INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – After a breakthrough weekend earlier this season in Alabama that saw all three Rising Star Racing drivers take victories on the same day on the same track, the trio will look for another big event as the stage moves north to Canada for the annual IndyCar event weekend on the streets of Toronto. 

The entire Mazda Road to Indy ladder system, including the Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tires series as well as the Indy Lights series will race through the streets of downtown Toronto as the Verizon IndyCar Series headlines the Honda Indy Toronto event.

Neil Alberico will represent Rising Star Racing in Pro Mazda, while Spencer Pigot will take to the streets in Indy Lights competition. Verizon IndyCar Series pilot Josef Newgarden will complete his run of six consecutive event weekends before the series takes a break following a grueling run of races through every kind of track the championship races on. 

The Canadian weekend could play a key role in the championships for Pro Mazda and Indy Lights contenders, as they will feature double-header events with one race on Saturday and one race on Sunday.

When Pro Mazda most recently visited a street circuit, Alberico came away with two victories. He dominated in the season-opening St. Pete double-header event with the Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing team, and aims for a repeat performance in Toronto.

Alberico sits second in the Pro Mazda Championship standings – just eight points out of the top spot heading into Toronto.

“Toronto is one of the events that I have been looking forward to all year long,” said Alberico, who spent time coaching at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca near his home during the break in action. “It’s a cool city that always puts on a great show. Toronto is one of those very demanding street courses with lots of character in terms of navigating bumps in the road. We have done well on street circuits in the past so let’s hope we can pull it together for some more good results!”

Pigot, who last raced at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, is eager to race the streets of Toronto. Though Pro Mazda didn’t race at the circuit last year, the series did in 2013 so the Indy Lights rookie already has two previous races under his belt at the challenging temporary street course.

The street circuit events so far this year have proven strong for Pigot and his Juncos Racing team. Pigot opened the year with two third place podium finishes at St. Pete and then followed that up with a runner-up finish in Long Beach.

“Toronto is a very unique and challenging circuit and I’m looking forward to it,” said Pigot, who is third in the Indy Lights championship as the series enters the second half of the season. “We were really quick at our last street race in Long Beach so hopefully we can pick up where we left off and fight for the win. We've had a few oval tests during the break which were fun but I'm excited to get back to a street course.”

Newgarden is more than ready to return to Toronto with Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing after mechanical issues took the No. 67 Hartman Oil Chevy out of the race early last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

“I’m really excited about Toronto,” said Newgarden. “It’s a place we’ve run strong before from a speed aspect so we should have good cars there. We have a really good game plan going in, the guys have been working hard and we are all really prepared. Luca (Filippi) likes Toronto a lot as well, so I am hoping the both of us can roll off the truck really strong. If we do that, we can carry that momentum through the weekend and secure good results. That would be great right now for everyone involved with CFH Racing!”

Rising Star Racing is supported by our great corporate partners; MOBÉ, D-A Lubricant Company, cmcglobal and Barnes & Thornburg.

Three days of on track action begin on Friday, June 12. The Honda Indy Toronto will be televised LIVE on NBC Sports Network beginning at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday.

The Pro Mazda and Indy Lights events can be followed with live timing and scoring as well as audio via the Road to Indy TV app or at racecontrol.indycar.com.