Honda Indy Markham track sessions kickoff after Friday cancellation

Vehicles are taking to the track for practice sessions and qualifying rounds after Markham’s inaugural hosting of Canada’s only IndyCar race got off to a bumpy start.

Doors opened at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, with the first practice sessions set to take place a short time later.

Drivers got the green flag on Friday evening to hit the track the next morning.

The decision came after organizers announced Friday that no cars would be hitting the newly resurfaced race course.

At the time, organizers said the cancellation was to ensure “the safety of the drivers and completion of the certification process of competing on a brand-new racetrack.”

Organizers apologized to fans who came out to the Free Fan Friday event, a long-standing tradition of past races.

“We greatly appreciate all the fans who made it out to the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham today and chose to spend the day with us,” organizers wrote on their website. “The attendance and support were overwhelming.”

Following morning practice runs, the first races are expected to start at 1 p.m., including the USF2000 Championship and the NASCAR Canada Series at 4:45 p.m.

The Glorious Sons are then expected to perform live after the NTT INDYCAR Series qualifying round at 6:30 p.m.

More races are planned Sunday, including the 90-lap Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham race at 12:22 p.m.

This is the first time Markham has hosted an IndyCar race, which previously made its Canadian home on the Toronto waterfront for decades.

The partnership between the city and IndyCar was announced last September. The temporary street circuit was built for the first time this week and runs between Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard, the Unionville GO tracks and Highway 407.

—with files from Global News’ Trevor Popoff and The Canadian Press