IndyCar set with 16-race championship, won't replace cancelled Toronto race

Faced with its second consecutive cancellation of the Honda Indy Toronto street course due to COVID-19 restrictions, the NTT IndyCar Series has chosen to stick with the 16 races (seven remaining) on the calendar and abandon efforts to replace the Canadian round for 2021.

“The NTT IndyCar Series looks forward to the remainder of a strong and compelling 2021 calendar,” IndyCar wrote in a Monday afternoon update. “The schedule is set with legendary road and street courses and a daring oval, which have become trademarks to winning the series championship and the Astor Cup. A historic Indianapolis 500, combined with other thrilling and memorable spring events, has highlighted the series’ exciting mix of youth and highly established stars. This year’s 16-race schedule has set the stage for a tremendous stretch run.”

Amid the worst of COVID-19’s impact in 2020, IndyCar’s plans for 17 races were reduced to 14, with a number of circuits being cleaved from the schedule and a few doubleheaders being held to get to 14 rounds. In a recent update, RACER reported the series was considering doubleheaders at Mid-Ohio, World Wide Technologies Raceway, or sticking with 16, which proved to be the preferred option.