What could be more thrilling than signing a three-year contract extension with your favorite team growing up [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/i-would-love-to-play-my-whole-career-here-inside-steven-lorentz-s-three-year-extension-with-the-maple-leafs]? Perhaps it's experiencing the rush of an IndyCar at over 200 miles per hour. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz is the latest notable figure to take part in an annual tradition at the Honda Indy Toronto. Lorentz put on a firesuit and took the backseat as a professional driver took him for a ‘hot lap,’ a moment shared by the Maple Leafs on Saturday. In the three-minute video posted on X, an IndyCar crew member asks who’s next as Lorentz climbs into the IndyCar. “This is f---ing sick,” Lorentz said as he hopped in. “(I’m) probably going to be sick after that.” Lorentz initially joined the Maple Leafs on a professional tryout [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/ive-looked-at-this-group-and-i-believe-this-group-can-get-the-job-done-maple-leafs-pto-signing-steven-lorentz-hoping-to-bring-stanley-cup-winning-experience-to-toronto-this-season], which was then converted into a one-year deal worth $775,000. During the 2024-25 season, the Kitchener, Ontario native scored eight goals and added 11 assists in 80 games and was a consistent presence on the team’s bottom-six forward group. Earlier this month, he was rewarded with a raise by inking a new three-year contract worth an average of $1.35 million per season. The Honda Indy is an annual race on the IndyCar circuit, which began in 1986 as the Molson Indy and has run every year with the exception of three instances. In 2008, the race didn’t take place due to the merger of CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) and the Indy Racing League, which left Toronto off the schedule as the new season began [https://www.cbc.ca/sports/toronto-grand-prix-officially-cancelled-1.730289]. In 2020 and 2021, the race was skipped due to restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Lorentz isn’t the first Maple Leaf to take part in Honda Indy Toronto festivities. In 2013, Dave Bolland and David Clarkson served as Grand Marshals, giving the "drivers, start your engines" command. The 2025 edition of the race is set to take place on Sunday afternoon at 12:22 p.m. ET [https://hondaindy.com/festival/schedule]. (Top image credit: Toronto Maple Leafs on X)
