Last Updated on July 19, 2024 by YGK News Staff
Kingston locals and members of one of Canada’s biggest bands, The Tragically Hip, will be acting as honorary grand marshals this Sunday in Toronto at the Honda Indy.
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto announced on Tuesday that Gord Sinclair, Rob Baker, Paul Langlois and Johnny Fay would all be on hand on Sunday at Exhibition Place as part of pre-race festivities and offering the command for drivers to start their engines.
In a statement, the band members expressed their excitement to be a part of the Honda Indy.
“It’s such a thrill to be a part of this awesome tradition in Toronto,” said The Hip in a statement.
“We’re grateful for the experience and we can’t wait to give the command and hear the engines roar… As a band, you think you’ve done it all, and the next thing you know, you’re announcing the most famous words in motorsports to kick off a world-class auto race!”
In addition to branding dedicated to The Tragically Hip’s SiriusXM channel on the Number 66 car driven by David Malukas, the four members will be tasked with announcing “driver’s, start your engines” at 1:23 PM on Sunday, July 21 – kicking off the 85 lap race.
The race will also be live broadcast on SiriusXM’s INDYCAR channel.
The remaining members of the band have been involved in different projects following the death of lead singer Gord Downie in 2017, and remain in Kingston following the nationwide success of the Hip.
This year, they’re celebrating 40 years of history in music and friendship with a four part documentary series that will be released on Amazon Prime, as well as a coffee table book and a box set commemorating their first album “Up to Here”.
