I’ve been to Canada dozens of times, yet I am still that myopic American when it comes to interpreting what Celsius temperatures mean. I just know I kept my hotel room at 16 degrees.

Nonetheless, one need not be mathematically bilingual to know this: The track at Exhibition Place in Toronto was plenty hot, and I don’t mean in any way measured by mercury.

What a weekend at the Honda Indy Toronto. It was hot, humid and slightly damp for qualifying on Saturday, sun-splashed and clear for the race Sunday. The action was nonstop. Here are my Toronto takeaways from my perch high atop Turn 3 to help call the race for the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network:

• Race fans in Canada are incredible. I respect their loyalty to their Canadian brethren. Robert Wickens and Zachary Claman De Melo were both treated to warm ovations during the pre-race laps, but the loudest ovation came for James Hinchcliffe. Make no mistake, “Hinchtown” is indeed located somewhere near the shadows of Ontario Place and the constituents readily rise when the Mayor comes through.
• The only thing tighter than the Turn 3 corner was the seating of its grandstand. It was packed, with more fans lined outside the fence along Lakeshore Boulevard, pausing from their jog or rollerblading excursion to catch glimpses of the speed on display. The turnout was the largest I’ve seen in my years attending.
• At the outset, I noticed Zach Veach surrendered a spot to Claman De Melo and spent the majority of the first stint at the caboose of the field. The rookie eventually righted his Andretti Autosport No. 26 Relay Group 1001 Honda and navigated his way into a seventh-place finish. It was the kind of patient and methodical charge that validated one of his teammates, who recently told me, “He will become a multi-race winner in this series.”
• Speaking of Veach’s teammates, Marco Andretti may have had his best day of the season. It had to be an emotional week for Marco. He qualified 14th, but was as racy as I’ve ever seen him in the No. 98 Oberto Circle K/Curb Honda. The third turn is a great passing zone, and Marco seized the opportunity on several occasions. He used both the inside and outside lines to carve his way into what looked like a top-5 finish before a late stop for a splash of fuel dropped him to 10th. Nonetheless, I was impressed by his tenacity throughout the race.
• The race may have been hot, but a tip of the cap to Gabby Chaves for staying cool. The American was on headsets in the Harding Racing pits while Conor Daly piloted the No. 88 Harding Group Chevrolet for the weekend. It could not have been an easy weekend for Chaves – the team deciding to audition drivers for a prospective second car in 2019, in lieu of Chaves running the race – but he said all the right things. It remains to be seen if the explanation is that simple or if Harding Racing just felt he needed a “reset” to stoke the fire, but Chaves handled it well.
• Daly also handled it well, running in the top 10 for the first few stints before bringing the car home 13th. He surrendered a few positions late in the race, but I thought he did so with a level of racing maturity. It’s always tempting as a racer to fight for every position, and it requires a mix of smarts and humility to allow someone past if they have a better-handling car and it can avoid a bigger problem. Daly’s performance earned him a shared test today with Chaves at Mid-Ohio. There’s no reason it can’t be a positive for both drivers.
• Then, there is Scott Dixon. What is there to say? I’ve made it a point to not take for granted what we’re witnessing with Dixon. From my perch, I made a point in the race’s closing stages to look into the cockpit as Dixon worked the wheel through Turn 3. What I noticed was the fluidity and timing with which he could bend his steering wheel.
  
  Most of the field seemed to turn tight with a combination of smaller pulls while decelerating earlier in the turn. Dixon was at speed just a half-second longer, and would turn with one fast but unfazed turn of the wheel. Perhaps it was just the power of suggestion, my eye knowing I’m watching the driver with the fastest pace. Perhaps it was just the power of appreciation; I don’t want greatness to go by unnoticed.
  
  Better yet, perhaps it’s just that I was watching the third-winningest driver in Indy car history stalk victory No. 44 and I didn’t want to take it for granted. I just know I was watching a master perfecting a craft.

Now, it’s on to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where Dixon has five of his career wins. Indeed, the Iceman is poised for a hot streak. Whether you measure it in Celsius of Fahrenheit.