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Back On Track – Hinchcliffe Returns At Road America

James Hinchcliffe is all smiles after getting back behind the wheel again. [John Wiedemann Photo]

James Hinchcliffe is all smiles after getting back behind the wheel again.  [John Wiedemann Photo]

 

Elkhart Lake, WI – 133 days.

Fans and drivers alike have been waiting for this day.

But, no one was more anxious than James Hinchcliffe.

On May18th, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hinchcliffe was lapping the track during a practice session for the Indianapolis 500 when his car shot into the turn three wall with a trail of sparks left behind it. When Hinchliffe’s car hit the wall, a piece of the car’s suspension pierced the tub and embedded itself in his thigh.

That incident took away the rest of Hinchcliffe’s season while almost ending his career and his life.

Just nine days later, Hinchcliffe left the hospital, with Will Power driving his wheelchair, and the race was on to return to competition.

133 days later.

Hinchcliffe returned to the racetrack, ready to get inside the tub of his Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports IndyCar and do what he does best – drive an IndyCar to its limits.

“Getting here this morning was a bit emotional seeing everybody,” said Hinchcliffe. “I was probably grinning like an idiot and some of the crew guys were doing the same thing. I’m professional, in theory, so once the helmet goes on it is all business.”

Back behind the wheel and the first car out of the pits when the track opened, Hinchcliffe was back to where he belongs.

“We wanted to get to work as soon as possible,” explained Hinchcliffe. “It’s a brand new track for us so there is a lot of work to get done. No point in sitting around and watching the track warm up.”

The excitement and anxiousness of getting back behind the wheel faded quickly for the Canadian driver.

“We went out for the install lap. Everything felt kind of weird. I hadn’t done all the procedural things in a long time. I wasn’t sure that I was hitting all the right buttons and doing the right things. Then I looked down and checked my shoes and remembered the right one is go and the left one is stop, and everything was fine. No, honestly it was great. We got through that and once they unleashed me and I put the hammer down a little bit, it all came flowing back really quick and it feels like I never left.”

Back on track and able to get back to business.

“The first couple runs, absolutely no ill effects what so ever, nothing’s leaking …so I think we are all good to go,” joked Hinchcliffe. “There still is probably some work to do, but I got to admit I feel great in the car and I think I am actually further ahead than I thought I was, which is just awesome.  For the main goals for me personally coming in to the day, we have checked all the boxes, I feel good in the car, I feel fit in the car, the speed seems to be there, and so there is not a whole lot else I can ask for personally. It’s amazing how quick it comes back. I thought it might take a little longer to get on pace with the other guys. But at the end of the morning we are right up there, it’s a nice feeling.”

For the Schmidt-Peterson driver, today was not only about testing the limits of the car but his limits and readiness as well.

“I had a moment in the carrousel where you are flat out in fourth gear and the thing stepped out on me a little bit. I caught it and I’m like, ‘If I can do that, I’m pretty sure I can do anything at this point’. But for sure, until you get out there and do it, you don’t have 100% confidence in how it’s going to go so this morning was big in that sense because I get out of the car at lunch time and feel great, the car was working well – that helps, and I’m very confident that we can be 100% going forward.”

While Hinchcliffe does not have memories of the accident at Indianapolis, there is one memory and that fuels his motivation.

“Winning again,” he says. “I think that’s all of our motivations, for getting up in the morning, for going to the gym, for sitting in engineering meetings, for coming testing, for everything. For me I was very fortunate, I won a race earlier in the year, I have recent memories of what that felt like and that’s what I focus on, wanting to feel that again.”

 

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