline health-care providers, and public education and awareness events to increase accessibility to dementia information.

https://alz.to/

Racing to End Alzheimer’s